Parks & Recreation

Heise Park is home to Galion City Schools’ high school football, baseball, and softball fields; a Little League field; tennis courts; a basketball court; a sand volleyball pit; horseshoes; an historical cabin; and a Veterans Memorial. Heise also features the city’s public swimming pool, which is managed by the Galion Community Center YMCA, and three playground areas, the newest of which honors Galion’s historical prominence in the road machinery industry.

East Park offers playground equipment, a skate park, a softball field, a basketball court, exercise stations, and a “sprayground” splash park, as well as a cabin for event rental. South Park contains baseball and tee-ball fields, tennis courts, a playground, and a new dog park. Cobey Park also contains a new dog park, in addition to a walking path around the lake. PECO Park has quad softball/baseball fields and a playground. Each of Galion’s parks contains at least one rentable picnic shelter. A new bike trail was installed in Galion that runs along the west side of the Olentangy River, just south of Galion’s main street, Harding Way West. Amman Reservoir is an in-ground reservoir that provides green space and hiking areas, a 24-hole disc golf course, and a cross-country course. Amick Reservoir is an above-ground reservoir with fishing opportunities, as well as soccer nets. Powers Reservoir is another site for fishing, and is a popular spot for sledding in the winter months. Valley View Golf Course is an 18-hole course located on SR 598, between Galion and Crestline.

Galion, OH

CRAWFORD PARK DISTRICT

In Crestline, Kelly Park boasts several new features: a wooden playscape, a steam-locomotive jungle gym, and a sand volleyball court. Central Park, the heart of the village, offers a gazebo and green space for community enjoyment. Hamilton Park contains a playground, a basketball court, a picnic pavilion, and an iceskating rink in winter. A public pool is located on Cross Street.

Crestline, OH

The Crawford Park District (CPD) presents multiple educational and recreational options. Lowe-Volk Nature Center on State Route 598 is the handicapped-accessible hub of CPD activities, presenting many programs, including school field trips and various public programs about nature and history. On its 38 acres, one can find varying ecosystems: wooded riparian corridor, mixed deciduous/coniferous forest, wetland, and old field habitats. Among Lowe-Volk’s features are a floating fishing dock and a boardwalk trail; hiking trails; interpretive nature and local history exhibits; live animals, bird feeders, a butterfly garden observation room, and a beehive; a children’s learning center and a new kids’ learning tree; and a nature gift shop. 06

Parks & Recreation Continued

Sandusky Headwaters Preserve is CPD’s newest offering, opened in the fall of 2021. Its 38 acres adjacent to the headwaters of the Sandusky River contain two wetland ponds and four vernal pools that have been human-built, as well as a recreated wetland/marsh prairie and deciduous upland old-growth forests. The site also boasts bountiful wildlife, a scenic river trail, and an elevated boardwalk.

Unger Park’s 53 acres of restored prairie and bottomland woods contain a trail system that winds its way through mature prairies, forests, and along the edge of the Sandusky River over its nearly-three-mile length. It also leads into neighboring Aumiller Park, owned by the City of Bucyrus. Another partner at Unger Park is the OSU Extension, which has orchard, flower, and field trails, all components of Unger Farm.

Sears Woods State Nature Preserve sits on 137 acres with a mile-long loop trail that meanders through old field habitat and a mature upland forest with bluffs overlooking the Sandusky River. Heckert Nature Preserve comprises 43 acres of upland forest, riparian (river) bottom, and old field habitats. The Sandusky Wildlife Area provides opportunities for public hunting, hiking, and general nature observation. Daughmer Prairie Savannah State Nature Preserve is the last 74-acre remnant of the Sandusky Plains. As such, it is one of the rarest prairie communities in the Midwest, making it a local natural history gem that is home to threatened flora and fauna.

The fundamental idea behind the parks is native. It is, in brief, that the country belongs to the people, that it is in process of making for the enrichment of the lives of all of us. The parks stand as the outward symbol of the great human principle.