PARKS + RECREATION

WITH PARKS, WATER MILES OF TRAIL there are so many places to play

With so many parks and trails and places to enjoy basketball, baseball, kayaking, bicycling, bouldering and hockey… and more…Greater Springfield, indeed, is a reservoir of recreation.

HIKING • BIKING • HISTORY • PLAY — ­THERE’S A PARK FOR YOU

FAST Clark County’s recreational HAPPY TRAILS SPRINGFIELD’S PARKS or bike trails provide access FACT to more than 250 miles of EXPLORE AND EXERCISE A GREEN BELTWAY trails in a five-county area. ON RECREATIONAL TRAILS ———— ———— pringfield’s park system has long been the envy of National Trail Parks & Clark County reater Springfield is home to miles of multi-use, other cities. The “green Recreation District Park District paved trails including the Little Miami Scenic Trail S NTPRD.org ClarkCountyParkDistrict.org belt” is comprised of Snyder which stretches from Springfield nearly 80 miles Buck Creek State Park G Champion City Kings Park, Reid Park and Veteran’s south to Milford. The Trail extends ChampionCityKings.com BuckCreekStatePark.org Park. Snyder Park, Springfield’s the Little Miami Trail corridor another 18 miles north EcoSportsCorridor NTPRD Chiller “Central Park” includes tennis from downtown Springfield to Urbana, Ohio. It begins ECOsportscorridor.com NTPRDchiller.com courts, playgrounds, picnic amidst all that Springfield has to offer, from the arts shelters and play grounds. to the ECO Sports Corridor and then swiftly proceeds Veterans Park is home to the no. to the rolling farm countryside of Ohio on your way to TOURING TIP Springfield Museum of Art 2 Urbana. There are also countless hiking trails in the and hosts the annual Summer FOR A LOOK at the city’s whitewater area including Buck Creek State Park, Glen Helen, Arts Festival at its Turner features, take Fountain Avenue just Clifton Gorge and . north of Buck Creek and go left on Pavilion. The park also boasts Veterans Park Drive. The first is behind a playground and amateur the Springfield Art Museum on the left. bouldering on its scenic cliffs. To reach the second, continue through the PARK park to its dead end, jog left on the bridge, turn right into Snyder Park and keep an eye out on the right. PARK HOLDS LOCAL HISTORY ———— eorge Rogers Clark Park, home to the historic Hertzler House, sits across from a reconstructed 1800s-era barn and within walking distance of a stockade and G collection of Native American and pioneer artifacts. While there, stop at the park’s Davidson Interpretive Center, where the “Clash of Cultures” exhibit explains why General George Rogers Clark stormed north from in 1780. Visit the Fair at New Boston on Labor Day weekend for a widely respected reenactment of a turn of the 19th century trade fair. The Clark County Park District also looks after the Estel Wenrick Wetlands on the county’s west side, yet another venue for getting out in nature.

14 GREATER SPRINGFIELD COMMUNITY GUIDE 2016-2017 greaterspringfield.com CHAMPION CITY KINGS FUN ON THE WATER • ALL YEAR ROUND PROSPECT LEAGUE BASEBALL WHITE WATER FUN HITS HOME RUN DOWNTOWN’S ECO SPORTS CORRIDOR ———— ———— he Champion City Kings — the newest wo whitewater kayak features are centerpieces of member of the collegiate Prospect Springfield’s developing Eco Sports Corridor. Those League, kicked off its inaugural T Tlooking for more placid waters can rent canoes for a baseball season in 2014. Its 28-member peaceful paddle on Mad River as it slices its way westward roster of the top collegiate talent plays toward the Great Miami River. approximately 30 games at Springfield’s Carlton Davidson Stadium between June and August. Its minor-league atmosphere FROZEN WATER FUN provides affordable, family-friendly entertainment for all ages. THE CHILLER ICE ARENA ———— he latest addition to Springfield’s recreational reservoir is the NTPRD Chiller, owned by the National Trail Parks T and Recreation District and operated by the Chiller Ice Rinks of the Columbus area. Now home to Wittenberg University’s hockey team, the Chiller offers skating and INCLUSION PLAYGROUND hockey lessons, open skating, parties and drop-in hockey as part of the regular schedule. GIVING EVERY CHILD A PLACE TO PLAY BUCK CREEK STATE PARK ———— A 2,000 ACRE WATER PLAYGROUND hysical disabilities create no hindrance ———— to outdoor fun for local special needs hen the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers decided to do something to keep children thanks to a new Inclusion P Buck Creek from periodically inundating Springfield, the 2,100 acres of Playground located at historic Snyder Park. W Lake Lagonda began to form. On the 1,900 acres surrounding it, the Ohio A project of the Rotary Club, construction Department of Natural Resources created Buck Creek State Park with a sand beach, of the $300,000 playground began in May full-service marina, cabins and trails. Fishermen, bikers, boaters, horseback riders, 2014. The wheelchair accessible park will campers and hikers return to its shores every year along with the migrating birds. include features such as a butterfly net, duo disk swings, multi-level platforms and accessible ground surfacing. GOLF COURSE DIRECTORY

PRIVATE PUBLIC Springfield Country Club Reid Memorial Park Golf Course THE GRASS IS Par 72. 6,684 yards South Course: Par 72. 6,502 yards 2315 Signal Hill Road North Course: Par 72. 6,760 yards 937-399-0351 1325 South Bird Road Greener in www.springfieldccoh.org 937-324-7725 www.ntprd.org/reid_park_golf_course.htm Springfield Elks 51 Golf Course Rocky Lakes Golf Course Springfield Par 72. 6,527 yards Par 70. 6,075 yards 1536 Villa Road 3950 South Yellow Springs Street 937-399-2304 937-322-3211 www.golflink.com/golf-courses f golf is your game, we have some ideal Mitchell Hills Club, Inc. spots. Greater Springfield boasts nine 5350 Morris Road Locust Hills Golf Club 937-399-0711 Course 1: Par 72. 6,576 yards regulation golf courses, including the www.mitchellhills.com Course 2: Par 72. 6,572 yards I 5575 North River Road third-ranked private club in the region — the 800-872-4918 the Springfield Country Club. www.locusthillsgc.com springfield National Golf Links The 110-year-old course was designed Par 72. 7,200 yards South Charleston by legendary golfer and golf course 877-730-7676 architect Donald Ross, whose own golf www.nationalgolflinks.org legacy lives on at Pinehurst. Windy Knoll Golf Club Par 71. 6,820 yards 411 500 Roscommon Drive One of our more interesting public 937-399-0001 courses is Windy Knoll, a links-inspired Donald Ross, who www.windyknollgolfclub.com designed the 18-hole creation. The horse statues on the grounds Sugar Isle Golf Course course at Springfield Par 72. 6,350 yards are a tribute to the horse breeding farm State Route 235 | New Carlisle Country Club, also 937-845-8699 and the horses that were there in an designed Pinehurst. www.sugarislegolf.com earlier generation.

15 greaterspringfield.com GREATER SPRINGFIELD COMMUNITY GUIDE 2016-2017