Westerville: Nature, Trails and History

Westerville offers three distinct perspectives to help you plan your trip: recreational trails, natural areas and history. The B&W system is designed for cycling, walking and jogging; Rocky Fork features woodland and fields with a variety of park amenities. Temperance Row and two different tour options bring the historic side of the city to life.

Recreational Trails and Getting Around

The Westerville Bike and Walkways (B&W) system includes 51 miles of recreational trails for cycling, walking or jogging. The trails pass through parks, wooded areas and fields, cross rivers and roads, and run alongside streets and through residential neighborhoods. Their surroundings therefore range from parks and natural areas to streets and residential neighborhoods. This variety makes the system appealing if you’d like to experience different sides of Westerville outdoors during your stay.

Markers placed at half-mile intervals help you find your way; information boards are located at the Westerville Sports Complex and Spring Grove North Park. When planning your visit, you can distinguish the scope of the trail system from two specific information locations. The markers and boards complement the overall distance by providing points of reference.

Natural Areas at Rocky Fork

Rocky Fork offers a different focus on nature. The park encompasses more than 1,000 acres of woodland and fields; its features also include wetlands and a picnic shelter. Recreational amenities include an equestrian trail, a dog park, an off-leash dog trail, a paved trail and nature trails. The park’s offerings therefore include different types of trails as well as dedicated amenities for dogs. To understand what the park offers, consider both the size of its natural areas and the combination of wetlands, trails and other features.

By comparison, B&W is centered on a 51-mile trail system spanning varied surroundings, while Rocky Fork is a single park with woodland and fields as well as several recreational amenities. This distinction helps set the two nature-focused attractions apart: a trail network or the features of a named park.

History and Tours

Westerville’s Temperance Row Historic District offers a glimpse into the city’s political and social history. The district is listed on the National Register of Historic Places; the National Park Service recognizes it as an area of national significance. Leaders of the Anti-Saloon League of America lived there and raised their families. In 1919, they secured the prohibition of the manufacture, sale or transportation of intoxicating alcoholic beverages. The district’s history thus connects the leaders’ lives at home with their political activism. For travelers interested in historic movements as well as trails and nature, Temperance Row offers a tangible way to explore this chapter of Westerville’s past.

At Heritage Park, you can take a guided tour at Everal Barn & Homestead to see a historic barn and a 19th-century historic home. The Westerville History Center’s tours are self-guided walks through Westerville’s cultural, historical and architectural heritage. The two experiences differ in format: Everal focuses on a guided tour of two historic buildings, while the History Center’s tours let you explore Westerville’s heritage on your own.

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