The 6 best places to get on the water near Upper Arlington, ranked
Kayakers on a reservoir near Upper Arlington on a calm summer evening
Six reservoirs, creeks and river stretches within 40 minutes of Upper Arlington, ranked for paddling, swimming and simply sitting near moving water.
How I ranked them, and what water actually exists here
Central Ohio has no natural lakes worth the name. What it has instead are dammed reservoirs built to supply Columbus with drinking water, plus two rivers and one exceptional creek. Griggs and O’Shaughnessy on the Scioto, and Hoover to the north-east, are city water supplies first and recreation second, which shapes everything about how you use them. I ranked these six by quality of the paddling or swimming, then by drive time from Upper Arlington, then by how much faff stands between you and being afloat.
The rules matter here. The City of Columbus requires a watercraft permit for boats on its reservoirs and sets horsepower and access restrictions that differ between them, so check the current requirements with the city's water division before you launch anything. Ohio state parks are free to enter and their marinas handle their own rentals. The season is May to early October, with water temperatures pleasant from late June. Storms build fast on summer afternoons — reservoirs get choppy quickly and lightning is a genuine risk. Morning paddling is calmer and better.
1. Griggs Reservoir — five minutes from western Upper Arlington
Griggs is the home water. A five-mile impoundment of the Scioto running north from the Griggs Dam, it sits directly along Riverside Drive on Upper Arlington's western edge, with Griggs Reservoir Park providing boat ramps, shelters, picnic tables and free parking. For a paddler this is close to ideal: flat water, wooded banks, herons and kingfishers, big houses on the bluff to gawk at, and a launch you can reach from Fishinger Road in five minutes. On a still evening it is the best hour anyone in Upper Arlington can have outdoors.
The catches are real. It is a working water supply, so permits and restrictions apply and swimming is not permitted. Motorboats and water-skiers use the lower reservoir on summer weekends, which chops the water and makes a kayak unpleasant — go on a weekday evening or early Sunday. Rental availability on the reservoir is seasonal and has come and gone over the years, so verify what is operating before turning up without a boat. If you own or can borrow a kayak, nothing else on this list competes on convenience.
2. O’Shaughnessy Reservoir — 15 to 20 minutes north
Continue north on Riverside Drive past Dublin and you reach O’Shaughnessy, the larger and prettier upstream reservoir on the Scioto, straddling the Delaware County line. The paddling is better than Griggs: broader water, quieter shorelines, wooded coves, and the dam itself as an object of interest — walk the deck for the view down the spillway and the drop to the river below. Free parking sits at several access points along Riverside and Home Road, and the reservoir also supports sailing, which tells you the wind is more reliable here.
The same city permit regime applies, and the same swimming prohibition. The wider water means more chop when the wind gets up, so this one rewards checking the forecast — over 12 mph and a novice will have a miserable time. It is also more exposed to sun. The Columbus Zoo sits on the western shore, which means summer traffic on Riverside Drive from mid-morning; get there before nine and you will have the north end largely to yourself. Ranked second on quality, third only on hassle.
3. Alum Creek State Park — 30 to 35 minutes north-east
This is the one for swimming. Alum Creek State Park, off Interstate 71 near Lewis Center, has the largest inland beach in Ohio — a long crescent of sand with lifeguard-free open swimming, changing facilities and a car park that fills on hot Saturdays by late morning. Entry to the state park is free. There is a marina with seasonal boat and kayak rental, roughly 3,000 acres of water for paddling and sailing, and mountain-bike and hiking trails in the surrounding woods if the water disappoints.
The catch is that it is a proper state park in a hot Midwest summer: crowded, loud with powerboats on the main body of the lake, and the beach water quality can fluctuate after heavy rain, with advisories posted. Paddlers should head for the quieter northern arms rather than the open middle. Check current rental prices and hours with the marina — expect something in the range of $25 to $50 for a couple of hours in a kayak. If your group wants to swim rather than paddle, this is the only real answer within 40 minutes.
4. Hoover Reservoir — 30 minutes north-east
Hoover is the big one: roughly 3,000 acres on Big Walnut Creek east of Westerville, another Columbus water supply, with several ramps and a long shoreline of parkland. It has the most open water of any reservoir in the county and the best fishing reputation locally — bass, crappie and saugeye — and horsepower limits keep it calmer than Alum Creek, which paddlers appreciate. Parking is free at the access points, and the surrounding Hoover Nature Preserve has trails if you want to combine a walk with the water.
The catches: it is 30 minutes across the metro from Upper Arlington through traffic that gets ugly on the outerbelt at rush hour, the same city permit rules apply as at Griggs, and swimming is not allowed. Its size also means genuine wind fetch, so a light boat on a breezy afternoon is hard work. Come here if you fish, or if you want to paddle somewhere that feels remote. Otherwise Griggs gives you 80 per cent of the experience for a tenth of the driving.
5. The Big Darby, and 6. the Scioto downtown
Fifth: the Big Darby Creek, west of the city near Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park. This is the region's best moving water — a designated state and national scenic river with clear runs, riffles and gravel bars, and remarkable biodiversity for a creek this close to a city. Paddling it is dependent entirely on water level: too low in high summer, too fast after storms. Seasonal liveries operate on central Ohio streams and can advise on conditions and shuttles; check what is running before committing, and never paddle a rising creek.
Sixth: the Scioto through downtown Columbus, 15 minutes from Upper Arlington. Since the old dam was removed and the river restored through the Scioto Greenways project, the downtown stretch has a walkable bank, a broad channel and the best skyline in Ohio rising directly from the water's edge. Paddling here is a novelty rather than a nature outing, and access and rental arrangements change season to season, so verify. But as a place to sit by water with coffee at the Scioto Mile, it beats any reservoir.
What to skip, what it costs, and the one I would do tonight
Skip the Olentangy for paddling — it is shallow, snag-strewn and awkward for most of its run through the metro, and it is far better as a trail to cycle beside than a river to float. Skip any reservoir on a hot Saturday afternoon in July, when the powerboats own the water and the ramps queue. And skip the idea of swimming in Griggs, O’Shaughnessy or Hoover: it is prohibited at all three because they supply drinking water, and enforcement is real.
Costs are refreshingly low. Parking is free at every site here, state park entry is free, and a city watercraft permit is a modest annual fee — confirm the current figure with Columbus's water division. Rental, where available, runs roughly $25 to $50 for a couple of hours. If I had one evening in Upper Arlington and access to a kayak, I would put in at Griggs Reservoir Park at seven, paddle north into the quiet water, and be back at the ramp for sunset. If I had a hot Saturday and children, I would drive to Alum Creek's beach and accept the crowds.
Before you book
What people ask before booking Upper Arlington.
The City of Columbus requires a watercraft permit for boats on its reservoirs, including kayaks and canoes, and sets separate restrictions on horsepower and access. Requirements and fees are set by the city's water division and change, so confirm the current rules and buy the permit before you launch.
Alum Creek State Park's beach, roughly 30 to 35 minutes north-east, is the nearest open-water swimming and the largest inland beach in Ohio. Swimming is prohibited in Griggs, O’Shaughnessy and Hoover because they supply drinking water. Check for water-quality advisories after heavy rain before you get in.
Rental options on the Scioto reservoirs are seasonal and have varied from year to year, so verify before driving over. The most dependable rentals are at Alum Creek State Park's marina. Expect roughly $25 to $50 for a two-hour hire, with life jackets included.
May to early October for comfortable paddling, with water warm enough for swimming from late June through early September. Mornings are calmer and safer; summer afternoons bring fast-building thunderstorms. Creek paddling on the Big Darby depends on rainfall and is often too low by late July.
