The Scioto Mile is a collection of parks and trails along both banks of the

Scioto River The Scioto River ( ) is a river in central and southern Ohio more than in length. It rises in Hardin County just north of Roundhead, Ohio, flows through Columbus, Ohio, where it collects its largest tributary, the Olentangy River, and meets t ...

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...

, connecting parts of the

Scioto Greenway Trail The Scioto Greenway Trail is a multi-use greenway (landscape), greenway trail in Columbus, Ohio, Columbus, Ohio, United States. The route is along the downtown riverfront on the east and west sides of the Scioto River. It is the first such bike tr ...

with downtown Columbus and Franklinton. The nine parks cover .

History

At the beginning of the 20th century, the banks of the Scioto River were lined with housing and businesses. Large civic buildings were planned and built: Columbus City Hall, the

Ohio Judicial Center The Thomas J. Moyer Ohio Judicial Center is a state courthouse, office building, and library in Columbus, Ohio, in the city's downtown Civic Center. The building is the headquarters of the Supreme Court of Ohio, the state's highest court, as we ...

, and the

Joseph P. Kinneary U.S. Courthouse The Joseph P. Kinneary United States Courthouse is a federal courthouse in Columbus, Ohio, in the city's downtown Civic Center. It was formerly known as the U.S. Post Office and Court House. It was designed by Richards, McCarty & Bulford and wa ...

. Bicentennial Park was the first added on the riverfront, in 1976; and in 1983, Battelle Riverfront Park opened. The parks were separated, and Civic Center Drive, then a five-lane street, cut the parks off from downtown Columbus. In 1992, a replica of Christopher Columbus's '' Santa María'' ship was docked at Battelle Riverfront Park to entice residents to the riverfront, but had limited success. When Michael B. Coleman became mayor in 2000, he advocated development of the riverfront. The Scioto Mile was planned to connect the two parks, and was developed from 2011 to 2015. The first phase reduced Civic Center Drive from five to three lanes, allowing the installation of colonnades, fountains, gardens and pavilions. The park space along the entire Scioto River was then redeveloped, and Bicentennial Park completely redesigned. The river was stagnant and muddy due to the Main Street Dam, a

low head dam A weir or low head dam is a barrier across the width of a river that alters the flow characteristics of water and usually results in a change in the height of the river level. Weirs are also used to control the flow of water for outlets of l ...

built in 1918 to control flooding, but which doubled the width of the river to . In 2013 the dam and surrounding sediment were removed, narrowing the river to and giving the city access to of previously submerged shoreline. The connected parks have subsequently helped to revitalize the city's downtown. From late 2018 to 2019, Smart Columbus operated a pilot program of electric driverless shuttles in a loop around the Scioto Mile. The program continued into 2020 in Columbus's Linden neighborhood.

Attributes

The present-day parks include Alexander AEP Park,

Battelle Riverfront Park Battelle Riverfront Park is a park in downtown Columbus, Ohio, United States, near Columbus City Hall. The park was established in 1983. It is named after Gordon Battelle and was funded by the Battelle Memorial Institute. Features The park fe ...

, Bicentennial Park,

Dorrian Green Dorrian Green is a park by the Franklinton neighborhood of Columbus, Ohio. The park is part of the Scioto Mile network of parks and trails around downtown Columbus. Dorrian Green neighbors COSI, the city's science and children's museum. The pa ...

Genoa Park Genoa Park is a urban park along the west bank of the Scioto River in Columbus, Ohio, United States. The park, located between Broad and Rich Streets as part of the Scioto Mile park grouping, is named after Genoa, the birthplace of Christopher C ...

McFerson Commons McFerson Commons, originally Arena Park, is a park in Columbus, Ohio's Arena District neighborhood. The focal point of the park is the Union Station arch, salvaged before the demolition of Columbus's Union Station. The park was created around 1 ...

North Bank Park North Bank Park is an park in downtown Columbus, Ohio, United States. The park includes a work of art, '' Flowing Kiss'', installed in 2013. History Ground broke on July 24, 2003, and the park was dedicated on July 16, 2005. Construction cost ...

Scioto Audubon Metro Park Scioto Audubon Metro Park is a public park and nature preserve in Columbus, Ohio. The park is managed by the Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks and is part of the Scioto Mile network of parks and trails around Downtown Columbus. The park f ...

and the

Scioto Mile Promenade Scioto is a word of Wyandot origin given to the Scioto River, which flows southwards from north central Ohio to the Ohio River. :Scioto may also refer to: Places In Ohio *Little Scioto River (disambiguation), several flowing watercourses * Scio ...

. They are all city-owned, free, and open to everyone year-round, from at least 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. Events along the Scioto Mile include the annual Columbus Arts Festival, the Columbus Caribbean Festival, Columbus Food Truck Festival, and Earth Day celebrations. The riverbank features a

riparian zone A riparian zone or riparian area is the interface between land and a river or stream. Riparian is also the proper nomenclature for one of the terrestrial biomes of the Earth. Plant habitats and communities along the river margins and banks ar ...

, a natural line of plants that keeps soil from eroding into the water.

Gallery

File:Santa Maria - 2772222245.jpg, The

Santa Maria Ship & Museum The Santa Maria Ship & Museum was a museum ship in downtown Columbus, Ohio. The craft was a full-size replica of the '' Santa María'', one of three ships Christopher Columbus used in his first voyage to the Americas. The ship was displayed in Co ...

, a highlight of the riverfront for decades File:Reflecting Columbus Skyline at Sunset-crop.jpg, The Promenade in 2010, in early stages of redevelopment File:Columbus Riverfront.jpg, Creating park space in 2015 File:Scioto Mile 02.jpg, Genoa Park on the west bank File:Scioto Mile 01.jpg, Battelle Riverfront and North Bank Parks on the east bank

References

External links

* {{Columbus Recreation and Parks Downtown Columbus, Ohio Parks in Columbus, Ohio