A Sunday Drive from Upper Arlington Along the Scioto

How to spend a slow day following the Scioto River out of Upper Arlington, with honest notes on routes, towns and where to turn around.

Starting Out: Lane Avenue to the River

Leave Upper Arlington on Lane Avenue and head west toward the river bluffs; the road narrows past Kenny Road and the pace drops immediately. Cross into the river valley near the Lane Avenue bridge and pick up Riverside Drive or the signed Scioto Greenways trail. Parking is limited along the bluffs, so use the Griggs Reservoir lot off Fishinger Road, which has room on weekend mornings. From the reservoir you can follow the west bank as far as Hayden Run Road, roughly six miles of gentle curves with herons, rowers and sycamores.

If you want lunch before leaving, the Lane Avenue and Tremont Road corners have coffee and bakeries open by eight on Sundays, and most close by mid-afternoon. Fill a flask there rather than counting on stops past Hilliard. The reservoir section is the easiest part of the drive to underestimate: it looks short on a map but rewards a slow pace, and the pull-offs at the north end fill by ten. Arrive early, and treat this first stretch as the drive rather than a warm-up.

Heading West: Fishinger, Hayden Run and Hilliard

Continue west on Fishinger Road through the Millcreek area, then turn north on Dublin Road toward Hayden Run. This is farmland giving way to subdivisions, with the Dublin Road roundabout at Hayden Run Road as your clearest direction check. If you want a longer loop, take Cosgray Road north to Scioto Darby Road and follow it east back toward Hilliard — about twenty minutes of driving through corn stubble and new-build estates, busy with cyclists on dry mornings.

Hilliard itself is not a scenic stop, but its old town around Main and Center streets has a modest cluster of coffee shops and a Saturday farmers market; on Sunday most of it is quiet. If you are travelling with children, the trampoline and climbing options around Cemetery Road will burn an hour. Otherwise skip Hilliard and press on. The best months for this stretch are late September and early October, when the light is low and the fields are gold; June mornings are green but muggy by noon.

The Northern Loop: Dublin and the O'Shaughnessy Bridge

From Hayden Run, follow the river north on Riverside Drive under the O'Shaughnessy Dam. The reservoir here is broader and windier, popular with sailboats and paddleboarders, and the dam itself is a short walk from the roadside parking. Cross to the east bank at the Dublin Road bridge and pick up Frantz Road or Riverside Drive through Dublin, where Bridge Park offers parking, coffee and a walk along the water. The contrast with the quiet west bank is stark, and it is the natural halfway point of the day.

Drive times are modest: Upper Arlington to Bridge Park is around twenty-five minutes, and the return via Sawmill Road and Bethel Road takes about the same. If you would rather stay on the quieter side, follow Dublin Road south through the Scioto Reserve and rejoin Fishinger at the reservoir. I would book a hotel in Upper Arlington itself rather than Dublin: the rates in Dublin's Bridge Park run noticeably higher on weekends, and you are driving back anyway. Check the hotel's parking before you commit.

Where to Stop, Where to Skip

The stretch between the Lane Avenue and Fishinger bridges is the one to protect. It has the reservoir, the greenway trail, the boat ramps and the best birdwatching on the route, with an access point at the Griggs Reservoir dam and another at the O'Shaughnessy Nature Preserve on the west bank. If you have one morning, walk the trail south from the dam toward Upper Arlington and skip the drive north of Hayden Run, which is mostly suburban roads and strip-mall verges.

Skip the temptation to push east into Columbus on a Sunday: High Street and the Short North are crowded, parking is expensive, and you will have spent the day in traffic. The river drive works best as a loop that returns you to Upper Arlington by early afternoon. Late spring and early autumn are the sweet spots; February is grey and the towpath floods. A budget hotel near the Lane Avenue and Kenny Road junction puts you ten minutes from the reservoir and an easy return.

Questions, answered

What is the best time of day for this drive?

Start by eight on a Sunday. The Griggs Reservoir parking fills by ten, and the light on the water is best before nine. Afternoons are busier with cyclists and walkers on the greenway trail, so mornings are calmer for a slow circuit.

Do I need a car, or can I cycle the route?

A car makes the loop easy in a couple of hours, but the Scioto Greenways trail runs along much of it and is flat between the reservoir and Dublin. Cycling is realistic if you start early and avoid Hayden Run Road traffic; the suburban sections carry fast-moving cars.

Where should I stay if I want to do this drive?

Book in Upper Arlington near Lane Avenue or Kenny Road, which puts you ten minutes from the reservoir and close to coffee before an early start. Dublin's Bridge Park is convenient for the northern loop but weekend rates run higher, so compare parking charges before booking.

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