Hoover Mudflats Boardwalk is part of the Hoover Nature Preserve operated by the Columbus Parks and Recreation Department. It is one of the best birding sites in central Ohio. In the fall the city lowers the water level in Hoover Reservoir, so it’s more hospitable to migrating shore birds. The area around the boardwalk is also used for fishing and launching kayaks, and I’ve seen crew teams training here. Beyond that, the site is just lovely.
One of the big, birding attractions of the summer is a mated pair of osprey who nest on a platform near the boardwalk. If you stop by to watch the osprey family, it helps to bring binoculars. Sadly the nesting platform is a bit too far away for me to be able to capture crisp photos of the family here, but here are a couple to just give you an idea of what you can see.
Location
The Hoover Mudflats Boardwalk is in Galena, Ohio. Nearby there are two dining establishments on Old 3C Hwy: the Galena Diner, and the Mudflats Bar and Grill. The diner is a nice place to stop by for breakfast. In the evening, the bar and grill periodically features live music.
Cyclists can ride most of the distance between Galena and Westerville on a dedicated bike path. From Galena, take Old 3C Hwy west to Wiese Road. Weise Road terminates at the northernmost end of the bike path. The bike path will take you to northern Westerville.
More on Delaware County
Gallant Woods Preserve
Emily Traphagen Preserve
Early Summer Evening at Char-Mar Ridge Preserve
Shale Hollow Preserve
The boardwalk is open now, was just there. What kind of fish migrates there?
I don’t think there’s any migration, but we were on the boardwalk just after a storm and people were hauling in large catfish.
Nice website. Thanks for such a beautiful blog. Any updates on the opening of the boardwalk? I love this area.
Gail, your welcome! I wish I could tell you when the boardwalk is going to be open to the public, but I don’t have a clue. It’s really nice when it’s open.
When will the boardwalk be done with repairs?
The city of Columbus owns and manages this preserve. The park’s management has said that they will repair the boardwalk this spring, but they haven’t specified any dates for beginning or completing these repairs.
Again a high quality post with awesome photos!
You are very kind, Sartenada. 🙂
Hi Deb! I’ve nominated you for the Beautiful Blogger Award! Here’s the link ~ http://carolwelsh.wordpress.com/2012/07/01/beautiful-blogger-award-5/. I hope I did it right this time! 🙂
Great post …. lots of super pictures. The Yellowlegs looks like a Lesser to me. The bill on a Greater usually has a dip towards the end aand this guys is pretty straight! Thanks for sharing!! Tom
Thanks, Tom! I didn’t realize that the bills on the two species of Yellow Legs were somewhat different. I’ll keep that in mind. I only get to see them during migration, but that makes them seem even more special.
awesome place! awesome shots!
Thank you, marviiilous. I love this place. 🙂