Central Ohio is home to the Scioto River Valley and just northwest of the downtown area is the confluence of the Scioto and Olentangy rivers.  The Scioto River is the longest river entirely in Ohio, with a length of around 230 miles. Its headwaters are located in Auglaize County (to the northwest) and it flows south to join the Ohio River in Portsmouth, OH.  The river valley is fertile farmland and was populated by Native Americans and settlers.  The name Scioto is based on the Wyandot word for “deer”. Much of the river cuts through limestone. There are two dams on the river, both close to Columbus. The Griggs Dam built in the early 1900s and the O'Shaughnessy Dam built in the 1920s.  Both are operated by the city of Columbus.

It’s main tributary, the Olentangy River, was called Keenhongsheconsepung by the Delaware for “sharp tool river” as the river cuts through shale.  Early settlers called it the Whetstone River, the black shale being commonly used as a whetstone to sharpen tools. A secondary tributary, Darby Creek, was known by the Wyandots as the Olentangy River, meaning river of the red face paint. This name was accidentally ascribed to Keenhongsheconsepung during a push in the 1800s to restore Native American names to some Ohio waterways. In northern parts of the Olentangy it is still known as Whetstone. The river flows south through Columbus along the neighborhoods of Powell, Worthington, Riverlea, Clintonville and Old North Columbus before joining the Scioto. The section from the Delaware Dam to Old Wilson Bridge in Worthington has been designated an Ohio Scenic River. The Delaware Dam controls the water levels of the river.

There are also three smaller tributaries, Alum Creek, Big Walnut Creek, and Darby Creek. Darby Creek as mentioned above was used by the Wyandots for red face paint that came from red oxide clay. Eighty four miles of the Big and Little Darby Creek are also Ohio Scenic Rivers and 98% of the river was also designated a National Wild and Scenic River

In the Scioto River Valley the bedrock is sedimentary with many limestone and shale deposits.  Shale banks can rise many feet above the river, at Hutchins State Nature Preserve in the Highbanks Metro Park they are a spectacular 110 feet.   Along the forested river banks you'll find willow, red and silver maple, sycamore, oak, basswood, and green ash.

These rivers make up the Central Ohio Blueways. Check out the map to learn more about the different entry points and where you might find hazards like dams or tree snags.