Heath can be explored through several distinct interests: canal heritage and a historic house, recreational facilities featuring water and pickleball, and trails and green spaces. When planning your trip, it helps to first decide whether culture, active recreation or time outdoors should be the focus. These different themes offer concrete ways to tailor your stay to your interests.
Canal Heritage and Culture
Canal Lock Park is home to the original canal lock, where the groundbreaking for the Ohio and Erie Canal took place. The park therefore offers a tangible connection to the canal’s history: the focus is not just on remembering the construction project, but on the lock itself. Those interested in the development of waterways will find a distinct historical focus here for a trip to Heath.
The Davis-Shai House offers another link between history and culture. Built in 1861, the house is designed in the Gothic Revival style and serves as a nonprofit center for arts and cultural events. It serves Heath, Newark, Granville and the greater Columbus area. Heath’s attractions therefore include both a place connected to canal history and a cultural center in a historically significant building.
The Star Spangled Celebration is a long-standing Independence Day celebration held at Geller Park. If you are planning your trip specifically around the celebration, check the event date for the relevant year. This adds another focus to your cultural itinerary, tied to a specific occasion.
Trails and Green Spaces
For a walk, John C. Geller Park has a two-mile-long trail. Hoback Park provides access to wooded areas for hiking and picnicking. These offerings have different features: a trail length is specified for John C. Geller Park, while Hoback Park combines hiking and picnicking in wooded areas. Forry Preserve covers more than 200 acres, adding a large nature preserve to the selection.
Heath’s pedestrian and bike trail corridor also offers specific points of reference for anyone looking to include bike trails in their plans. These include an underpass for cyclists at State Route 79. The corridor also includes a bike trail leading to Heath City Water Park. The southern endpoint of the Riverfront Walkway is at Dorsey Mill Park. These are distinct features of the trail corridor and walkway, giving you points of reference for the kind of route or destination that interests you.
Water and Activity
Heath City Water Park offers a different kind of recreation: its 5,500-square-foot splash pad features an interactive play feature, tipping buckets, water cannons and Lemon Drops. These features make the water play area a clearly defined option when planning your stay. If you are more interested in sports than water play, the Geller Park Pickleball Complex is another distinct option. It has twelve courts, shaded seating areas and restroom facilities.
Plan Your Stay Around Your Interests
Heath’s offerings can be grouped around different questions: If you want to explore canal heritage, Canal Lock Park’s lock and the Davis-Shai House represent different historical and cultural aspects. For outdoor activity, you can choose among the two-mile walking trail, the wooded areas in Hoback Park, the large Forry Preserve and the features of the bike trail corridor. Water activities, pickleball and the celebration at Geller Park offer still other options. These differences can help you choose activities that suit your stay, then look for hotels in Heath.
Discover more destinations: Pataskala, Granville, Hebron, Buckeye Lake.
For the broader travel overview: Licking.
