Metro Parks

Name

Metro Parks

Legal name

Columbus and Franklin County Metropolitan Park District

Website

https://metroparks.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Park and Outdoor Recreation Services

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (71219), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Parks, Gardens & Botanical Attractions (THAJACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Recreation & Activity Services (Hiking, Boating, Climbing, Fishing—Guided/Authorized) (THAAAGAF), Via Ferrata & Adventure Climbing Parks (THAAACAE), National Parks & Protected Area Visitor Services (Concessions, Guided Access) (THAAAAAH), Parks, Recreation & Cultural Services (BPAIACAI)

Keywords

• Public park services
• Nature education programs
• Outdoor recreation facilities
• Trail network management
• Wildlife conservation areas

Headquarters

HQ city

Westerville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Property Tax Funding: Primary funding source through Metro Parks Levy approved by Franklin County voters in 1999, 2009, and 2018 levies.
2. Facility Reservations: Revenue from reserving picnic shelters, lodges, and event spaces across parks.
3. Golf Course Operations: Revenue from Blacklick Woods Golf Course operations including green fees and golf services.
4. Recreation Programs: Fees for structured programs including summer camps, outdoor adventures, farm school tours, scout programs, and educational activities.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Metro Parks (Columbus and Franklin County Metropolitan Park District) operates and maintains a regional system of 22 natural area parks spanning more than 28,900 acres and 270+ miles of trails across seven central Ohio counties, providing free public access for outdoor recreation. It sells fee-based services including shelter and lodge reservations, the Blacklick Woods Golf Course, signature experiences such as the Canopy Walk, Via Ferrata climbing, and the Scioto Audubon climbing wall, and structured recreation programs such as summer camps, farm school tours, scout programs, and outdoor adventures.

Product overview

Metro Parks (Columbus and Franklin County Metropolitan Park District) operates 22 natural area parks across seven central Ohio counties, encompassing more than 28,900 acres and over 270 miles of trails. The organization offers a unified portfolio of outdoor recreation and conservation services centered on its park system, supplemented by signature experiences (Canopy Walk, Via Ferrata, Winter Hikes), recreational facilities (golf course, climbing wall), educational programming (Living Historical Farm, nature education), digital platforms (mobile app, online reservations, blog), and special events. The portfolio operates as a single integrated park district rather than a modular product architecture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Metro Parks Mobile App Smartphone application that lets park visitors access park information, maps, trail data, and park challenges while exploring Metro Parks locations.
• Online Shelter & Lodge Reservations Web-based reservation service for booking shelters, lodges, and picnic areas across Metro Parks for events and gatherings, powered by the Vermont Systems reservation platform.
• Interpretive Programs & Nature Education Educational programming including naturalist-led hikes, wildlife presentations, habitat tours, and environmental education offered to visitors of all ages.
• Canopy Walk at Blacklick Woods Signature elevated walkway experience at Blacklick Woods Metro Park providing elevated views of the forest canopy and unique perspective of the ecosystem.
• Via Ferrata at Quarry Trails Guided climbing experience featuring fixed anchors and cables on rock faces, offering adventure climbing for visitors at Quarry Trails Metro Park.
• Climbing Wall at Scioto Audubon A 35-foot outdoor climbing wall at Scioto Audubon Metro Park, one of the largest outdoor climbing walls in the country, built in partnership with Columbus Rotary Club.
• Blacklick Woods Golf Course An 18-hole golf course certified by Audubon International as a Cooperative Sanctuary, featuring championship and short courses with wildlife-friendly maintenance practices, generating revenue from green fees and golf services.
• Slate Run Living Historical Farm A living historical farm operated as it was in the 1880s, without electricity, using period tools, animal species, and farming practices; includes a farmhouse (built 1856) and barn (built 1881) on the National Register of Historic Places.
• Greenway Trails Paved multi-use trails connecting Metro Parks with neighborhoods, rivers, and regional attractions, including Alum Creek Trail (25 miles) and Blacklick Creek Greenway Trail (16 miles), connected to the Central Ohio Greenways system.
• Summer Camps Fee-based structured youth day camp programs offered across Metro Parks, providing outdoor recreation, environmental education, and nature-based activities for children.
• Farm School Tours Guided educational farm tours for school groups at Slate Run Living Historical Farm, providing curriculum-aligned environmental and agricultural education experiences.
• Outdoor Adventures Fee-based structured outdoor adventure programs for visitors, covering guided adventure activities across Metro Parks' natural areas.
• Scout Programs Fee-based structured programs for scout groups, providing badge-aligned outdoor and environmental activities across Metro Parks.
• Bark Bash Dog Festival Annual dog-focused festival held at Prairie Oaks Metro Park, organized by Metro Parks staff and drawing thousands of visitors with their canine companions.
• State Nature Preserves Five designated state nature preserves within Metro Parks: Walter A. Tucker State Nature Preserve (54 acres), Edward F. Hutchins State Nature Preserve (206 acres), Allen F. Beck State Nature Preserve (4,729 acres), Pickerington Ponds State Nature Preserve (418 acres), and Edward S. Thomas State Nature Preserve (320 acres).

Quantifiable outcome

• 92% of respondents strongly agree that Metro Parks are well-maintained, clean and safe
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• City of Columbus Recreation and Parks DepartmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for management and operation of Three Creeks Park. City leases 500-acre site to Metro Parks (1998) for development. City manages Sycamore Fields Area with dog parks and sports fields, and Smith Farms Area.
• Columbus AuduboncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Scioto Audubon Metro Park and the Grange Insurance Audubon Center, reflecting important collaboration between Metro Parks and Columbus Audubon for conservation and education.
• Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission (MORPC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor partner in Central Ohio Greenways system to develop Greenway Trails connecting river corridors with neighborhoods, parks and attractions.
• Nature ConservancycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNature Conservancy's Pickerington Ponds Committee helped Metro Parks acquire its first 126 acres of what became Pickerington Ponds Metro Park. Recognized Big and Little Darby Creeks as one of the 'Last Great Places.'

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves15 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cleveland Metroparks: Cleveland Metroparks operates a comparable large-scale metropolitan park district in Ohio (24+ reservations, 23,000+ acres, multiple signature experiences). It is the closest geographic and operational peer to Metro Parks and shares the same metropolitan park district governance model.
• Cincinnati Parks: Cincinnati Parks is another Ohio metropolitan park system providing free public park access, recreation programs, and nature education across the Cincinnati region. It is directly comparable in mission and operational model to Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks.
• Metro Parks Tacoma: Metro Parks Tacoma operates a metropolitan park district in Pierce County, WA with a comparable portfolio of natural-area parks, free access, recreation programs, and signature facilities. It mirrors Metro Parks' district model, levy/public funding base, and visitor experience mix.
• East Bay Regional Park District: East Bay Regional Park District operates 73 parks across 126,000 acres in the San Francisco Bay Area with free/low-cost access, environmental education, and signature experiences. It is a larger-scale but structurally analogous metropolitan park district with similar funding mechanisms.
• Chicago Park District: Chicago Park District operates 600+ parks across Chicago with free public access, recreation programming, signature facilities, and tax funding. Comparable in urban park district scale, programmatic mix, and commitment to free public access.
• Fairfax County Park Authority: Fairfax County Park Authority manages 23,000+ acres of parkland across 400+ parks in Northern Virginia with nature centers, historic sites, and recreation programs. It is directly comparable in acreage, programming depth, and county-level funding model.
• Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation: Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation operates parks, greenways, and recreation facilities for the Charlotte, NC region. Comparable to Metro Parks in greenway trail development, recreation programming, and countywide service area model.
• Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission: M-NCPPC operates 70+ parks across 52,000+ acres in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, DC with nature centers, historic sites, and recreation programming. Comparable to Metro Parks in district scale, mission mix, and public-funding structure.

Regional players

• Columbus Recreation and Parks Department: The City of Columbus' own Recreation and Parks Department manages a separate portfolio of parks (including Three Creeks via a lease partnership with Metro Parks). It is a regional peer operating adjacent to Metro Parks in the same Columbus market with overlapping but distinct service areas.

Others

• Audubon Society (National): The National Audubon Society partners with Metro Parks on Scioto Audubon and provides the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary certification at Blacklick Woods Golf Course. It is an enabling/thematic partner in conservation programming rather than a direct park operator, but its centers and sanctuaries share comparable visitor-facing nature experiences.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CbusMetroParks
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CbusMetroParks
• Facebookfacebook.com/Columbus.Metro.Parks
• Instagraminstagram.com/cbusmetroparks#
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/columbus-and-franklin-county-metro-parks

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Metro Parks