Metro Parks opened its newest attraction — a 50-to-60 foot tall canopy walkway — at Blacklick Woods Metro Park on Friday.
The giant wood and metal structure allows visitors near the park's nature center to traverse through the tree line at a birds eye view. The structure even has some fun features like a closed-in rope bridge and some cargo nets for children to walk around in.
Metro Parks Director Tim Moloney and city officials from Reynoldsburg cut the ribbon on the canopy walk Friday morning, and allowed dozens of visitors to begin making the climb up the stairs. There is also an elevator to the top, making it accessible to people with disabilities or limited mobility.
“It’s 40 feet in the air, the main canopy walk," Moloney said. "The top of it is between 55 and 60 feet in the air. And what’s really cool about it is it’s fully accessible."
Moloney said the canopy walk has been planned for years since the 10-year, 0.95 mill levy was approved by Franklin County voters in November 2018. Moloney said the concept was from Metro Parks Deputy Director Larry Peck.
The project cost $2.8 million.
'With a lot of blood, sweat and tears internally and externally, we ended up with what is behind us here," Moloney said.
Madison Miller and her mother Sara Apple were some of the first people to go up the stairs. Miller admitted she was afraid of heights, but still went on the rope bridge.
“It was really fun. I ended up going on the bridge. It was pretty scary, but I’ve seen scarier stuff," Miller said.
Apple said they live just nine minutes away from Blacklick Woods and having this park so close is great for her family. Apple said she also takes her daughter to the Franklin Park Conservatory's canopy, but this one is much taller and cooler.
“It’s a whole different experience than just walking on a trail. You get a whole different view of the park and a lot more exercise climbing up 99, or 199 stairs," Apple said.
Metro Parks plans to keep it open every day from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. from April through August. It will be open between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. from September through March.
