Highbanks After Dark: Christmas Lights

I love hiking Highbanks in the winter after the sun has gone down. Highbanks is never really dark -- there's too much ambient light from Lewis Center. But I love the trails at night. When I started hiking Highbanks, I was afraid of getting lost and particularly at night. But now that I know my way around, nighttime is one of my favorite times to hike there.

In addition, near the end of our hike, we will take a few minutes to walk around the Nature Center and look at the Christmas lights. (The Nature Center itself will be closed, however, by the time we get to it.)

We will meet next to the restrooms at the Big Meadows Picnic Area. They're all the way at the back of the park, and they can be found at coordinates 40°09'08.0"N 83°01'45.1"W (near the playground and the zip line).

We'll hike about 5 miles at Highbanks Metro Park on the Dripping Rock and Overlook Trails. Afterward, we'll head over to Olentangy River Brewing for drinks, coffee, or food. Last year, the weather wasn't too terrible, and the Brewery had their patio fire pits going and we were able to sit outside. The fire pits at night are really cool.

The actual address of the brewery is 303 Green Meadows Dr S, 43035. If you can't make the hike, we should be there by 7:15.