For primary research, I visited Deer Creek State Park. It is located in rural Ohio approximately 40 minutes from downtown Columbus. This is one of the more accessible sites for people living in central Ohio because of the shorter driving time. This ODNR site offers a large variety of services and experiences to visitors, from day visits to overnight stays.
To learn more about this ODNR site visit click here.
All images are my own.
I visited this site between 12:30-3:30pm on September 15.
Observation Excerpt:
- Lots of complete trash pieces
- Full cans, bags of trash, water bottles, crushed cans, piles of cigarettes
- Duo rode a motorcycle down the road across the waterway
- Small outcroppings where people parked their cars, set up chairs, made campfires
- Many different areas and entrances to parts of the park
- Encompasses large area, one near the water with a road, a kayaking spot on the same road, small areas near the fields and edge of forest where you can pull in vehicles
- Designated vehicle areas with signs that indicate where vehicles are permitted
- Gates that can be opened or closed to block people from using the roadway during flooding
- Area is susceptible to flooding and erosion
- Desire paths along roadways, into the woods
Additional Notes:
One of the first signs that people see coming into the park says “NO FIRES”, however, people do not listen to that, who knows if they even see the signs. Could it be because they are on the side of the road and they genuinely don’t see the signs? Or do they not want to listen? People also leave lots of litter along the waterway and in the woods. In the two small 50×40 FT areas I surveys, I found over 100 pieces of trash that included (but was not limited to) cigarettes, food containers, drink cans, plastic wrapping, burnt plastic, wipes, and fishing line.
