For primary research, I visited AW Marion State Park. It is located in rural Ohio approximately 35 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 activities including hunting, camping, and a small playground.
To learn more about the site click here.
I visited AW Marion State Park on September 11 between 10:30am-12:20pm.
Observations Except:
- This is a public hunting ground. I saw signs and heard gunshots while at the park.
- People bring dogs to the park. One woman was walking a dog. I also heard dogs in the surrounding woods.
- I found 2 public restrooms.
- This park has an active campground. There are signs designating the camp area.
- There were RVs on site while I was there.
- There is a camp office. I did not check whether it was open.
Additional Notes:
I am unfamiliar with hunting so I felt nervous straying too far from the road and parking lot, especially since I heard dogs and gunshots coming from the woods and I did not come to the park in any protective equipment or bright colors. I was also hesitant to engage with other visitors. Partially, because I felt self-conscious driving into the park in my Prius, and as a solo female visitor unfamiliar with the area I didn’t want to upset any of the other visitors and risk conflict.
