Kittens, dogs and nature galore. Springfield’s very own Snyder park has got it all.
Located just off of Route 40, Snyder Park boasts a variety of outdoor options for Wittenberg students to have fun and relax in their free time. The park opens at dawn and closes at dusk, leaving
a wide-open time for Witt students to enjoy their free time there. The park is roughly a 10-minute drive from campus or a 48-minute walk, depending on which side of the park you enter.
Snyder Park has a host of options to have fun, including: kayak and whitewater features, biking and hiking trails, a playground, a dog park and lots of green space to lounge about or play a nice game of soccer on.
There are three main entrances to Snyder Park, one located just off Route 40, one right past the railroad tracks on Snyder Park Road, just off of North Bechtle Avenue and one just off of Plum Street, which closest to campus. In the middle of the park, a bridge shows the entrance to the back of the park with, most importantly, the dog park and playground. On the outskirts of the park are lots of green grass, Buck Creek River and a great number of pavilions.
Students can even reserve these pavilions throughout the park for club-related events or are welcome to use the pavilions as a place to study off campus.
For those of us with a dog on campus, located in the back of the park across the bridge is a fenced- in dog park for your dogs to roam free. The dog park, rightfully named Central Bark, spans a great space of land and you’re sure to meet a few other dogs in the park on a sunny day.
Past the big tree right next to Central Bark is a section of flowers that were a part of the Ohio State University Extension project.
The Ohio State University Extension website explains the project as, “fulfill[ing] the land-grant mission of The Ohio State University by interpreting knowledge and research… so Ohioans can use the scientifically based information to better their lives, businesses and communities.”
At Snyder Park, a host of flowers and plants were donated and planted to show the beauty of nature throughout the state of Ohio. As stated in their website, the Extension project is helping not only the ecosystem, but the community and citizens of the state of Ohio to recognize the needs of the world around us. The flowers, even in dreary October weather, remain bright and full.
Although fall is in full swing and winter is fast approaching, Snyder Park is a great place to take a break from classes and upcoming midterms and roam free.
There are plenty of options to spend your time at the park from chasing stray kittens to studying at the pavilions or even reminiscing your childhood while playing on the playground. For a fun day just far enough away from campus, Snyder Park should be your go-to destination.
And best of all, it’s free!
