5 Things to do at Deer Haven Park in Delaware, Ohio

Deer Haven Park in Delaware, Ohio is a haven for birdwatchers! With an Nature Center, aviary and bird sanctuary there is much to see and do!

We recently took a trip to Deer Haven Park, one of the Preservation Parks of Delaware County. This park makes for a fun outing for families because it has a great Nature Center, a natural play area and an aviary.

If you love birds and bird watching, this is the park for you! There is also a pollinator garden just outside the nature center if bugs and butterflies are more your style!

These activities in the park are all pretty close to each other and you can expect to spend around an hour or two enjoying these great features of the park!

Here are 5 fun things to do at Deer Haven Park:

1. Nature Center at Deer Haven Park

The Nature Center is a real gem. We loved the large windows with binoculars for bird watching. There is also a separate room with aquariums housing turtles, frogs and other amphibians! There are several mounted animals and educational displays.

The Nature Center also showcases special displays. When we visited the theme of the display was Climate Change.

2. Deer Haven Aviary

The Deer Haven Aviary opened in August of 2021 and it houses birds that have become injured and are unable to live on their own in the wild. The birds on display rotate based on a partnership with Ohio Nature Education.

The aviary is made up of three separate enclosures. When we visited the aviary, we saw turkey vultures, red tailed hawks and a red shouldered hawk.

3. Natural Play Area

The Natural Play Area in the park is small, but allows for kids to use their imagination to play in the woods! There is a large tee-pee made from tree branches that kids will enjoy. You can find the Natural Play are by taking the Tree Swallow Trail to the right of the Nature Center (if you are facing the front doors).

4. Bent Tree Ridge Trail

The Bent Tree Ridge Trail will take you to a bird blind that overlooks a small pond. Make sure to check the map because the trail splits off a couple of times and you’ll want to make sure to stick to the path that will take you to the Wildlife Viewing Blind.

The blind is a wooden structure with small windows where you can watch birds and other wildlife without being seen! There is a similar bird blind at Blendon Woods Metro Park!

The trail is dirt and gravel and does have several hills. It’s not super difficult, but it is not flat. I forgot to pay close attention to the time it took us to walk there but I estimate it was less than 15 minutes one way from the Nature Center to the viewing blind.

5. Amy Clark-Bader Bird Sanctuary

There is a real bird focus to Deer Haven Park. From bird watching at the nature center and the aviary to the fact that a large part of the park is dedicated to the Amy Clark-Bader Bird Sanctuary. Walking the trails through the sanctuary offers a good chance at seeing many different birds.

The Tree Swallow Trail and Bent Tree Ridge Trail both take you through parts of the bird sanctuary.

Related: Pickerington Ponds Metro Park is for the Birds!

Tips for Visiting Deer Haven Park

Location:

Deer Haven Park is located 5 miles south of downtown Delaware, Ohio and about 25 miles north of Columbus, Ohio.

Address: 4183 Liberty Road, Delaware, OH 43015

Hours of Operation

• Winter Hours: 8:00 PM – 7:00 PM (November 1 – February 28)
• Summer Hours: 8:00 AM – 9:00 PM (March 1 – October 31)
• Deer Haven Park Visitor Center: open daily 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
• Aviary is open during normal park hours.

Nearby Attractions

If you’re looking for more things to do to round out your trip to Deer Haven Park try one of these nearby activities:

Olentangy Caverns – 5 miles away

Veteran’s Park Splash Pad (the Dinosaur Park) – 6 miles away

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