A kayak trip down a cool, shaded stream seemed the perfect antidote to a hot summer’s day for Brendyn Seymour and Emilee Zultz, who enjoyed their first paddling adventure on Big Darby Creek, courtesy boats they rented from Trapper John’s Canoe Livery.
“Ever since we were kids, we used to just walk through the park, but we decided to try this,” Seymour said while floating through a section of Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park in mid-July. “It’s kind of dope.”
Trapper John’s, a local Ohio institution for more than half a century, has new owners who are continuing the tradition of providing watery fun on the region’s only national scenic river. After an unusually wet spring that delayed a planned reopening, the livery began sending boats down the river around Memorial Day.
Trapper John’s offers a variety of trips ranging in length from a few hours to all day, at prices that range from $40 to $80. There are discounts on weekdays, and $10 rides for children ages 10-12 (canoe only, accompanied by an adult).
Trapper John’s Real Estate Ltd paid $800,000 total last year for the Darbydale livery and café location and the two takeout sites downstream. Nick Coughlin and Emily Mayes, the couple who operate the business, told the Columbus Dispatch in May that they grew up in the area and have always loved nature and the outdoors. The couple also plans to reopen the Creekside Café featuring local brands including coffee from Jennings Java, cookies from Bakes by Lo, candles from Bloom Candles and bagels from Bears Bagels, although the café wasn’t yet open at midsummer.
But visitors can still enjoy a day on the water. One trip offered by Trapper John’s, known as the Upper Trip, passes through the Battelle Darby Creek Metro Park. This roughly 5 mile journey is arguably the prettiest stretch of Big Darby, as it passes almost entirely through protected land. An agreement with the park district allows Trapper John’s access to the park-owned launch site off Alkire Road for a two-hour time frame in the mornings.
“We are privileged to operate on the State and National Scenic Big Darby Creek, one of Ohio’s last great places to experience a day in nature,” the company says on its website.
Indeed, on the morning we visited, a multigenerational group in Trapper John’s canoes and kayaks paused to enjoy watching two deer—one still in a fawn’s spots—drink at the stream’s edge.
Trapper John’s is open daily from Memorial Day through Labor Day, though river and weather conditions may impact availability. Call or visit the website for hours later in the fall.
If You Go
Trapper John’s Canoe Livery
7141 London Groveport Road, 614-877-4321; trapperjohnscanoeing.com
Open daily through Labor Day with trips offered until 3:30 p.m.; check website or call for availability later in the season.
Prices range from $40-$80 with discounts available on weekdays and for children ages 10-12. Children must be at least 10 years old to canoe.
This story appeared in the September 2025 issue of Columbus Monthly. Subscribe here.
This article originally appeared on Columbus Monthly: Spend a Scenic Day on Big Darby Creek with Trapper John’s Canoe Livery
Reporting by Randy Edwards / Columbus Monthly
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