# Big Darby access at Rt. 40?



## FOSR (Apr 16, 2008)

Today I drove past there and it looks like you can still pull off. The creek looks very inviting. Is there access to the water, like for a canoe? Is there any streamside hiking or is everything private?

Several years ago on the WOSU call-in show, they were talking about Darby and someone said they were paddling when they came along to the Galbreath property overlooking the stream, and they were confronted at shotgun point by security guys and ordered to turn around.


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## Deazl666 (Mar 30, 2012)

FOSR said:


> Today I drove past there and it looks like you can still pull off. The creek looks very inviting. Is there access to the water, like for a canoe? Is there any streamside hiking or is everything private?
> 
> Several years ago on the WOSU call-in show, they were talking about Darby and someone said they were paddling when they came along to the Galbreath property overlooking the stream, and they were confronted at shotgun point by security guys and ordered to turn around.


Not sure; I don’t fish that far north. Would these be the same guys who built a fence over the creek (at the lowhead) but were ordered to take it down?


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## FOSR (Apr 16, 2008)

Not sure, I didn't know there was a lowhead on Darby. I've been on that water only once if you don't count the times I stashed the Schwinn in the weeds and skinny dipped at the end of Hayden Run Road. 

It really is a pretty stream, though. Until I got there.


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## FOSR (Apr 16, 2008)

Well, I went back to pull off and take a closer look. The short answer to my question is, No. The longer answer would include a two-word phrase beginning with the letters F and O which could be taken to mean, Go do something warm with yourself, and not here.










The creek is pretty but there is nothing like bank access.


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## Deazl666 (Mar 30, 2012)

FOSR said:


> Well, I went back to pull off and take a closer look. The short answer to my question is, No. The longer answer would include a two-word phrase beginning with the letters F and O which could be taken to mean, Go do something warm with yourself, and not here.
> 
> View attachment 251343
> 
> ...


Long jump it from the sign to the water WITH your kayak under your arm!!


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## novotny56 (Jun 26, 2012)

FOSR said:


> Today I drove past there and it looks like you can still pull off. The creek looks very inviting. Is there access to the water, like for a canoe? Is there any streamside hiking or is everything private?
> 
> Several years ago on the WOSU call-in show, they were talking about Darby and someone said they were paddling when they came along to the Galbreath property overlooking the stream, and they were confronted at shotgun point by security guys and ordered to turn around.



Battelle owns some of the land along the creek north of 40 so the armed security would not be asurprise. Metroparks owns part of the land in the area off those access roads below the bridge. If you pull up google maps you will see a big green chunk north of 40, thats all park property. It is currently inaccessible. The map shows the Darby creek trail on it, but that is a mapped out potential trail, that trail is not there currently. The roadway and bits of land around them on riverside drive and the pulloff on the opposite side are not owned by the parks. Dont know how parking is enforced under the bridge, but it is not private property until that sign you took a picture of.


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## FOSR (Apr 16, 2008)

I didn't see any path down to the water, but I only looked at the west bank. To the north, there's a gate and a no trespassing sign posted by Columbia Gas who has a pipeline there. I took a picture but it didn't come out very well.










This is the only stream-side NO SMOKING sign I've ever seen.

There is also a no-dumping sign, which has been tagged. I didn't see much trash or litter but there was some dumped wood; I don't know if it's from trees that were cut there, or if it was brought in.










Anyway it's not a friendly place.


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## Bubbagon (Mar 8, 2010)

You used to be able to park and access on the EAST side of the river, south side of 40.
If not, you can go a mile north and access at HighFree Pike/Roberts Rd.


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## Bubbagon (Mar 8, 2010)

And yes, the Galbreaths put a low head dam in their property. But they let you portage river left.
It used to pees my off, until I realized how many thousands of acres the Galbreaths have donated to Metro Parks and such.


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## MIGHTY (Sep 21, 2013)

That’s the problem with Darby. I love the lower section but it mostly runs through private property and the spots around bridges get blown out and people leave all of their trash behind. My favorite fishing spot that I ever had was down close to circleville. An old man let me drive on his tractor lane about a half mile off the road to fish but he passed away about 5 years ago and I haven’t fished big Darby since then. Don’t know who owns the land now but the old man had plenty of no trespassing signs posted throughout his property back when I was able to fish it. One night in mid September I was fishing with a buddy and some guys were trespassing running **** dogs.......people like that ruin it for everyone. Another time we drove back and apparently some one walked back there or had a canoe/kayak and parked on the bank where we fished and made a fire and left a 12 pack of empty beer bottles and a few cans behind. I picked them all up because I was the only person that he knew for sure was fishing back there and I didn’t want to get blamed for it. Scum of the earth. Good luck with your quest. I love that creek.


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## FOSR (Apr 16, 2008)

The parts of Darby I've paddled on are pool-and-riffle where you expect to drag the canoe sometimes. It resembles the Scioto around Klondike, or Whetstone Creek once you get above the Delaware lake level. I've never seen the lower parts of Darby before it joins the Scioto.

Yo ye history dweebs: The Darby was called the Ollentangy and today's Olentangy was the Whetstone River which you still see as the Whetstone Creek branch of Delaweare Reservoir.

I don't know if this link will work for you, but this is part of a narrative about being in a hunting party with Indians, going down the Darby to meet the Scioto, then going north to Detroit. Try that.

https://books.google.com/books?id=k...#v=onepage&q=tobacco sacrifice scioto&f=false


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## Muddy (May 7, 2017)

The lower Darby isn't much bigger. There's a lot of very shallow riffles.


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## Deazl666 (Mar 30, 2012)

That lowhead should be removed; no reason at all for it to be there.


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## bobcatbasser (Sep 20, 2014)

I’ve fished both access points to the big Darby from rt 40/broad multiple times wading. Pretty shallow around that stretch for the most part-excellent for carp in the summer time, and rock bass all the time. If you don’t like that spot try heading west on 40 into west Jefferson and fish the little Darby at the public park there. Plenty of smallies, leagues, carp, and sunfish.


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## bobcatbasser (Sep 20, 2014)

Largies- not leagues lol.


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## Daddymike59 (Dec 26, 2016)

I fish Darby a LOT. Last week I was in Darbydale fishing close to Trapper John's. Nice riffles. You can put in there and float down to Harrisburg at US 62. Great little run.

Another good spot is At the small village of Georgesville where the Little and Big Darby confluence. Smallies. If you can get hold of some hellgramites, you're in business.


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