In this area, the Wyandot Indians called the creek Ollentangy, meaning River of Red Face Paint, but surveyors renamed it Big Darby Creek in the late 1700s, reportedly for an Indian chief who lived near the mouth of the waterway. A State and National Scenic River, Big Darby Creek flows through six counties on its 88-mile course from headwaters near Marysville in Union County toward Circleville in Pickaway County, where it empties into the Scioto River. Darby Creek and its 245 miles of tributaries meander through rolling fields, prairies, savannas, and heavily wooded ravines, and its slow-moving deep pools and shallow fierce riffles help make it one of North America's most biologically diverse freshwater streams. Several rare, threatened, and endangered species live within the Darby Watershed, where more than 100 species of fish, 40 species of mussels, 35 species of mammals, and almost 200 species of birds have been recorded. Metro Parks, working with other public agencies and private organizations, continues to protect the Darby Creek Watershed so future generations can enjoy its scenic, recreational, and biological beauty.