This nature preserve features old growth forest and hilly terrain. Set in the middle of an agricultural region, it’s a peaceful area with one of the best wooded lots in the vicinity. There are two trails at the park: Conrad Trail (1.4 miles) and the Short Loop Trail (0.6 miles). The trail seemed well maintained; although, there was a portion of the trail that was quite narrow making it difficult to pass without touching the surrounding vegetation. The preserve’s official site states that you can have a summer’s walk in Davey Woods without being troubled by mosquitoes and that seems to be a truthful claim. 🙂 While I was there a jogger was taking advantage of the packed dirt trail.
Here’s a sample of what you can see from the trail.
The official site also states that the park has a variety of spring wildflowers. I visited the site during the first week in June, so I was a bit too late to enjoy these. While I was there the most common flowers were Broad-leaf Waterleaf and Wild Garlic. There was a small patch of nodding trillium near the trail, but they were already past their prime. I also saw many instances of Solomon’s Plume, but these were already bearing fruit.
At the preserve’s entrance, there is a parking lot, but no other amenities (no picnic tables, no rest facilities). From the parking lot, follow a mown path to a kiosk. At the kiosk you can go to the left to reach the trail head for either Conrad Trail or the Short Loop Trail. Or at the kiosk you can go to the right to pick up Conrad Trail from the other end.
Across the road from the preserve’s parking lot is a farm.
Additional information
- TrekOhio: Champaign County Parks and Nature Preserves – this is the county where Davey Woods is located. Check out this page for links to the official website and to learn about other nearby parks and preserves.
- Wikipedia: List of Old Growth Forests, including Davey Woods
Location
Davey Woods is off Lonesome Road in St Paris, Ohio. It’s 7 miles west of Urbana. To get there from Urbana take U.S. Rte 36, proceed 1 mile north on Neal Rd, then 1/2 mile west on Smith Rd, and northwest on Lonesome Rd to the preserve entrance that’s marked on the map below.
More on Champaign County
Kiser Lake State Park
Kiser Lake Wetlands State Nature Preserve
Siegenthaler-Kaestner Esker
Cedar Bog
It is a really amazing area in March and April. There are Yellow Trout Lilies everywhere, many Twinleaf, and most other spring wildflowers for West Ohio.
We were impressed by the lack of bush honeysuckle. There were scattered seedlings and some more on the ridge with the Pence graves but generally very clear. Yea!
Those trees! Magnificent!!! ♥
Most of our forests are relatively young, so it’s a real treat to get to see some genuinely mature trees. As you say, magnificent!