Belmont County Parks & Nature Preserves

The following list of parks and preserves includes those managed by federal, state, county, and non-governmental agencies (such as the National Audubon Society, the Nature Conservancy, various historical societies, etc.).

We have tried to collect information on the activities and facilities available at various parks, but things may change without us knowing about it. So please double-check the information at the official site (click on the park’s name to go there).


Barkcamp (State Park)
  • 65330 Barkcamp Road, Belmont, OH 43718
  • Trail map
  • Park size: 1,005 acres
  • Total trail length: 3.6 miles trails + 24 miles bridle / snowmobile trail
  • Dog friendly (Not on beach)
  • Bridle trails
  • Fishing (check the official site to see if there are any restrictions)
  • Archery range
  • Hunting when in season with license. Please visit park web site for details.
  • Good site for bird watching
  • At least some parts are handicap accessible
  • Camp sites
  • Cross country ski trails
  • Restrooms
  • Boating, swimming (700 ft beach), Pioneer Village, Nature Center
  • Campground Map
  • Park Map for Barkcamp
Egypt Valley Wildlife Area (State Wildlife Area)
  • Location: See above link for driving directions and maps.
  • Park size: 18,011 acres
  • Fishing (check the official site to see if there are any restrictions)
  • Hunting when in season with license. Please visit park web site for details.
  • Good site for bird watching
  • Wildlife Area Map for Egypt Valley Wildlife Area
Emerald Hills Preserve (State Nature Preserve)
  • Location: See above link for driving directions and maps.
  • Park size: 73 acres
  • Permit required
  • Contact Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources for a PERMIT and preserve information
Jockey Hollow (State Wildlife Area)
  • Location: See above link for driving directions and maps.
  • Park size: 3,469 acres
  • Hunting when in season with license. Please visit park web site for details.
  • Good site for bird watching
  • Wildlife Area Map for Jockey Hollow
National Road Bikeway (Bike Path)
  • Transits: See above link for driving directions and maps.
  • Trail map




Last Update: 2017-07-24 16:32:02

© Deborah Platt, Robert Platt and TrekOhio.com 2012 to 2021


4 thoughts on “Belmont County Parks & Nature Preserves

  1. Where is Emerald Hills Nature Preserves in Belmont County? I can’t find any information on this preserve as to where it is located on your site or anywhere else. I have lived in Belmont County my whole life and have never heard of it, but am interested in finding it.

    1. Judy, Emerald Hills State Nature Preserve is a permit-only preserve. The Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources provides the location of the preserve to those people who request a permit. I do not know if there are any facilities at this preserve (such as off-road parking and trails). Here is a link to the permit form: http://naturepreserves.ohiodnr.gov/portals/0/Forms/dnap/permits/applicationaccesspermit.pdf. If you end up going there, we would be interested in hearing if it does in fact have trails.

  2. I am interested in learning more about a Belmont County nature preserve: Captina Preserve. I believe that it is located on Newcastle Road, near Jerusalem, OH. Is it new? Or do I have the name wrong? Thanks.

    1. Short answer: I’ve not heard of this preserve. I searched Google and found some mentions of Captina Preserve, but no real information. But if you find out anything please let us know!

      Longer answer: We’ve built a list (by county) of parks & preserves owned by federal, state, county, local governments, and non-government organizations (NGO’s). Some land owned and managed by NGO’s is either not open to the public, or is simply not well publicized. I found two groups you might try contacting for more info:

Leave a Reply

You have to agree to the comment policy.

Complete the following sentence by typing either real or spam:
My comment is ...