Access permits for Ohio nature preserves
Which preserves need one, who issues it, and how far ahead to apply.
Our take written by Nature Awed
ODNR's permit table has 45 entries. 40 name a whole preserve, 3 name a part of one, such as a falls or a grooves area, 1 names one activity, kayaking and canoeing, and 1 names a preserve and a woods together without saying whether the permit covers the whole preserve. Permits come from 13 different organizations: the Division of Natural Areas and Preserves alone for 28 entries, and land trusts, park districts and a museum among the others. For the Division's permits, the application has to reach the Division 14 or more days ahead, and the permit arrives by email 7 or more days before the visit.
A permit is also the rule for leaving a trail at any state nature preserve, open or not. The list itself carries the special cases: one preserve open just for scheduled, guided hikes, one capped at 16 permits a month, and one closed every winter.
Our summary of ODNR's permit page, quoted below.
Verify current application deadlines, permit limits and access restrictions with ODNR's access-permit page before relying on this summary.
Our count: 45 entries in the table, 40 for a whole preserve, 3 for a named part, 1 for one activity, 1 with unclear scope, 13 issuing organizations, 28 issued by the Division alone.
How the Division's permit works
An access permit is required to leave trails within a state nature preserve.
The permit application must be received by the Division of Natural Areas and Preserves at least 14 days in advance of the requested visitation.
You must specify which preserve(s) you wish to visit. A permit valid for a maximum of 10 days may be available for certain preserves.
Permits will be issued and emailed to the applicant at least 7 days before the scheduled visit. Maps, directions and any special stipulations concerning the use of the preserve will accompany the permit.
Research at a state nature preserve and/or collection of endangered or threatened plants requires a separate permit specific to those activities.
All visitors must follow the rules and regulations for use of an Ohio state nature preserve.
Verify the current application deadlines with ODNR: State Nature Preserves Access Permit before you rely on them.
Entries issued by another organization follow that organization's process, which ODNR's permit page doesn't print.
Special cases on the list
Permits to visit Bison Hollow are issued by the Appalachia Ohio Alliance.
Permits to Sheick Hollow will be limited to 16 per month with max group size of 6 per permit.
All September, October and November permits for Sheick Hollow are reserved. We are accepting permit applications for December 2026 and following months.
Saltpetre Cave is closed annually from October 1 to April 1 to protect sensitive species.
Verify the current permit limits with ODNR: State Nature Preserves Access Permit before you rely on them.
Preserves on ODNR's permit list
| Preserve | County | Acres (ODNR's table) | Issued by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beck, Evans Memorial | Portage | 10 | The Nature Conservancy |
| Betsch Fen | Ross | 90 | The Nature Conservancy |
| Bison Hollow (limited permits) | Hocking/Vinton | 375 | Appalachia Ohio Alliance |
| Blue Creek Limestone Glade | Lucas | 11 | Metroparks Toledo |
| Boch Hollow - Laurel Falls (formerly Robinson Falls) | Hocking | 35 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves |
| Bonnett Pond Bog | Holmes | 16 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves |
| Carmean Woods | Crawford | 39 | Crawford Park District |
| Centerville Mills Falls | Portage | 10 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves |
| Coyote Run | Fairfield | 220 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves & Coyote Run, LLC. |
| Crabill Fen | Clark | 31 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves |
| Cranberry Bog | Licking | 11 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves |
| Crane Hollow (only open for scheduled, guided hikes by Crane Hollow) | Hocking | 1285 | Crane Hollow, Inc. |
| Doty Highbanks | Butler | 39 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves |
| Emerald Hills | Belmont | 73 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves |
| Flatiron Lake Bog | Portage | 68 | The Nature Conservancy |
| Forrest Woods | Paulding | 292 | Black Swamp Conservancy |
| Glade Wetlands | Jackson, Pike | 292 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves |
| Gott Fen | Portage | 44 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves |
| Jefferson Ridge: Planton Woods | Ross | 180 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves |
| Karlo Fen | Summit | 18 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves |
| Ladd Natural Bridge | Washington | 93 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves |
| Lakeside Daisy - Glacial Grooves Area | Ottawa | 117 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves |
| Little Darby Creek | Madison | 430 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves |
| Little Rocky Hollow | Hocking | 259 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves |
| Mantua Bog | Portage | 98 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves |
| McCoy, William C. | Ashtabula | 107 | Cleveland Museum of Natural History |
| Miriam Walter Barrens | Meigs | 116 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves |
| Mud Lake Bog | Williams | 74 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves |
| Myersville Fen | Summit | 27 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves |
| Old Woman Creek (Permit to Kayak/Canoe) | Erie | blank | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves & Office of Coastal Management |
| Pallister | Ashtabula | 105 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves |
| Prairie Road Fen | Clark | 94 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves |
| Raven Rock | Scioto | 183 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves |
| Rome | Ashtabula | 74 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves |
| Rothenbuhler Woods | Monroe | 44 | The Nature Conservancy |
| Saltpetre Cave (closed Oct. 1 to Apr. 1) | Hocking | 14 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves |
| Seymour Woods - Bieber Mill | Delaware | 11 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves |
| Sheick Hollow* | Hocking | 151 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves |
| Spring Brook Sanctuary | Geauga | 72 | Geauga County Parks |
| St. Marys River Wetlands | Mercer | 69 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves |
| Strait Creek Prairie Bluffs | Pike | 75 | The Nature Conservancy |
| Stratford Woods | Delaware | 95 | Stratford Ecological Center |
| W. Pearl King Prairie Savanna | Madison | 20 | Columbus & Franklin County Metro Parks |
| Warder-Perkins | Hamilton | 25 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves |
| White Pine Bog Forest | Geauga | 375 | The Nature Conservancy |
Source: ODNR: State Nature Preserves Access Permit · our check found this text on October 14. One entry, Blue Creek Limestone Glade, has no matching name among the GIS features we use, so it appears here and not in the finder.
Check before you go. Verify current hours, access and trail information on ODNR: State Nature Preserves Access Permit; our checker last found the quoted words there on October 14.