Nature Awed

Adams Lake Prairie State Nature Preserve

Adams County, Ohio · 0.6 trail miles in ODNR's guide

Our take written by Nature Awed

Adams Lake Prairie in Adams County is a dry, sparsely vegetated prairie on an eroded slope of Estill Shale, reached from Adams Lake State Park and ringed by oak-hickory woods.

Prairie grasses are sparse, but ODNR lists prairie dock, blazing-stars, shooting-star, American aloe and rattlesnake-master, along with Allegheny mound ant colonies and Edward's hairstreak butterflies. There are 0.6 miles of trail, and the guide notes seasonal restrooms and water at the park.

Our plain-language reading of the ODNR text quoted on this page. It adds no facts of its own.

Verify current visiting hours and access restrictions with ODNR's page for this preserve and ODNR's permit page before relying on this summary.

What ODNR says about it

This globally rare, sparsely vegetated, dry prairie is situated on a highly eroded slope of Estill Shale surrounded by a second-growth oak-hickory woodland. Access is from Adams Lake State Park.
ODNR: Adams Lake Prairie State Nature Preserve · our check found this text on October 14
Eastern redcedar, post oak and blackjack oak occur sporadically in the prairie opening. Prairie grasses are sparse, but Adams Lake Prairie supports diverse prairie forbs including a large population of prairie dock, several species of blazing-stars (Liatris spp.), shooting-star, American aloe, spider milkweed, rattlesnake-master, and pale spiked lobelia to name a few.
ODNR: Adams Lake Prairie State Nature Preserve · our check found this text on October 14
There are Allegheny mound ant colonies and a population of the uncommon Edward’s hairstreak butterfly.
ODNR: Adams Lake Prairie State Nature Preserve · our check found this text on October 14

Visiting

ODNR's visitor notes
  • Open 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset
  • Stay on designated trails
  • Pets are not permitted
ODNR: Adams Lake Prairie State Nature Preserve · our check found this text on October 14

Verify current visiting hours and access restrictions with ODNR's page before relying on these hours.

Trails

ODNR's trail notes
  • 0.6 miles of hiking trails
ODNR: Adams Lake Prairie State Nature Preserve · our check found this text on October 14

In ODNR's preserve guide

Our table of the guide's row for Adams Lake Prairie (Adams County). The row as printed is quoted below.
Address14633 State Rte 41, West Union, 45963
Trails (miles)0.6
Visitor informationLocated within Adams Lake State Park • Seasonal restrooms and water
The guide's row
Adams Lake Prairie Adams 14633 State Rte 41 West Union, 45963 0.6 Located within Adams Lake State Park • Seasonal restrooms and water
ODNR: Ohio State Nature Preserves & Natural Areas Guide (PDF) · our check found this text on October 14

Access permit

Adams Lake Prairie State Nature Preserve is not on ODNR's list of preserves that require an access permit, and its ODNR page as quoted here doesn't call for one. ODNR also says: An access permit is required to leave trails within a state nature preserve. (ODNR: State Nature Preserves Access Permit).

The land on ODNR's map

Field values as ODNR's GIS lands layer returns them (one row per mapped feature; our checker found them on October 14).
LANDS_NAMECOUNTYPROP_TYPESUM_CALC_ACRESMANAGING_AGENCY
Adams Lake Prairie State Nature PreserveADAMSDedicated Nature Preserve20.23null
Our calculations from those features, re-computed at each check.
Mapped acres20.23 (our sum of the parcels ODNR's GIS layer maps under this name)
Access permitNo whole-preserve permit requirement identified in the sources we check; named-area or activity permits may still apply
Centre of mapped land38.8114, -83.5285 (our calculation; not an entrance or parking lot)

Statewide rules

Ohio Administrative Code chapter 1501:17 sets rules for nature preserves and natural areas under ODNR's supervision or its designated custodian, on pets, drones, picnics, collecting and more. Can I…? quotes them rule by rule, with their exceptions.

Pets are prohibited at all state nature preserves, except Blackhand Gorge State Nature Preserve where leashed pets are only allowed on the multipurpose paved trail.
ODNR: Ohio State Nature Preserves & Natural Areas Guide page · our check found this text on October 14

Check before you go. Verify current hours, access and trail information on ODNR: Adams Lake Prairie State Nature Preserve and ODNR: State Nature Preserves Access Permit; our checker last found the quoted words there on October 14.

Nearest other preserves

Straight-line miles between the centres of mapped land (our calculation), not driving distance.