Baker Woods State Nature Preserve
Mercer County, Ohio · 1.3 trail miles in ODNR's guide
Our take written by Nature Awed
Baker Woods is an old-growth forest remnant in Mercer County, named for the Coldwater donor who gave it to the Division, with big hickories and several kinds of oak in the canopy.
Parts of the woods stay wet through much of the year. ODNR describes autumn as relatively dry and mosquito-free and early spring as the time the wildflowers bloom, and ODNR's page lists a 1.3-mile loop hiking trail.
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
Baker Woods is one of the best remaining old-growth forest remnants in northwest Ohio. It is named in honor of Lela Mae Baker of Coldwater who donated the property to the Division of Natural Areas and Preserves in 1992. There are numerous large trees including shagbark and shellbark hickories and bur, swamp white, white and chinquapin oaks, which dominate the forest canopy.
Portions of the preserve are wet through most of the year. The best times to visit are in autumn when it is relatively dry and mosquito-free or in early spring as the wildflowers are blooming.
Visiting
Open 1/2 before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset
Stay on designated trails at all times
Pets are not permitted
No restrooms
Verify current visiting hours and access restrictions with ODNR's page before relying on these hours.
Trails
1.3-mile loop hiking trail
In ODNR's preserve guide
| Address | 4316 Saint Anthony Rd, Coldwater, 45828 |
|---|---|
| Trails (miles) | 1.3 |
| Visitor information | none printed |
Baker Woods Mercer 4316 Saint Anthony Rd Coldwater, 45828 1.3
Access permit
Baker Woods 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
| LANDS_NAME | COUNTY | PROP_TYPE | SUM_CALC_ACRES | MANAGING_AGENCY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baker Woods State Nature Preserve | MERCER | Dedicated Nature Preserve | 47.41 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves |
| Mapped acres | 47.41 (our sum of the parcels ODNR's GIS layer maps under this name) |
|---|---|
| Access permit | No whole-preserve permit requirement identified in the sources we check; named-area or activity permits may still apply |
| Centre of mapped land | 40.5053, -84.6368 (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.
Check before you go. Verify current hours, access and trail information on ODNR: Baker Woods 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.
- Saint Mary's River Wetlands Non-Dedicated Natural Area · Mercer County · about 12 miles · permit
- Drew Woods State Nature Preserve · Darke County · about 18 miles
- Kendrick Woods State Nature Preserve · Allen County · about 23 miles
- Goode Prairie State Nature Preserve · Miami County · about 26 miles
- Gross Memorial Woods State Nature Preserve · Shelby County · about 31 miles