Nature Awed

Blackhand Gorge State Nature Preserve

Licking County, Ohio · 10 trail miles in ODNR's guide

Our take written by Nature Awed

Blackhand Gorge in Licking County is a narrow east-west gorge the Licking River cut through Black Hand sandstone, named for a hand-shaped petroglyph destroyed when the Ohio-Erie Canal was built through it.

Canal towpath and locks can still be seen from the trails. ODNR's notes allow pets on the paved Blackhand Trail, controlled in hand on a leash of up to 6 feet, and bicycles on that trail, and they permit fishing along part of the north shore of the Licking River. There are 10 miles of trails in six named routes.

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

The prime feature of this 775-acre preserve is a narrow, east-west gorge cut by the Licking River through the famous Black Hand sandstone formation. It also boasts the only bike trail in Ohio's state nature preserve system; more than 4 miles of bike trail crosses the preserve. The preserve is rich in natural as well as early Ohio history. The name "Blackhand" originated from a dark, hand-shaped Indian petroglyph that was engraved on the face of a massive sandstone cliff along the north side of the river.
ODNR: Blackhand Gorge State Nature Preserve · our check found this text on October 14
The engraving was destroyed in 1828 during construction of the Ohio-Erie Canal, which went through the gorge. Sections of the canal towpath and canal locks may be seen from the trails along the river. The dry hilltops are dominated by oak-hickory mature woods along with Virginia pine and mountain laurel. Yellow birch, cherry birch and eastern hemlock grow on northerly exposures. It is an excellent site for viewing woodland spring wildflowers.
ODNR: Blackhand Gorge State Nature Preserve · our check found this text on October 14

Visiting

ODNR's visitor notes
  • Open 1/2 before sunrise, 1/2 hour after sunset
  • Stay on designated trails
  • Pets are permitted only on the Blackhand Trail (paved bike trail) and must be controlled on a leash no more than 6 feet in length in hand. Pets are not permitted on other trails in the preserve.
  • Bicycles, skates and skateboards are permitted only on Blackhand Trail.
  • Fishing is permitted along the north shore of the Licking River south of Canal Lock Trail.
  • Click here for all rules.
ODNR: Blackhand Gorge 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
  • 10 miles of trails:
  • Blackhand Trail (paved trail) - 4.3 miles
  • Canal Lock Trail - 0.4 mile
  • Chestnut Trail - 2.3 miles
  • Marie Hickey Trail - 2.0 miles
  • Oak Knob Trail - 0.6 mile
  • Quarry Rim Trail - 1.0 miles
ODNR: Blackhand Gorge State Nature Preserve · our check found this text on October 14

In ODNR's preserve guide

Our table of the guide's row for Blackhand Gorge (Licking County). The row as printed is quoted below.
Address2200 Gratiot Rd SE, Heath, 43056
Trails (miles)10 (marked ~: A portion of the trail system is accessible.)
Visitor informationBike trail • Licking River Narrows
The guide's row
Blackhand Gorge Licking 2200 Gratiot Rd SE Heath, 43056 10~ Bike trail • Licking River Narrows
ODNR: Ohio State Nature Preserves & Natural Areas Guide (PDF) · our check found this text on October 14

Access permit

Blackhand Gorge 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
Blackhand Gorge State Nature PreserveLICKINGDedicated Nature Preserve102.38Division of Natural Areas and Preserves
Blackhand Gorge State Nature PreserveLICKINGDedicated Nature Preserve1034.18Division of Natural Areas and Preserves
Blackhand Gorge State Nature PreserveLICKINGDedicated Nature Preserve0.16Division of Natural Areas and Preserves
Our calculations from those features, re-computed at each check.
Mapped acres1,136.72 (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 land40.0533, -82.2511 (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: Blackhand Gorge 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.