Nature Awed

Brinkhaven Oak Barrens State Nature Preserve

Holmes County, Ohio · access permit required

Our take written by Nature Awed

Brinkhaven Oak Barrens in Holmes County is a dry oak savanna on a tributary of the Mohican State Scenic River, with widely scattered oaks, thickets of hawthorn, crabapple, sumac and blueberry, and prairie grasses such as little and big bluestem.

The Killbuck Watershed Land Trust owns and manages it, and ODNR says access is by permit, issued by the Land Trust through the Division.

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 114-acre Donald G. Beam, Brinkhaven Oak Barrens State Nature Preserve is owned and managed by the Killbuck Watershed Land Trust, a local non-profit conservation organization. The preserve is named in honor of Don Beam who was instrumental in protecting the site and later lead restoration efforts.
ODNR: Brinkhaven Oak Barrens State Nature Preserve · our check found this text on October 14
The preserve is positioned on a tributary of the Mohican State Scenic River and protects one of the best remaining examples of oak barrens in the state. Oak barrens are dry, oak savanna with widely scattered oak trees and local thickets of hawthorns, crabapples, sumacs and blueberries. Prairie grasses such as little bluestem, big bluestem and Indian grass are frequent to dominant with scattered forbs of bush-clovers, tick-trefoils, butterflyweed, and pinweeds.
ODNR: Brinkhaven Oak Barrens State Nature Preserve · our check found this text on October 14

Visiting

ODNR's visitor notes
  • Access to the preserve is by permit only, issued by the Land Trust through the Division of Natural Areas and Preserves.
ODNR: Brinkhaven Oak Barrens State Nature Preserve · our check found this text on October 14

In ODNR's preserve guide

This preserve has no row in ODNR's printed guide. The guide says: Preserves not listed are either unimproved, or require a written permit to visit. (ODNR: Ohio State Nature Preserves & Natural Areas Guide (PDF)).

Access permit

ODNR's page for Brinkhaven Oak Barrens State Nature Preserve says a permit is needed (quoted above), though the preserve is not in the table on ODNR's access-permit page. The page quoted above names who issues it.

The Division's process, from ODNR's permit page
The permit application must be received by the Division of Natural Areas and Preserves at least 14 days in advance of the requested visitation.
ODNR: State Nature Preserves Access Permit · our check found this text on October 14
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.
ODNR: State Nature Preserves Access Permit · our check found this text on October 14

Verify the current application deadlines with ODNR: State Nature Preserves Access Permit before you rely on them.

How the access permit works →

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
Brinkhaven Oak Barrens Dedicated Nature PreserveHOLMESDedicated Nature Preserve114.46null
Our calculations from those features, re-computed at each check.
Mapped acres114.46 (our sum of the parcels ODNR's GIS layer maps under this name)
Access permitRequired, per ODNR's page for this preserve (not in the permit table)
Centre of mapped land40.4825, -82.1492 (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: Brinkhaven Oak Barrens 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.