Nature Awed

Clear Fork Gorge State Nature Preserve

Ashland County, Ohio · 0.3 trail miles in ODNR's guide

Our take written by Nature Awed

Clear Fork Gorge is a 29-acre preserve on the north bluff of the Clear Fork of the Mohican State Scenic River in Ashland County, with 8 acres of white pine and hemlock on the steep gorge wall.

ODNR names nesting warblers and the round-leaved orchid. Its page gives directions from the Mohican fire tower parking area on State Forest Road 51 to a 0.3-mile 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

The 29-acre Clear Fork Gorge State Nature Preserve is situated along the north bluff of the Clear Fork of the Mohican State Scenic River. The white pine-hemlock forest community here, although only 8 acres in extent, is one of the best remaining woodlands like this in the state.
ODNR: Clear Fork Gorge State Nature Preserve · our check found this text on October 14
Huge native white pines and eastern hemlocks grow on the steep sides of the gorge wall. In addition to rare nesting warblers, one of the most interesting species observed here is the round-leaved orchid.
ODNR: Clear Fork Gorge 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
  • No restrooms
  • Mohican State Park/Forest, Ashland County. To access the preserve, park at the Mohican fire tower on the south side of State Forest Road 51. The trail head is located across the road from the fire tower parking area on the north side of State Forest Road 51. When the trail forks, turn right and travel about 0.1 mile to reach the preserve sign and information kiosk. State Forest Road 51 is accessible from State Route 97.
ODNR: Clear Fork 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
  • 0.3 mile hiking trail
ODNR: Clear Fork 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 Clear Fork Gorge (Ashland County). The row as printed is quoted below.
AddressMohican Park Rd # 51, Perrysville, 44864 (marked *: No physical address, see website for details.)
Trails (miles)0.3
Visitor informationPark at fire tower lot • Adjacent to Mohican State Park and Forest
The guide's row
Clear Fork Gorge Ashland *Mohican Park Rd # 51 Perrysville, 44864 0.3 Park at fire tower lot • Adjacent to Mohican State Park and Forest
ODNR: Ohio State Nature Preserves & Natural Areas Guide (PDF) · our check found this text on October 14

Access permit

Clear Fork 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
Clear Fork Gorge State Nature PreserveASHLANDDedicated Nature Preserve24.69Division of Natural Areas and Preserves
Our calculations from those features, re-computed at each check.
Mapped acres24.69 (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 land40.6089, -82.3049 (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: Clear Fork 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.