Fort Hill Earthworks State Nature Preserve
Highland County, Ohio
Our take written by Nature Awed
Fort Hill Earthworks in Highland County is owned by the Ohio History Connection and managed by the Arc of Appalachia, with mature forest and old-growth timber, dolostone rocks and cliffs, and spring wildflowers.
ODNR's page names four trails and notes picnic tables and a shelterhouse in the adjacent park area. ODNR's page says dogs are permitted, while ODNR's statewide guide page says pets are prohibited with one exception; this page shows both.
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
Fort Hill Earthworks was dedicated as a state nature preserve in December 2025. Over 1, 237 acres were preserved through the Natural Areas Act, protecting this historical and ecological significant site. An additional 160 acres owned by the Arc of Appalachia were dedicated in May of 2026.
Fort Hill has one of the largest tracts of mature forest with old-growth timber in the state; plus, dolostone rocks and cliffs, rare species, and large and diverse display of spring wildflowers. The site is owned by the Ohio History Connection and managed by the Arc of Appalachia.
In the adjacent park area are picnic tables, shelterhouse, and other facilities.
Visiting
Dogs are permitted.
Trails
Canby's Mountain-lover Trail — 3 miles
Deer Trail — 1.2 miles
Fort Hill Trail - 2.2 miles
Gorge Trail — 3 miles
For more information visit Arc of Appalachia website.
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
Fort Hill Earthworks 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fort Hill Earthworks State Nature Preserve | HIGHLAND | Dedicated Nature Preserve | 1273.5 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves |
| Mapped acres | 1,273.50 (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 | 39.1149, -83.4013 (our calculation; not an entrance or parking lot) |
Source discrepancy
ODNR's page for this preserve says Dogs are permitted.
ODNR's preserve guide page, quoted below, says pets are prohibited at every state nature preserve except Blackhand Gorge, and rule 1501:17-5-04 bars animals except in the cases it lists (see Can I bring my dog?). Both are shown here; ask the managing organization before bringing a dog.
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: Fort Hill Earthworks 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.
- Fort Hill Earthworks – Brokaw Woods Component · Highland County · about 1.2 miles
- Strait Creek Prairie Bluffs State Nature Preserve · Pike and Adams counties · about 4.1 miles · permit
- Rocky Fork Gorge - Etawah Woods State Nature Preserve · Highland County · about 6.3 miles
- Miller Nature Sanctuary State Nature Preserve · Highland County · about 6.4 miles
- Shoemaker State Nature Preserve · Adams County · about 12 miles