Nature Awed

Gross Memorial Woods State Nature Preserve

Shelby County, Ohio · 0.5 trail miles in ODNR's guide

Our take written by Nature Awed

Gross Memorial Woods is a 49-acre old-growth swamp forest in Shelby County where no single tree species dominates: bur oak and basswood in the wet areas, with hickory, oaks, walnut, beech and sugar maple elsewhere.

ODNR names pumpkin ash among its trees and describes spring wildflowers and autumn color. There is 0.5 mile of hiking trail and no restrooms.

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

This 49-acre preserve was made possible by a gift of the heirs of Samuel Gross to the Division of Natural Areas and Preserves via The Nature Conservancy Ohio in 1980. Although small in size, Gross Memorial Woods is one of the least disturbed old-growth woods in west-central Ohio and one of the few mixed-species swamp forests remaining in this part of the state.
ODNR: Gross Memorial Woods State Nature Preserve · our check found this text on October 14
The woods are characterized by a diversity of tree species, with no one type being dominant. Large bur oaks and basswood occur in the wettest areas, with shagbark hickory, white and red oaks, black walnut, beech and sugar maple on slightly drier ground. The rare pumpkin ash is also present here. The display of spring wildflowers and the brilliance of autumn colors makes visiting Gross Memorial Woods rewarding at any season.
ODNR: Gross Memorial Woods 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
ODNR: Gross Memorial Woods 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
  • 0.5 mile of hiking trails
ODNR: Gross Memorial Woods State Nature Preserve · our check found this text on October 14

In ODNR's preserve guide

Our table of the guide's row for Gross Memorial Woods (Shelby County). The row as printed is quoted below.
Address19575 Botkins Rd, Jackson Center, 45334
Trails (miles)0.5
Visitor informationNear Indian Lake State Park
The guide's row
Gross Memorial Woods Shelby 19575 Botkins Rd Jackson Center, 45334 0.5 Near Indian Lake State Park
ODNR: Ohio State Nature Preserves & Natural Areas Guide (PDF) · our check found this text on October 14

Access permit

Gross Memorial 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

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
Gross Memorial Woods State Nature PreserveSHELBYDedicated Nature Preserve48.68Division of Natural Areas and Preserves
Our calculations from those features, re-computed at each check.
Mapped acres48.68 (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 land40.4704, -84.0566 (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: Gross Memorial 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.