Hutchins (Highbanks) State Nature Preserve
Delaware and Franklin counties, Ohio · 2 trail miles in ODNR's guide
Our take written by Nature Awed
Hutchins Preserve sits on 100-foot bluffs of Devonian Ohio black shale above the Olentangy State Scenic River, inside Highbanks Metro Park.
Oak-hickory woods on the dry ridges give way to beech-maple away from the bluffs, and ODNR counts 45 tree, 22 shrub and 144 herbaceous species. A semi-circular earthwork attributed to the Late Woodland Cole culture, a National Historic Landmark, lies within it. The guide gives 2 miles of 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
Hutchins Preserve is situated on 100-foot high bluffs overlooking the Olentangy State Scenic River in Delaware County. These massive cliffs are comprised mostly of Devonian-age Ohio black shale along with some Olentangy shale.
An oak-hickory woodlands community dominates the drier ridgetops giving way to beech-maple further away from the bluffs. The preserve features 45 tree, 22 shrub and 144 herbaceous species. A large semi-circular earthwork attributed to the Late Woodland people (Cole culture) and designated as a National Historic Landmark is located within the preserve.
In ODNR's preserve guide
| Address | 9466 Columbus Pike, Lewis Center, 43035 |
|---|---|
| Trails (miles) | 2 |
| Visitor information | Located in Highbanks Metro Park • metroparks.net • Managed by Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks |
Hutchins, Edward F. Delaware & Franklin 9466 Columbus Pike Lewis Center, 43035 2 Located in Highbanks Metro Park • metroparks.net • Managed by Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks
Access permit
Hutchins (Highbanks) 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hutchins (Highbanks) State Nature Preserve | DELAWARE | Dedicated Nature Preserve | 97.48 | Metro Parks |
| Hutchins (Highbanks) State Nature Preserve | FRANKLIN | Dedicated Nature Preserve | 103.96 | Metro Parks |
| Mapped acres | 201.44 (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 | 40.1362, -83.0309 (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.
Check before you go. Verify current hours, access and trail information on ODNR: Hutchins (Highbanks) 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.
- Edward S. Thomas State Nature Preserve · Franklin County · about 3.5 miles
- Seymour Woods State Natural Area · Delaware County · about 6.6 miles
- Stratford Woods State Nature Preserve · Delaware County · about 8.7 miles · permit
- Gahanna Woods State Nature Preserve · Franklin County · about 13 miles
- Smith Cemetery State Nature Preserve · Madison County · about 16 miles