Johnson Ridge State Nature Preserve
Adams County, Ohio · 1.2 trail miles in ODNR's guide
Our take written by Nature Awed
Johnson Ridge is a 208-acre preserve in Adams County, mostly second-growth oak-hickory woods and deep ravines, with prairie barren openings dominated by blackjack and post oaks.
ODNR lists green and spider milkweed, prairie false indigo, large summer bluets, false scurf-pea and few-flowered nut-rush in the openings. A 1.2-mile hiking trail crosses it, and there are 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
Johnson Ridge State Nature Preserve is a 208-acre site with second-growth oak-hickory woods and deep ravines covering most of this preserve. The most interesting sections are the prairie barren openings dominated by blackjack and post oaks.
Some of the more significant species present in the prairie barren openings include green milkweed, spider milkweed, prairie false indigo, large summer bluets, false scurf-pea, Carolina buckthorn and few-flowered nut-rush.
Visiting
Open 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset
Stay on designated trails
Pets are not permitted
No restrooms
Verify current visiting hours and access restrictions with ODNR's page before relying on these hours.
Trails
1.2 mile hiking trail
In ODNR's preserve guide
| Address | Marjorie Johnson Rd, West Union, 45693 (marked *: No physical address, see website for details.) |
|---|---|
| Trails (miles) | 1.2 |
| Visitor information | none printed |
Johnson Ridge Adams *Marjorie Johnson Rd West Union, 45693 1.2
Access permit
Johnson Ridge 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Johnson Ridge Dedicated Natural Area | ADAMS | Dedicated Nature Preserve | 221.69 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves |
| Mapped acres | 221.69 (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 | 38.8541, -83.5301 (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: Johnson Ridge 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.
- Chaparral Prairie State Nature Preserve · Adams County · about 2.7 miles
- Adams Lake Prairie State Nature Preserve · Adams County · about 3.0 miles
- Ka Ma Ma Prairie State Nature Preserve · Adams County · about 7.2 miles
- Whipple State Nature Preserve · Adams County · about 9.7 miles
- Plum Run Prairie State Nature Preserve · Adams County · about 10 miles