Nature Awed

Owens Fen State Nature Preserve

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

Our take written by Nature Awed

Owens Fen in Logan County is a small prairie fen with shrubby cinquefoil, queen-of-the-prairie, Riddell's goldenrod, spiked blazing star and state-listed plants such as white wand-lily.

It honors naturalist and Division volunteer David B. Owens, whose gift paid for key parts of it, and was once called Liberty Fen. The guide marks it as an unimproved site with 0.5 miles of trail and parking in front of a cable.

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

Owens Fen State Nature Preserve is a small, high-quality prairie fen community that supports shrubby cinquefoil (Dasiphora fruticosa), queen-of-the-prairie (Filipendula rubra), Riddell’s goldenrod (Solidago riddellii), spiked blazing star (Liatris spicata), and state-listed plants such as white wand-lily (Zigadenus elegans).
ODNR: Owens Fen State Nature Preserve · our check found this text on October 14
The preserve is dedicated in honor of David B. Owens, a naturalist and former volunteer for the Division. His generous gift enabled the purchase of critical portions of this preserve, formerly known at Liberty Fen.
ODNR: Owens Fen State Nature Preserve · our check found this text on October 14

Visiting

ODNR's visitor notes
  • Stay on designated trails
  • Pets are not permitted
  • No restrooms
ODNR: Owens Fen State Nature Preserve · our check found this text on October 14

In ODNR's preserve guide

Our table of the guide's row for Owens Fen (Logan County). The row as printed is quoted below.
Address7273 Township Rd 192, West Liberty, 43357
Trails (miles)0.5
Visitor informationUnimproved site^ • Park in front of cable
The guide's row
Owens Fen Logan 7273 Township Rd 192 West Liberty, 43357 0.5 Unimproved site^ • Park in front of cable
ODNR: Ohio State Nature Preserves & Natural Areas Guide (PDF) · our check found this text on October 14

Access permit

Owens Fen 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
Owens Fen State Nature PreserveLOGANDedicated Nature Preserve18.21Division of Natural Areas and Preserves
Our calculations from those features, re-computed at each check.
Mapped acres18.21 (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 land40.2568, -83.7721 (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: Owens Fen 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.