Pickerington Ponds State Nature Preserve
Fairfield and Franklin counties, Ohio · 0.5 trail miles in ODNR's guide
Our take written by Nature Awed
Pickerington Ponds, in Fairfield and Franklin counties, is a glacial landscape of marshes, kettle ponds and uplands inside Pickerington Ponds Metro Park, with a buttonbush swamp near Bowden Road.
ODNR says over 250 bird species have been recorded there. Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks owns and manages it, and the guide marks part of its 0.5 miles of trail accessible.
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
Formed by Wisconsinan glaciation, this preserve consists of marshes, ponds (glacial kettles) and adjacent uplands. A wide variety of plant species are found here, ranging from water and marsh plants, grasses and sedges to upland trees and shrubs.
A buttonbush swamp is located on the south side of the area near Bowden Road. Pickerington Ponds has been an extremely popular spot for birdwatching-- more than 250 different species of birds have been recorded here over the years. Pickington Ponds State Nature Preserve is part of Pickerington Ponds Metro Park.
In ODNR's preserve guide
| Address | 7680 Wright Rd, Canal Winchester, 43110 |
|---|---|
| Trails (miles) | 0.5 (marked ~: A portion of the trail system is accessible.) |
| Visitor information | Located in Pickerington Ponds Metro Park • metroparks.net • Owned and managed by Columbus and Franklin Co. Metro Parks |
Pickerington Ponds Fairfield 7680 Wright Rd Canal Winchester, 43110 0.5~ Located in Pickerington Ponds Metro Park • metroparks.net • Owned and managed by Columbus and Franklin Co. Metro Parks
Access permit
Pickerington Ponds 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pickerington Ponds State Nature Preserve | FAIRFIELD | Dedicated Nature Preserve | 428.36 | Metro Parks |
| Pickerington Ponds State Nature Preserve | FRANKLIN | Dedicated Nature Preserve | 967.07 | Metro Parks |
| Mapped acres | 1,395.43 (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 | 39.8847, -82.8018 (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: Pickerington Ponds 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.
- Coyote Run State Nature Preserve · Fairfield County · about 3.6 miles · permit
- Walter A Tucker (Blacklick Woods) State Nature Preserve · Fairfield County · about 3.7 miles
- Gahanna Woods State Nature Preserve · Franklin County · about 8.8 miles
- Shallenberger State Nature Preserve · Fairfield County · about 15 miles
- Stages Pond State Nature Preserve · Pickaway County · about 16 miles