Seymour Woods State Natural Area
Delaware County, Ohio · 1.8 trail miles in ODNR's guide
Our take written by Nature Awed
Seymour Woods in Delaware County has deep ravines cut into steep shale cliffs, wooded ridges and old fields, with oak-hickory woods above and sycamore, elm, maple and willow in the valley lowlands.
A Columbus attorney, James O. Seymour, gave it to the Division. The preserve is open from a half hour before sunrise to a half hour after sunset, with 1.8 miles of trails, and ODNR's permit list names one part of it, Bieber Mill, as needing a permit.
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
Seymour Woods contains deep ravines cut into steep shale cliffs, heavily wooded ridge tops and open fields in various stages of succession. Oak hickory associations dominate the upper portions, but give way to sycamore, elm, maple and willow as one enters the valley lowlands.
The preserve was a gift to the Division from Columbus attorney, James O. Seymour in 1972.
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
1.8 miles of hiking trails
In ODNR's preserve guide
| Address | 714 Winter Rd, Delaware, 43015 |
|---|---|
| Trails (miles) | 1.8 |
| Visitor information | Park outside gate |
Seymour Woods Delaware 714 Winter Rd Delaware, 43015 1.8 Park outside gate
Access permit for part of the preserve
ODNR's permit list names a part of this preserve, not the whole preserve. The row reads:
Seymour Woods - Bieber Mill Delaware 11 Division of Natural Areas and Preserves
The permit application must be received by the Division of Natural Areas and Preserves at least 14 days in advance of the requested visitation.
Permits will be issued and emailed to the applicant at least 7 days before the scheduled visit. Maps, directions and any special stipulations concerning the use of the preserve will accompany the permit.
Verify the current application deadlines with ODNR: State Nature Preserves Access Permit before you rely on them.
The land on ODNR's map
| LANDS_NAME | COUNTY | PROP_TYPE | SUM_CALC_ACRES | MANAGING_AGENCY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seymour Woods Non-Dedicated Natural Area | DELAWARE | Non-Dedicated Natural Area | 103.93 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves |
| Mapped acres | 103.93 (our sum of the parcels ODNR's GIS layer maps under this name) |
|---|---|
| Access permit | Required for the part named on ODNR's permit list |
| Centre of mapped land | 40.2294, -83.0549 (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: Seymour Woods State Natural Area 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.
- Stratford Woods State Nature Preserve · Delaware County · about 2.3 miles · permit
- Hutchins (Highbanks) State Nature Preserve · Delaware and Franklin counties · about 6.6 miles
- Edward S. Thomas State Nature Preserve · Franklin County · about 9.0 miles
- Smith Cemetery State Nature Preserve · Madison County · about 17 miles
- Gahanna Woods State Nature Preserve · Franklin County · about 19 miles