W. Pearl King Prairie Savanna Nature Preserve
Madison County, Ohio · access permit required
Our take written by Nature Awed
W. Pearl King Prairie Savanna in Madison County protects an oak savanna of the Darby Plains, with scattered old-growth bur, post and white oaks among prairie wildflowers.
Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks owns and manages it, and both ODNR's page and its permit list say access is by permit from Metro Parks.
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
W. Pearl King Prairie Savanna was dedicated as a state nature preserve in 2020. The preserve protects the best remaining oak savanna in the historical Darby Plains. Scattered old-growth bur (Quercus macrocarpa), post (Q. stellata) and white (Q. alba) oaks are on the site with a suite of prairie wildflowers. The preserve is owned and managed by Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks. Access is by permit from Columbus and Franklin County Metro Parks.
In ODNR's preserve guide
This preserve has no row in ODNR's printed guide. The guide says: Preserves not listed are either unimproved, or require a written permit to visit.
(ODNR: Ohio State Nature Preserves & Natural Areas Guide (PDF)).
Access permit required
W. Pearl King Prairie Savanna Madison 20 Columbus & Franklin County Metro Parks
ODNR's permit list names Columbus & Franklin County Metro Parks as the issuer; ODNR's permit page doesn't print that organization's application process.
Verify the current permit details with ODNR: State Nature Preserves Access Permit before you rely on them.
How the access permit works, and every preserve on the list →
The land on ODNR's map
| LANDS_NAME | COUNTY | PROP_TYPE | SUM_CALC_ACRES | MANAGING_AGENCY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| W Pearl King Prairie Savanna State Nature Preserve | MADISON | Dedicated Nature Preserve | 20.02 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves |
| Mapped acres | 20.02 (our sum of the parcels ODNR's GIS layer maps under this name) |
|---|---|
| Access permit | Required, per ODNR's permit list |
| Centre of mapped land | 40.0449, -83.4796 (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: W. Pearl King Prairie Savanna 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.
- Bigelow Cemetery State Nature Preserve · Madison County · about 5.5 miles
- Milford Center Prairie Non-Dedicated Natural Area · Union County · about 7.3 miles
- Smith Cemetery State Nature Preserve · Madison County · about 9.2 miles
- Little Darby Creek State Nature Preserve · Madison County · about 11 miles · permit
- Prairie Road Fen Non-Dedicated Natural Area · Clark County · about 13 miles · permit