Whipple State Nature Preserve
Adams County, Ohio · 2.1 trail miles in ODNR's guide
Our take written by Nature Awed
Whipple in Adams County is a set of narrow wooded ridges pocketed with small sinkholes, bordered by dolomite cliffs 10 to 30 feet high, with xeric limestone prairie openings in the forest.
ODNR says Robert A. Whipple donated the original 248 acres and the preserve has grown to 448. There are 2.2 miles of hiking trails and no restrooms, and the guide notes limited parking.
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
The Whipple State Nature Preserve contains a couple narrow wooded ridgetops, pocketed with small sinkholes. The ridgetop and head of the valley are bordered by dolomite cliffs of 10-30 feet in height. There is an abundance of ferns and spring wildflowers throughout the wooded preserve.
Within the forested landscape there are small prairie openings called xeric limestone prairie, in the preserve with rare species. This area is dedicated in honor of Robert A. Whipple, who generously donated the original 248 acres to the Division of Natural Areas and Preserve in 1989. The preserve is currently 448 acres in area.
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
2.2 miles of hiking trails
In ODNR's preserve guide
| Address | 1194 St Rte 247, Manchester, 45144 |
|---|---|
| Trails (miles) | 2.1 |
| Visitor information | Limited parking |
Whipple Adams 1194 St Rte 247 Manchester, 45144 2.1 Limited parking Bird Watching
Access permit
Whipple 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whipple State Nature Preserve | ADAMS | Dedicated Nature Preserve | 529.13 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves |
| Whipple State Nature Preserve | ADAMS | Dedicated Nature Preserve | 9.76 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves |
| Mapped acres | 538.89 (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 | 38.7165, -83.4959 (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: Whipple 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.
- Adams Lake Prairie State Nature Preserve · Adams County · about 6.8 miles
- Chaparral Prairie State Nature Preserve · Adams County · about 9.4 miles
- Johnson Ridge State Nature Preserve · Adams County · about 9.7 miles
- Ka Ma Ma Prairie State Nature Preserve · Adams County · about 12 miles
- Davis Memorial State Nature Preserve · Adams County · about 17 miles