We protect nature preserves for YOUR health and enjoyment.
The North Central Ohio Land Conservancy, Inc. is dedicated to safeguarding natural areas for the health and enjoyment of current and future generations. We identify areas that are botanically significant and use conservation easements to permanently protect them as nature preserves.
NCOLC protects over 1,600 acres in and around Richland County. Our preserves are open to the public, and much of the land we manage has public hiking trails. The Clear Fork Valley Scenic Trail (CFVST), our crown jewel, features 8+ miles of hiking trails that wander through 600 acres of nature preserves.
NOTICE!!!! The Trail is Open!
From Tugend Road to the Prairies, Cole Road, Hemlock Falls. Please come out and enjoy the trails again. Please follow the signs that you see and please read the safety sign below. We are excited to welcome our hikers back!!
SAFETY
Welcome to the Clear Fork Valley Scenic Trail.
You will need to step over or duck under fallen trees as you walk our trail.
You will see the power of nature in our wind damaged trees, some of them 200 years old.
You should have a partner with you because some damaged trees looming above you look unharmed. Some will fall without notice in the years ahead.
Please be careful and stay on the trail.
Parking Information
We have a parking lot at the church driveway on the East side of Bunker Hill Road 1/2-mile North of Tugend Road. We also have a parking lot on Tugend Road about 1/4-mile West of Bunker Hill Road on the North Side of the road. Neither parking lot has signage along the road, so you have to drive slowly and look for the entrances.
The Hammon Land is open. The trail is open from Wilson Road to Resort Drive. (still no parking allowed on Resort Drive)
The Gregory Loop is part way open but still blocked where it crosses a gas-line easement.
The Hammon Land is open. The trail is open from Wilson Road to Resort Drive. (still no parking allowed on Resort Drive)
The Gregory Loop is part way open but still blocked where it crosses a gas-line easement.
Clear Fork Valley Scenic Trail Update
On Sunday, October 27, North Central Ohio Land Conservancy is opening a new extension of the Clear Fork Valley Scenic Trail for hikers' exploration and enjoyment! The new "Prairie Vista Trail" is a 1.2-mile side arc in the CFVST's northern section that departs/rejoins the main trail at points 200 yards east of Eagles Nest Rock, and along the cliff-line roughly 2/3-mile in from the Cole Road trail-head.
Brown trail markers with arrows and instructional decals are at each departure point and periodically along the new trail. Part of this new path takes hikers through young-to-maturing woods, but the majority is through open prairie featuring scenic views of this rolling landscape including cresting "Pleasant Hill" - at 1,353 feet the CFVST's highest elevation between Butler and Malabar Farm (nearly 50 feet higher than Malabar's Mt. Jeez).
All of this trail is on private property. Like with the rest of the CFVST, public access is limited to the marked path. Hikers must heed the "No Trespassing" signs marking lanes and side trails that are off limits.
ENVIRONMENT
NCOLC is dedicated to conserving native Ohio biodiversity. Our environmental efforts, such as invasive species removal and erosion control, protect our food web and promote clean air and water.
Conserving the land increases the long term survival of humans and other species. Even people who have yet to visit still benefit from these ecological services.
HEATLH
Walking in nature is good for you! Studies suggest that walking in nature - and even simply being in nature - can improve your blood pressure, mood and recovery from illness, among other benefits.
NCOLC offers public access to our nature preserves, so you and your family can enjoy these health benefits. Join us for a hike or come and get your hands dirty on a volunteer day.
EDUCATION
We are creating a “Living History Museum” so you, your children and grandchildren can experience more of what Ohio was like over 200 years ago.
We invite naturalists and teachers to use our land as an outdoor classroom. Learning in nature, uses all of our senses, which increases student engagement and memory retention.
Relax to the sights and sounds of Hemlock Falls rushing in the spring.
See the Cole Road Prairie buzzing with life in the summer sunshine.
“Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. ”