This addition to the Ohio County Park adjoins the airport and the golf course and there are three primary habitat types found most of which is reclaimed strip mine. The natural communities found are a small amount of streamside forest along muddy creek that is dominated by sycamore, river birch, box elder, and green ash. This habitat grades into poorly drained seasonally wet forests dominated by red maple and green ash. The other forest type is the acidic mesic forest dominated by sugar maple, with some bitternut hickory, northern red and chinquapin oak, shagbark hickory grading into black walnut and tulip poplar in the more disturbed sites. Common understory species include spicebush, paw paw, hornbeam, hydrangea, and wahoo. The remaining forest has been dramatically disturbed and is regenerating with black locust, black walnut, black cherry, sassafras, persimmon, tulip tree and scattered cherry bark oak. At least 80% of the site is reclaimed strip mine dominated by the invasive exotic silky lespedeza with patches of autumn olive. At least 159 plant species has been documented from the natural area. Efforts are underway to improve habitat for the rare copperbelly water snake.
Access:
Open dawn to dusk daily for passive recreation including bicycles on both primitive and paved trails. Located off State Route 69 approximately one-half mile east of the Hartford exit of the Natcher parkway.