Strouds Ridge Preserve | |
Alt Name: | Strouds Ridge |
Map: | Ohio#USA |
Location: | Athens County |
Nearest City: | Athens, Ohio |
Coordinates: | 39.345°N -82.0667°W |
Area Acre: | 333 |
Established: | 2002 |
Governing Body: | City of Athens |
The Strouds Ridge Preserve is a project of Athens, Ohio, to create a greenbelt buffer and trail system on the outskirts of the city. This effort began in 2002, and has so far involved five parcels of land, for a total of 333acres, in three discontinuous tracts. All these properties, which include the pre-existing 22acres Sells Park, are contiguous with Strouds Run State Park.
One of the acquisitions was subsequently dedicated as the Dale and Jackie Riddle State Nature Preserve, and is otherwise known as Hawk Woods, an 85acres old-growth forest. One of the tracts, the Della Drive Tract, was acquired by Athens County, not the city. Also nearby are the 75acres-acre Blair Preserve, the 49acres-acre Tucker Run Preserve, the 283acres-acre Mary Beth Zak Lohse Preserve, the 441acres-acre Canaan Preserve and the 269acres-acre Baker Preserve of the Athens Conservancy.
The trail system is known as the Athens Trail system, and connects with the trails at the state park. The trail system centers around the Athens Trail, currently 3.2miles but slated to be a full-loop trail around the City of Athens, and the Rockhouse Trail, a 2.7miles scenic trail.