Knox County Park District

Knox County Park District Our purpose is to acquire, conserve, protect, and manage Knox County's natural & historical resources while preserving the rural character of the county. Mt.
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Knox County Park District protects, manages and maintains over 1,000 acres of land throughout the county including seven natural park areas (Wolf Run, Hellbender Preserve, Honey Run Waterfall, Honey Run Highlands, Indianfield Bluffs, Thayer Ridge and Bat Nest Road), several access points along the beautiful Kokosing and Mohican rivers, the Mount Vernon access to the Kokosing Gap Trail and numerous

scenic hiking trails. In addition, there are several area bike trails, and the Park District offers free educational and recreational opportunities during the year to delight your senses and rekindle your spirit. Travel the Gateway to Amish Country Scenic Byway along US 62 and SR 514 as you visit our parks and trails. Be sure to check periodically for upcoming events. Park Etiquette:
All natural features - plants, wildlife, geologic specimens and historic artifacts belong to the citizens of Knox County and are not to be collected, distrubed, harmed, or defaced in any manner. Camping is not permitted; vehicles (including ATV's and UV's) and bicycles are permitted only in parking areas; Dogs or other pets must be leashed at all times (except at the dog park) and must be under owner control. Pet owners are responsible for cleaning up after their pets; Use of alcohol and/or illegal drugs is strictly prohibited! Park/Access addresses:

*Wolf Run Regional Park…..17621 Yauger Rd. Vernon, Ohio 43050

*Hellbender Preserve…..23316 Coshocton Rd. Howard, Ohio 43028

*Honey Run Waterfall…..10855 Hazel Dell Rd. Howard, Ohio 43028

*Honey Run Highlands…..10816 Millersburg Rd. Howard, Ohio 43028

*Idianfield Bluffs Park…..10855 Sapp Rd. Howard, Ohio 43028

*Thayer Ridge Park…..7077 Thayer Rd. Vernon, Ohio 43050

*Bat Nest Road Area/Riley Chapel Road Access…..10300 Riley Chapel Rd. Walhonding, Ohio 43843

*Pipesville Road Access…..12059 Pipesville Rd. Howard, Ohio 43028

*Millwood Access…..11640 Bridge St. Howard, Ohio 43028

*Greer Landing Access…..20389 Brinkhaven Rd. Glenmont, Ohio 20389

*Big Run Road Access…..8921 Big Run Rd. Gambier, Ohio 43022

*Kokosing Gap Canoe Access…..17812 Lower Gambier Rd. Vernon, Ohio 43050

Kokosing Gap Trail Access Areas:

-500 Mount Vernon Ave. Vernon, Ohio 43050

-9943 Laymon Rd. Gambier, Ohio 43022

-297 Duff St. Gambier, Ohio 43022

-22500 Stull Rd. Gambier, Ohio 43022

-10921 Killduff Rd. Gambier, Ohio 43022

-23316 Coshocton Rd. Howard, Ohio 43028

-715 Trail Dr. Danville, Ohio 43014

Mohican Valley Trail Access Areas:

-402 East St. Danville, Ohio 43014

-27825 Buckeye Rd. Danville, Ohio 43014

-15700 Tiger Valley Rd. Danville, Ohio 43014

*Mohican Valley Trail & Water Trail…..16606 Hunter Rd. Brinkhaven, Ohio 43006

Heart of Ohio Trail Access Areas:

-7760 Thayer Rd. Vernon, Ohio 43050

-7180 Simmons Church Rd. Centerburg, Ohio 43011

-59 Johnsville Rd. Centerburg, Ohio 43011

*Kokosing Water Trail (BFEC)…..10115 Laymon Rd. Gambier, Ohio 43022

Happy World Otter Day! In the interest of supporting the conservation and protection of otters, we wanted to highlight ...
05/27/2026

Happy World Otter Day! In the interest of supporting the conservation and protection of otters, we wanted to highlight the North American river otters that live right here in Knox County.

Extirpated from Ohio in the early 1900’s, river otters were reintroduced in 1986 with very successful results. Today they have repopulated nearly every watershed across the state! Locally, they can be found around the Kokosing and Mohican Rivers as well as Knox Lake.

These semi-aquatic, playful creatures are generally nocturnal, so your best chance of seeing one is at dusk or dawn. With this useful knowledge, you otter have a great day!

MEET OUR AWESOME SUMMER INTERNS!WILL STEMEN has returned for a second season as a Knox County Park District summer inter...
05/26/2026

MEET OUR AWESOME SUMMER INTERNS!

WILL STEMEN has returned for a second season as a Knox County Park District summer intern and will be entering into his senior year of Environmental Biology at Mount Vernon Nazarene University, hoping to further his education in this major after completing his undergraduate studies. In his free time, he enjoys road trips and backpacking. Will states, “Growing up in the Knox County area has given me a fond love for its woods and rolling hillsides, and I am excited to be working for the park district another summer.” We are excited for Will to be working with us again!

Last week GRAHAM YEAGER began his summer internship with the Knox County Park District. A junior at Kenyon College, he is majoring in Environmental Studies with a minor in history and enjoys being a member of the Kenyon Track and Field team as a discus thrower. (In fact, Graham broke the discus school record earlier this month!) When not at work he likes to go bass fishing and sharpen his discus technique. Since he hails from Shelby, Ohio, Graham says, “I am looking forward to learning about and exploring many of Knox County’s beautiful landscapes.” We welcome Graham and, should you see him working in our parks or on the trails, hope you will, too!

By 1979, the bald eagle population had dwindled to just 4 breeding pairs in the entire state of Ohio, so the Ohio Depart...
05/19/2026

By 1979, the bald eagle population had dwindled to just 4 breeding pairs in the entire state of Ohio, so the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) launched a statewide recovery program which has been very successful. Depending on the source of information, there are around 20-27 active bald eagle nests in Knox County alone and nearly 1,000 across the state. We are grateful to our friend Don Epling for sharing this great shot of a mated pair of bald eagles!

If you are traveling on the Kokosing Gap Trail, you may want to stop near Laymon Road and visit our friends at The Brown...
05/14/2026

If you are traveling on the Kokosing Gap Trail, you may want to stop near Laymon Road and visit our friends at The Brown Family Environmental Center. Enjoy the variety of nature's spring surprises as you stroll through the lovely grounds. Many thanks to Joan McGough for contributing these photos!

05/12/2026

Many thanks to The City of Mount Vernon, Ohio who put together this fantastic video of The Woodlands Grand Opening!

Thank you to all who came to The Woodlands Grand Opening to help us celebrate! The weather was perfect, the food was gre...
05/12/2026

Thank you to all who came to The Woodlands Grand Opening to help us celebrate! The weather was perfect, the food was great (kudos to grillmaster Dan!), and the Six Miles to Nellie concert was a toe-tappin' success!

During week #26 of Project FeederWatch, numbers of birds/species were still decent for this time of year and no finch e...
05/08/2026

During week #26 of Project FeederWatch, numbers of birds/species were still decent for this time of year and no finch eye disease was reported.

Hollywood stars this final week were a Gray Catbird and a gorgeous Rose-breasted Grosbeak.

You will notice in the photos a female Northern Cardinal that looks a bit unusual due to her missing crest feathers. When molting occurs in Northern Cardinals and Blue Jays, typically there is staggered feather loss, but occasionally a bird experiences an abnormal molt and will lose them all at once. She will be fine in a few weeks and, rest assured, her faithful mate loves her anyway.

As part of the photos, Jim Heironimus has included some interesting information on Caterpillars that we think you will enjoy.

Though we are sorry to see it end, it's been a great season for Project FeederWatch. Many thanks to our loyal and steadfast Watchers who give willingly of their time each week:

Marcia Crim
Miriam Dean-Otting
Carol Detmer
Susan Guttormsen
Terri Heironimus
Stan Holmes
Marita King
Katherine Noblet
Charles Otting
Laurie Thompson
Beth Waller

All the pictures we enjoy are contributed by the following talented photographers:

Carol Detmer
Stan Holmes
Marita King
Katherine Noblet
Beth Waller

Many thanks to Chad Ruhl who tirelessly kept the feeders stocked with avian edible dainties and to Stan Holmes for stepping in as Chad's substitute during this winter's epic snowstorm.

KCPD's very own Brandon Schroepfer ensured our feathered friends did not suffer from hunger by purchasing the seed and suet needed for this project.

And last, but far from least, many accolaides to Jim Heironimus who wears a number of hats, including Coordinator, Data Entry Specialist, Head of the Communications Department, and Resident Humorist.

We are grateful for this amazing team of volunteers who work together to provide important information for the national (and global) data banks accumulated and analyzed by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

We also thank all of our Facebook friends who have joined us on this weekly journey! See you in the fall!

REMINDER! The GRAND OPENING of THE WOODLANDS is this Saturday, May 9 from 1:00-4:00 p.m.
05/06/2026

REMINDER! The GRAND OPENING of THE WOODLANDS is this Saturday, May 9 from 1:00-4:00 p.m.

The weather was fairly uncooperative for the Friday night Heart of Ohio Trail Full Moon Bike & Hike, but the coordinator...
05/04/2026

The weather was fairly uncooperative for the Friday night Heart of Ohio Trail Full Moon Bike & Hike, but the coordinators, More Space at Your Place and the Centerburg Public Library plan to host another event for the Strawberry Full Moon on June 28.

There was a feathered flurry of activity during week #25 of Project FeederWatch as the Watchers identified 22 different...
04/30/2026

There was a feathered flurry of activity during week #25 of Project FeederWatch as the Watchers identified 22 different species – a great report for this time of year. We are honored that our all- you-can-eat buffet was the venue of choice for the widely attended White-throated Sparrow family reunion, with 20 of them seen at one time!

Noteworthy visits included the return of the elusive Pileated Woodpecker and a couple of Northern Flickers. But this week’s nominee for the PFW Hall of Fame was a surprise visit by a lovely Palm Warbler which was identified and photographed by Kathy Noblet.

No finch eye disease was noted this week!

Don’t worry, the bird in the photo that looks as if it will soon breathe its last is not dying. Kathy Noblet has assured us that this winged visitor is just “sunning.”

On the mammalian side of things, there were the typical Gray Squirrels and Chipmunks, but there was also a Raccoon with an unusual sense of fashion. Appearing as if having only britches on, it allowed Beth Waller to capture a couple of photos for show and tell. According to Jim Heironimus, our local authority on such things, “Temporary hair loss among many furry mammal species typically results from a skin infection (dermatitis) of bacterial or fungal origin (etiology). Once the infection passes, the hair returns. Though often occurring just in patches, this little critter lost almost its entire upper half (except for what look like little wrist warmers).” The good news is that the hair was growing back, so our newest little friend will hopefully be much warmer by next winter.

We appreciate each of the faithful Watchers as well as Carol Detmer/Stan Holmes, Kathy Noblet, and Beth Waller who contributed all the incredible photos in this post!

Only one week to go for this season of Project FeederWatch. Stay tuned for next week’s grand finale!

Address

117 East High Street, Suite 253
Mount Vernon, OH
43050

Opening Hours

Monday 8am - 4pm
Tuesday 8am - 4pm
Wednesday 8am - 4pm
Thursday 8am - 4pm
Friday 8am - 4pm

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