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Amenity: Shelter

Ashland Fire Company Nature Cabin

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This 32-acre park offers easy access to the city of Ashland for those interested in light hiking or use of a charming facility for small or medium size events in a wooded location.

Ashland Fire Company purchased the property and built the cabin as a retreat for its members and as a location for community events. When the fire company disbanded in 2012, it donated the cabin and property to the Ashland County Park District. The company built this comfortable cabin using 150-year-old barn beams, and offers both a furnace and wood-burning stove for winter events. Some of the memorabilia left behind by the Fire Company is on display.

The cabin is opened for private use only, but the park is always available for hiking. There are several short hiking trails though a beautiful hardwood forest and over a deep ravine. In addition, there is a 1/4 mile paved trail. Picnic tables available where you can relax and enjoy the scenery or a picnic lunch. In 2024, the fire cabin completed a full interior renovation, boasting a new kitchen and reception area, new flooring, new ADA compliant restroom, and upgraded front and back porch.

Enjoy our cabin and sheltered picnic area for any occasion! The cabin is complete with a updated kitchen, with sink, refrigerator, microwave, and plenty of counter/cabinet space. A wood stove, electric, indoor ADA compliant restroom, 8-8ft tables and 50 indoor chairs. The cabin also is equipped with a gas grill, 5 picnic tables, AC/heat, and a large outdoor fire pit.

Carpenter Nature Preserve

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Situated along the Black Fork River, the 63 acres comprising this park hold a varitey of habitats. Twenty acres of seasonal wetlands constructed by the United States Department of Fish and Wildlife service (USFWS) host flocks of waterfowl during spring and fall migrations. Trails and bridges wind through grasslands, forests, and wetland meadows.

This park is best suited for summer and fall hiking since spring time often brings heavy flooding. For the ambitious hiker, bird watching is excellent. You can expect to see a wide variety of species from red-headed woodpeckers to sandhill cranes to prothonotary warblers. You might even have the opportunity to see eagles feasting on fish trapped in the basins left by the receding river.

In addition to the wetlands, there are a great many wildflowers that have been planted by USFWS for perfect viewing in the summer and fall. There are also a number of leopard frogs that grequent the wet areas. Access to boating and riverbanks is provided for fishing. Canoeing and boating is available to north and south, but log jams especially to the south, may require returning to Carpenter to complete your trip. Your canoeing/kyaking experience meanders through woodland meadows and farm country. Take a break near the parking lot and enjoy the picnic pavilion. Trips are best in the early summer before the river gets low. This area of the river is a popular fishing spot for pike in the spring time and catfish and red horse suckers in the summer and fall.

Byers Woods

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Byers Woods is an 215-acre park, in a repurposed landfill, where visitors will find over three miles of well-maintained trails looping through a wide variety of habitats – including forest, grasslands, wetlands, fishing ponds and more. This site hosts a tremendous diversity of birds and wildlife.

In the middle of Byers Woods are two fenced-in retired 50-acre landfill mounds, which are off limits to the public until the 30-year EPA closure is completed in 2030. The cold-season grasses on the landfill mounds are a great habitat for birds and deer.

There are 50 acres of hardwood forest, which includes a large variety of native species attractive to wildlife including oaks, maples, hickories, and beech trees. Most notable are the massive and majestic swamp white oaks that stand in the heart of the forest.

Thanks to the Ashland County Chapter of Pheasants Forever, there are 75 acres of grasslands containing five species of prairie grasses and many native wildflowers. A state of Ohio Clean Ohio grant also provided another 40 acres of grassland in December 2019. These fields are home to jumping mice, prairie voles, dozens of butterfly species, and grassland nesting birds. Most notable of these birds is the endangered bobolink, which lives and nests in the park in large numbers. Because of this, the Mohican Audubon Society (GMAS) holds a well-attended “Bobolinks and Butterflies Festival” every year in June. GMAS has identified 161 different species of birds!

There are four fishing ponds in the park. These ponds provide fun for sportsmen and families alike – catching bass, bluegill, and catfish. There is no fishing license required, although all fishing is catch-and-release only. These ponds are also especially attractive to dozens of unique and beautiful species of dragonflies – attracting naturalists and photographers.

In 1971, Ashland County bought 180 acres of farmland that became the Ashland County Landfill. This landfill was in service for 26 years and ceased operation in 1997. Required environmental monitoring and regular maintenance are done each year by the county solid waste district.

Byers Woods was named in honor of the late State Representative Eugene Byers and longtime County Commissioner Marilyn Byers for their service and dedication to Ashland County. In 2004, Ashland County Park District was given a 99-year lease to operate Byers Woods as a county park.

Thanks to the levy, the park district completed several capital improvement projects at this park.  A beautiful 1.1 mile paved trail was added as well as paved parking lots, an accessible playground, an accessible restroom, a restroom, and a pavilion. The paved trail starts at the front parking lot, travels around the middle pond and finishes the loop around the east mound. The 50×40 playground and 12×20 pavilion is easily accessable from the front parking lot as well.

Sprinkle’s Serenity

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This land has been in the same family since it was acquired by David and Ruth Shanks in 1914. David Shanks purchased a prize stallion in Iowa and led him all the way back to Sullivan on foot to insure he got there unharmed. His daughter Hazel and her husband Carl Sprinkle purchased the farm from the Shanks. The Sprinkles had an innovative feeding and breeding program for milk cows that produced “Suzanna King Pheobe,” an Elite Iron Grandma cow that still ranks high on the Ohio list for lifetime butterfat production. This cow is buried at a marked grave on the property.

The couple had a daughter who was pictured milking one of her cows in a children’s book called “All About Farm Animals.” She lived on the farm with her husband until her death in 2003 at the age of 96. Their two children both received their own State FFA Degrees, and their son was named Star Farmer of America at the National FFA convention in 1983.

Part of the mission of Ashland County Park District is to preserve its agricultural heritage. With such rich farming history, ACPD is proud to have this property as a county park.

Sprinkle’s Serenity was opened in June of 2014. Twenty acres of the park will continue to be farmed. A 16-acre overgrown field, with the remnants of an apple orchard, provides excellent food and cover for animals. The park district has planted over 4,000 new trees and shrubs on ten acres to compliment the existing eighteen acres of swampy forest. Pheasants Forever has planted 17.5 acres of prairie grasses and wildflowers.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Ohio Department of Natural Resources have spent $16,460 to create a twenty-two acre marsh at Sprinkle’s Serenity. This marsh will compliment a marsh found at Hurdle Waterfowl Park. Be sure to view the waterfowl during the migrating season.

Hurdle Waterfowl Park

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This 66-acre wooded park was originally designed to attract waterfowl. Today, it is ideal for hiking and bird watching. In addition to two miles of hiking trails, the site contains a 4.5-acre fishing pond, a 12-acre shallow pond complex, and a 2.5-acre duck pond. The park also has mature woods and a small buttonbush marsh. A large observation tower overlooking the park is temporarily closed for maintenance.

In 2019, a second parking lot was installed just 500 feet north of the main parking lot for quicker and easier access to the fishing pond. The original corn crib was also converted into a picnic shelter. Two interior walls were removed along with the garage doors, the concrete pad was replaced, and picnic tables will be installed. In 2023, a paved trail will be added and both parking lots will be paved.

Pine Hill Park – Sauers Farm

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The 283-acre Pine Hill Park was created by combining two land parcels – 186 acres of the historical Sauers family farm and 97 acres of woodland owned by the Crall family. The property naturally divides itself into Crall Woods and Sauers Farm, each with its own district and unique characteristics.

Pine Hill Sauers Farm
This 99-acre park is a hiker’s delight with over three miles of trails that wind through a mixture of habitats. There are roughly 25 acres of tranquil hardwood forest, with a deep ravine and meandering creek. Visitors will also enjoy 25 acres of mixed young forest and thickets, full of song birds and the highest butterfly population in the park district. There is another 25 acres of prairie grasses and wildflowers that are calming to walk.

The land was aquired by the Sauers family and Clean Ohio grant. The heart of the park is the Sauers family homestead. ACPD park managers live in the historic farmhouse, which is not open to the public. There are several other buildings, including two timber framed barns. The oldest barn was built in the 1850’s and is available for rental. It also serves as home for a two-story cider press from the 1880’s. An orchard on the property grows 45 varieties of apples which help supply the stock for the cider press demonstration held at the park. The homestead area also has a fishing pond, a picnic area, a playground, and a 12×20 picnic pavilion.

From 2018 to 2020, a concrete paved parking lot was added, a public restroom facility, playground, and picnic pavilion.

Reserve Sauers Barn at Pine Hill: Sauers Barn location offers picturesque hiking trails, picnic areas, fishing pond, new playground, and new handicap accessible restroom facility with a paved parking lot. The barn contains an 1850’s cider press and farm implements from the 1800’s. There is currently no running water at the site, but has electric capability and ample table/chairs. Rental also includes tables and chairs for 250 people. For more information, or to reserve a date, please contact our park office at (419) 289-3524.