COLUMBUS, OH - Conkle's Hollow State Nature Preserve, located in Hocking County, is one of Ohio's most scenic and most visited natural areas. Black Hand sandstone cliffs rise nearly 200 feet above a gorge floor that is among the deepest and narrowest in Ohio, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR).
More than 150,000 people visit the preserve each year. Since 1988, more than $17,000 in improvements paid for by the Ohio Natural Areas Tax Check-off Program have made those visits more pleasurable and more educational.
The check-off program gives Ohioans an opportunity to contribute all or a portion of their state income tax refund to ODNR's nature preserves, scenic rivers and endangered species programs, said Sam Speck, ODNR director. Many improvements in our state nature preserves are possible only through check-off contributions.
Hikers at Conkle's Hollow once had to scale a rough staircase of railroad ties and concrete slabs to reach the preserve's spectacular East Rim. Today, thanks to check-off funding, a 220-foot staircase with benches and observation decks helps visitors up and down the steep slope. Because visitors now remain on the 5-foot wooden staircase, the surrounding area is less disturbed by foot traffic.
Unique plants, such as the tway blade orchid, showy orchis and wood betony were unable to grow in areas where hikers went off-trail, said Stu Lewis, chief of ODNR's Division of Natural Areas & Preserves. Now these lovely wildflowers are growing up against the stairs.
Another preserve project supported by check-off funds was construction of a 12-foot by 20-foot observation deck near the upper falls area of the Rim Trail. The 90-foot high deck serves two purposes: visitor protection and enhanced viewing. Visitors can now peer over the deck and enjoy the splendor of seasonal waterfalls flowing down the gorge walls.
Prior to 1990, hiking the gorge's main trail was often a trudge through muck and mud. Construction of a 125-foot boardwalk that year eased the trek and made the trail one of the preserve's most popular.
Leaving the parking lot, visitors can walk over the Pine Creek Bridge that leads into the preserve itself. Before continuing down the trail, visitors may stop at the informational display area that was also made possible through tax check-off donations. Here they can spend a few minutes learning about the area's natural history and see a three-dimensional model of the preserve. They can also obtain information on other preserves in the Hocking Hills region.
Conkle's Hollow State Nature Preserve has become one of the most popular natural areas to hike and enjoy, Lewis noted. This is due in no small part to the generous contributions made by so many Ohio citizens through the checkoff program.
Conkle's Hollow is open year-round from dawn to dusk. It is located 12 miles south of Logan on Big Pine Road, off Route 374. For additional information, call the preserve manager at 740-420-3445.