Dale & Jackie Riddle State Nature Preserve

106 acres - Athens County

Address

Sells Park - Avon Place
Athens, OH 45640

Lat/Long Coordinates

N39 20.618'
W082 04.469'

Special Feature

Old-growth forest remnant

Facilities

Undeveloped site

Learn more

Locally known as Hawk Woods, this 106-acre preserve lies outside the city of Athens. The dense canopy of trees include massive tulip poplar and oaks, some as large as 30 inches in diameter. An oak-hickory forest is present on the upper slopes of the younger, southern section of the preserve.

The preserve was sold for less than the appraised value by Riddle Forest Products. The preserve stands as a memorial to the late founder of the company, Dale Riddle, and his wife Jackie.

Riddle State Nature Preserve runs up a ridge and faces north/northwest. A small intermittent stream is present and the area is home to an explosion of greenery-- ferns, fungus and in the spring, a variety of wildflowers including showy orchis, jack-in-the-pulpit and trilliums.

The wooded preserve provides excellent habitat for birds which depend on mature forests, such as the worm-eating warbler and Louisiana water thrush. The forest supports good populations of breeding ovenbirds, wood thrushes, red-eyed vireos, Acadian flycatchers and eastern wood pewees.

Local directions

Located in Athens County, the preserve is adjacent to Strouds Run State Park. For more information, please contact the city of Athens at 740-592-3325.