California Woods
Hamilton County, Ohio Old-Growth Forest California Woods, a 113-acre preserve in southeast Cincinnati, is on a dissected glacial outwash terrace surrounding Lick Run. Its mature woodlands, including forty acres of old-growth forest, support as many as fifty species of upland and riparian trees. The property also features a nature center and more than three miles of trails, several designated as national scenic trails. California Woods borders the Magrish Riverlands Preserve, a Little Miami River floodplain forest and designated Important Birding Area. With more than 200 species reported, the preserve is one of the best places in our region to observe native wildflowers. Protected by Cincinnati ParksFrom the 1800s the Cincinnati Waterworks owned much of this land. The Cincinnati Recreation Commission acquired it in the 1930s. The 1937 flood devastated a large portion of the property, and WPA workers constructed much of what we see today. In the 1970s, the Park Board protected an additional portion of the preserve against a planned golf course expansion. You can support Cincinnati Parks by volunteering or contributing to the Cincinnati Parks Foundation. | How to Find California WoodsThe entrance to the parking area is located on Kellogg Avenue one mile north of I-275. For location details, click here. |
