Collett Woods Nature Preserve
Address:
8901 SR 73 W
Wilmington, OH 45177
Categories:

On July 1, 2000, Collett Woods became the first property to be dedicated by the CCPD. The park was part of 4,000 acres granted to Pvt. Daniel Collett of the 1st Virginia Regiment for Revolutionary War Services. He moved to Clinton County from Virginia in 1805 with his wife, seven sons, and one daughter. Wallace Collett, a descendant of Daniel Collett, donated the preserve to the CCPD for the enjoyment of Clinton County Residents. Located in Chester Township with 60 acres of mature beech-maple forest. It offers 1.2 miles of hiking trails, a paved parking lot with a turnaround, and a bridge at the entrance. There are wonderful wildflower communities, along with several examples of large hunks of Canadian granite erratic rocks deposited in the preserve that can be seen along the 1.25 mile hiking loop that circles the forest perimeter. Several small mammal species exist in the preserve such as the Eastern Mole, Short-Tailed Shrew, Least Shrew, and White-Footed Mouse, which provide prey for Red and Gray Foxes, Coyotes, and birds of prey. Over 58 species of birds are known to breed within one mile of these woods with at least 100+ species migrating through the preserve in the fall and spring migration. In short, Collett woods is also a Beech Maple climax forest which has not been disturbed, except by a tornado in 1986. The damage the tornado caused to trees can still be observed.

- 8901 West State Route 73, 1.5 miles west of the Caesar Creek Flea Market in Chester Township