In 1959, The Nature Conservancy acquired 53 acres of remnant prairie near the town of Lynx, Ohio. This acquisition came largely through the efforts of Dr. E. Lucy Braun, Professor of Ecology in the Department of Botany at the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Braun is recognized as one of the foremost plant ecologists of her time and much of her research took her to the wilderness areas of Adams County, Ohio. Subsequent to the protection of Lynx Prairie, Buzzardroost Rock, Red Rock and The Wilderness were acquired and deeded to the Cincinnati Museum of Natural History. In 1967, Lynx Prairie was designated a National Landmark by the National Park Service.
Lynx Prairie was preserved to save the best of the few remaining remnants of the once extensive prairies of this area. This preserve features a series of natural grassland openings that appear as islands in an otherwise forested area. These natural openings, called cedar barrens or glades, are prevalent throughout the preserve system. Prairie-like in nature, cedar barrens have thin, shallow soils overlying dolomitic (Silurian) bedrock, a significant amount of tree and shrub growth and an abundance of native grasses and wildflowers. The latter are at their peak from late July through September.
Lynx, Ohio is about nine miles east of West Union, Ohio, along State Route 125. The entrance to Lynx Prairie is behind the East Liberty Church located on Tulip Road one-half mile south of the town of Lynx. Beyond the south edge of the cemetery is the trailhead and the sign marking it as a National Landmark. This area is marked by a number of small prairies which the trails loop around and through. Please stay on the trails - this is a very delicate habitat!
The Devonian Ohio Shale that overlies the dolomite provide the acidic soils preferred by Red Cedars and other larger vegetation thus marking the prairie-forest boundary. Click here to download a list of species characteristic of this area.
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