The Mary Beth Zak Lohse Preserve was acquired in September 2018 and expanded in November 2019 and March 2024, using Clean Ohio Conservation Fund / Green Space Conservation grants. The property is 310.6 acres in size.
The preserve is named after a friend of conservation, who died in 2011. Mary Beth helped found the Appalachian Ohio Group of the Sierra Club and served as the Conservation Chair for the Ohio chapter of the club. She was a leader in Southeast Ohio conservation efforts and a participant in Athens Conservancy activities. Clean Ohio support enabled the Conservancy to buy the initial 240 acres from the Gillette family, descendants of one of the earliest settlers in the Strouds Run area. Located on both sides of Strouds Run Rd. between the Athens city limits and Dow Lake, the establishment of this preserve helps protect the water quality in the lake. Previously the largest private holding in the Dow Lake watershed, it also includes two-thirds of a mile of the principal stream feeding the lake. As well as bordering Strouds Run State Park and the Blair Preserve, the Mary Beth Preserve adjoins and helps buffer Hawk Woods, with its towering oaks and tulip trees, an exceptional stand of old-growth forest owned by the City of Athens and dedicated as a state nature preserve. The city purchased Hawk Woods in 2003 in partnership with the Athens Conservancy, which played a key role in fund-raising.
This land was once the farm of Orrin Gillett, a son of Samuel Gillett, a tanner who was one of the early settlers in the Strouds Run watershed. At one time, the Gillett family owned about 1,000 acres of land, mostly in Canaan Township. Almost half that land is now part of the state park, and a portion is also in private property on Tucker Run Road. The Gillette heirs from whom the property was purchased are descendants of Orrin (and Samuel) Gillett.
A year after acquiring the Gillette land, Athens Conservancy was able to purchase an adjacent 43-acre parcel including a beaver pond. An additional 27-acre parcel featuring an upland meadow with a grand view was acquired in 2024.
Trail Descriptions:
Gillett Pond Trail (approximately 0.25 mile including access from parking lot; difficulty – easy)
This short trail around Gillett Pond can be reached from the parking lot via service roads. The pond was built as a farm pond, probably around 1940, and is now naturalized. Two benches in memory of Mary Beth Lohse offer a peaceful place to sit. A leader in Southeast Ohio conservation efforts, Mary Beth helped found the Appalachian Ohio Group of the Sierra Club. A series of 10 colorful, nature-inspired artworks created by Passion Works Studio artists adorn the trail, a project that was funded by Foundation for Appalachian Ohio.
Gillett Ridge Loop (approximately 1.1 mile; difficulty – easy, but the hike to reach it is hard)
This loop trail offers lovely views when the trees are partially or fully leafless. It is particularly beautiful from mid-October through November. The loop itself is mostly relatively level, but accessing it from the preserve parking lot requires a 0.4-mile climb on a gravel service road, some of which is very steep—definitely a workout! The loop can also be reached from Strouds Run State Park via the Trace Trail; from Sells Park via Athens and Trace Trails; and from Cucumbertree Trailhead (near the Ohio University Credit Union) via Cucumbertree, Rockhouse, Basswood (steep), and Trace Trails.
To reach the Mary Beth Preserve from Athens, take Lancaster Street north to the top of the hill. Turn right at the stoplight onto Lancaster Street (across from Second Street; if you go straight, you’re on Columbus Road). After a block, it becomes Columbia Avenue. Continue a total of 1.4 miles from the stoplight (the street will finally become Strouds Run Road). At the stop sign after crossing over US-33, turn right, which is still Strouds Run Road. At 1.3 miles after turning, there will be a small gravel parking area on your right to access the preserve, which lies on both sides of the road for about a quarter mile in both directions from the parking area. Click on the map on the right for a pdf to download and print.
Use iNaturalist to help document plants, mushrooms, insects, birds, mammals, and more in the Mary Beth Preserve!
Volunteer Preserve Steward: Jeff Lyons
