With a small parking lot on Hamilton Street, the Oberlin Preserve has two eBird hotspots, one for the prairie, “Oberlin Preserve–Prairie” and one for the woods, “Oberlin Preserve–South Woods.” The woods can also be accessed from the cul de sac on Reserve Avenue. A former railroad right-of-way runs north-south along the eastern edge of the property, providing access to several places with different types of bird habitats.

I’ve enjoyed winnowing snipes, serenading meadowlarks, hunting great horned owls, and my COVID spirit animal, solitary sandpipers. This property promises only to improve as the prairie matures, and Western Reserve Land Conservancy has plans to create additional walking paths through the woods. I’ll be there watching to see which new birds discover it.

Parking for the Oberlin Preserve is on West Hamilton Street adjacent to the prairie restoration. The South Woods may be viewed from the Ramsay Right of Way pedestrian path.

The Oberlin Preserve includes restored native prairie and wet woods habitats. Western Reserve Land Conservancy began to restore the native prairie in 2017 with the help of many conservation partners and the work is not done yet! A visit to this property includes walking prairie trails and viewing the wet woods from the right-of-way trail to the east. Visit in late summer or early fall to see spectacular wildflowers.

This property is part of what is considered the Oberlin Great South Woods. The site is on the south side of Hamilton Road, west of the Oberlin Ball Fields and the Lorain County Metro Parks-operated Splash Zone. The site is historically significant, having been a stop on the Underground Railroad and once owned by the family of John A. Copeland, Jr.