Sylvan Deep
2-acre Traihead Project
Sylvan Deep is a 106-acre woodlands in Jackson County that is covered with ancient hemlocks and towering oaks, some of which may be remnants of Ohio’s original forest. Some of the older hemlocks are 36 inches in diameter and are probably at least 350 years old. The property also boasts immense sandstone rock features - literally from one end of the property to the other - on a scale that rivals anything in Hocking Hills. Here at the Arc, we are accustomed to saving the best of the best of Ohio’s natural landscapes, but the discovery of Sylvan Deep stunned our sensibilities. How this beautiful corner of Jackson County managed to escape vigorous conservation measures before now is a bit of a mystery. The hollows and the lower rock faces support an astounding density and diversity of ferns, including several species. that are rare. Notable botanicals on the property include the state-listed Great Rhododendron and Devil’s Bit.
Sylvan Deep is now paid for and safely in the Arc’s possession. When we commenced on our plans for a trailhead parking lot and trail installation, we discovered, with angst that the road entrance to the only flat land useable for visitor parking was too steep for cars to navigate. Arc is now fundraising to purchase a 2-acre property adjacent to Sylvan Deep that will serve as the preserve’s trailhead. Once we have finished this fund-rasiing project, trail installation can begin!
Trailhead Project Cost: $30,000
One-time Stewardship Investment
for Entire Preserve: $300,000
Preserving a hidden valley in Jackson County. Sylvan Deep’s landscape is absolutely breathtaking! Sandstone cliffs span hundreds of feet across slopes that are presided over by ancient eastern hemlocks. Deep dark ravines are blanketed with myriad ferns, right up to one’s waist, and stunning rock features appear around every bend. Cliff faces are sometimes polished and exposed, or alternately blanketed in mosses, lichens, and liverworts. The largest rock shelter is of a scale and magnificence that rivals, if not surpasses, any landscape we’ve encountered in Hocking Hills. Hanging over its center rim is a small but well-established colony of great rhododendrons, a state-endangered species at the northern boundary of its range.
A sparkling stream dissects the property known as Spencer Run. The stream is uncommonly rich with fish-flashing riffles, alternating with quieter pools. The waterway’s populations of rosyside dace, southern redbelly dace, and fantail darters are all signature species of clean, well-shaded streams boasting fast-moving well-oxygenated water. Partially submerged slabs of sandstone conceal salamanders and crayfish, while the water’s surface ripples with fast-skating water striders.
Sylvan Deep’s outstanding geological features. The preserve is less than a mile, as the crow flies, from Leo Petroglyphs, a prehistoric cultural site owned by Ohio History Connection. It protects a flat shelf of sandstone that was carved with artistic figures at least 1,000 years ago by the indigenous people who traveled the hills and hollows of today’s Sour Run, Spencer Run, and Salt Lick Creek. Both the memorial and Sylvan Deep share the same Sharon Conglomerate bedrock, some of its sandstone layers bearing its signature large, pearl-white, quartz pebbles. The exposed cliff faces at Leo and Sylvan Deep are tangible reminders of the high-velocity rivers that once crossed this region over 300 million years ago, surging off the western flanks of the Appalachian Mountains. Here in this corner of Jackson County, they dropped vast amounts of sand as they slowed down before terminating in a great sea to our west.
Sylvan Deep boasts impressive botanical diversity. The site is densely covered with mature hemlocks, some up to 36 inches in diameter, as well as black birch. The riparian forest’s rich, moist soil supports the curled bronze bark of river birches, the mottled cream and olive-sided bark of sycamores, gnarled and bent box elders, berry-laden spicebush shrubs, and pawpaws. Two species of walnuts can be found here – black walnut and the rare white walnut, also known as butternut. A wide variety of classic hardwoods share the upper elevations and ridgetops, including red oak, white oak, chestnut oak, sugar maple, hickory, tulip tree, American beech, and wild black cherry. Rare species documented by state botanists include the state-threatened great rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum), round-leaf catchfly (Silene rotundifolia) and fairy-wand (Chamaelirium luteum). Sylvan Deep is definitely among the “best of the best” landscapes remaining in our state. The Ohio Division of Natural Areas and Preserves has already deemed the property worthy of receiving extra protection as an Arc-owned designated state nature preserve.
Visitor Services planned for Sylvan Deep. Since the land has been purchased, our staff has looked forward to developing a hiking trail that will enable us to share this gem of a preserve in Jackson County with the greater world. The only issue that needed to be resolved first was finding a suitable location for a trailhead parking lot. Thanks to our neighbors who were willing to carve off 2 acres from their property to sell to the Arc, we now have a level entrance to install our trailhead. We are now fundraising to help cover the cost of expanding our footprint at Sylvan Deep.