$225/person
Spend this spring in good company.
Spend it among the flowers.
Some of the world’s most beautiful wildflower displays can be found in the dramatic karst-country region of south-central Ohio - heartland of the Arc of Appalachia Preserve System. Here you can fill your soul with spectacles of beauty. Imagine a forest retreat where clumbines and bishop’s caps cling to vertical canyon walls, large-flowered Trillium brush your ankles, and bluets reflect the sky on wind-swept bluffs. Photo of Sweet William Phlox by Louies Ulman.
Recognizing that most attendees are nature lovers and life learners, each Wildflower Pilgrimage has a subtheme that advances our understanding of the world. 2026 is the “Year of the Beaver!” Friday’s field trips will explore some of the Arc’s most beaver-enhanced landscapes. Friday and Saturday night presentations will focus on the natural history and cultural history of beavers in North America - spotlighting our continent’s last 325 years of engagement with this industrious but vulnerable species.
Field trips on Saturday and Sunday lead to regionally-significant flower showcases that are both diverse and beautiful - led by expert naturalists and botanists. Breakfasts are provided on Saturday and Sunday mornings, and dinner is provided Saturday evening.
pil·grim·age (n):
A long journey or search, especially one driven by an exalted purpose.
19th Wildflower Pilgrimage
at the Highlands Nature Sanctuary, April 17-19, 2026
Featured KeyNote Speaker hails from Ontario:
Aaron Hall with the Beaver Institute
You can count the springs of your life. Who would want to miss even one year of wildflowers? The Highlands Nature Sanctuary, centered on the Rocky Fork Gorge, and other Arc of Appalachia in nearby preserves present some of the richest wildflower displays to be found in the Eastern United States, if not the world. This is in large part due to the scale of land preservation that has been accomplished in this region, and the wealth of moisture and minerals in the underlying limestone and dolomite bedrock. These karst country landscapes of springs, rock arches, seeps, and sinkholes produce an unusual abundance and density of wildflowers each spring in mid-April. We expect to catch the floral showcase during the Pilgrimage near peak, presenting awe-inspiring drifts of wildflowers in the preserves we will be visiting.
Full Weekend Tuition: $225 per person. Includes two evenings of presentations, two days of field trips, breakfasts on Saturday and Sunday, and dinner on Saturday evening.
Questions? If you have any questions or problems, contact our Education Coordinator, Cassidy Drummond, at 937-794-3360. For questions about lodging, contact Office Staff Seth Oglesby at 937-365-1935 or arcpreserveinfo@gmail.com.
Registration Process: Please note that lodging is NOT included in tuition. When you are finished filling out the registration form, you will see the link that will take you to our payment center. You will not be registered until the registration fee is paid. Once we have your submitted form and your receipt of payment, you will be sent an emailed confirmation.
Lodging is available through our office at the Museum for both Sanctuary and Pike Lake State Park cabins, about a 25-minute drive from the Sanctuary. Please call the office staff to discuss those options, 937-365-1935. If our offered lodging is filled up, there is a wide variety of private inns and cabins offered in the region on the county tourism websites, GPS search engines, and Airbnb. Some of the lodges closest to the Sanctuary include: Blueberry Hill Cabins, Lazy H cabins, Kinder Farm, and Tu-Lakes Hotel. Camping is available near the Sanctuary at Paint Creek, Rocky Fork, and Pike Lake State Parks, and several local facilities listed on HipCamp.
Selecting your field trips. All registrants will be provided a form on which they can select their preferred field trips - as we get closer to the event. We will send you a confirmation email with your field trip assignments and directions to all your weekend destinations. Hikes are limited to no more than 12 people per field trip, Each hike has a designated meeting area and unique time of departure that can be found on the website and in your confirmation email.
Transportation. Participants will drive their own cars to the described trailheads or meeting locations.
Workshop Hub: The workshop hub is at the Highlands Nature Sanctuary at 7660 Cave Road Bainbridge, Ohio, 45612, The Sanctuary is just one mile south of Highway 50 on Cave Road, four miles west of Bainbridge, and four miles east of Rainsboro. The Sanctuary and Cave Road is signed on US-50 and is easy to find. All meals take place at the Appalachian Forest Museum at the Highlands Nature Sanctuary.
Evening Presentations at Paxton Theater. The Friday and Saturday night presentations will take place at the Paxton Theater located in Bainbridge at 133 E Main St, Bainbridge, Ohio, on the east end of Bainbridge on US-50 (south side of the road). Parking is easily found along Bainbridge’s quiet residential streets and in the lot directly across from the theater. Please arrive early enough to include a five-minute walk to the theater. Built in 1910, the Paxton Theater is made of local rainbow sandstone and seats 300 people. It has sponsored the Paint Valley Jamboree for over 50 years - featuring live country musicians each month!
Cancellation Policy for Event Registration: In case of cancellation, refunds will be granted in full up through March 17, 2026. After that time, all payments are final and, if not used, will be recorded as a tax-deductible donation to the Arc of Appalachia. Registrations are transferable. If you are transferring your registration to another party, please be sure to give us your recipient’s name and email.