A preserve near Atwood Lake that has been closed to the general public until now will open to hikers for the first time on Nov. 14, when The Wilderness Center opens a new public trail at Belknap Woods in Tuscarawas County. The Times-Reporter reported the opening on Nov. 5, based on a community announcement from The Wilderness Center, and according to The Wilderness Center the debut marks the first general public access to land the organization has protected for more than a decade.
The new trail is a one-mile loop through the 112-acre preserve. According to The Wilderness Center, the route was built to give visitors a close look at a landscape that has been managed for conservation rather than recreation, which is part of what makes the opening different from a typical trail dedication. The Center is inviting the public into a place they could support from a distance but could not walk themselves.
Opening day is set for Saturday, Nov. 14, with free guided hikes offered at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., The Times-Reporter reported. Registration is required and space is limited, according to The Wilderness Center, and sign-ups are handled through WildernessCenter.org. The guided format means the first visitors will not simply be pointed toward a trailhead — they will walk the loop with Center staff who can explain what they are seeing and why the property matters.
Belknap Woods has been protected since 2010 through the Belknap family’s conservation commitment, according to The Wilderness Center. That long protection period helps explain the condition of the woods today. For fifteen years the land has been held out of development while its forests, streams and wildlife habitat were stewarded as a preserve, so the trail opening is less the creation of a new natural area than the public introduction of one that has been quietly maturing behind the scenes.
The trail itself was developed with support from The Reeves Foundation, along with the work and support of Center staff, volunteers, members and donors, The Times-Reporter reported. Foundation funding helps cover planning and construction, while volunteers and members provide labor and ongoing support.
On the ground, the loop passes through pine plantations and hardwood forests, crosses small streams and rolls across terrain with more than 100 feet of elevation change, according to The Wilderness Center. For a relatively short loop, that variety packs a lot of different habitats into a single walk — shaded conifer stands, broader hardwood canopy, wet crossings and climbs and descents that change the view and the footing from one stretch to the next.
Two trees are singled out in the announcement as highlights hikers should watch for. According to The Wilderness Center, visitors can see American chestnut trees along the route, a species with a storied history in eastern forests, and one of the largest American sycamores the Center’s team has observed. The Times-Reporter reported those details from the Center’s announcement, and the guided hikes are expected to point out both as examples of what long-term protection can preserve.
Hikers should come prepared for a rougher walk than they might expect from the Center’s main campus. According to The Wilderness Center, the Belknap Woods trail is more rugged than the level limestone-gravel trails at its main Wilmot campus, and visitors are advised to wear sturdy footwear and dress for the weather. The rolling terrain, stream crossings and natural surface are part of the appeal, but they also mean the loop is better treated as a proper hike than a casual stroll.
The Wilderness Center is a Wilmot-based nonprofit land conservancy that conserves roughly 4,000 acres statewide, according to its own site, wildernesscenter.org. Its work focuses on habitat conservation, environmental education and community engagement — three missions that meet at Belknap Woods.
The opening also fits a wider pattern of investment in public trails and river access across the Tuscarawas valley. Readers who have followed that work will recall Camp Tuscazoar’s grant for trail and Tuscarawas River access, a separate project with a similar aim: turning protected local land into a place residents can actually visit, learn from and return to.
During the Nov. 14 guided hikes, Center staff will cover the preserve’s conservation history, its ecological features and the stewardship work that keeps it healthy, according to The Wilderness Center. That context matters because much of what makes the preserve valuable — the Belknap family’s commitment, the forest management, and the small streams that shape the habitat — becomes clearer when someone who knows the property walks it with you.
What happens next is the opening itself: after the three guided hikes on Nov. 14, Belknap Woods will have crossed the line from a closed preserve to a public destination, and the one-mile loop will stand as the way in. Anyone hoping to be part of that first day should register in advance through WildernessCenter.org, since space on the guided hikes is limited, wear sturdy footwear, and plan for changing November weather on rolling, uneven ground near Atwood Lake.
Photo: DanaK~WaterPenny, CC BY