Salt Creek Narrows-Big Woods Preserve

AOA acquired three properties from BTG Pactual during the period from September 2024 to June 2025.  These properties were used to create our new Salt Creek Narrows – Big Woods Preserve.  The 2025 addition, totaling 576 new acres, enlarges the Big Woods Preserve to 950 acres.  

The Salt Creek Narrows is the site of a unique glacial driven geologic “stream reversal” in the southern part of Hocking Hills.  This area is characterized by high hills with very steep slopes and narrow stream valleys. 

Big Woods Preserve is an aesthetically beautiful and ecologically rich area that has been a high protection priority for AOA.  The Preserve is tucked away in a relatively isolated part of Hocking and Vinton Counties. The Narrows could be considered one of Ohio’s most overlooked natural features and was very worthy of conservation action.

Water quality remains high within the Narrows portion of Salt Creek, which is designated as an Exceptional Warmwater Habitat (EWH) Superior High Quality Waters stream.  The BTG property acquired in 2025 will preserve 1,800 linear feet of Salt Creek riparian corridor and ~24,250 linear feet of high-quality largely Class 3 Primary Headwater Habitat Streams that contribute to the excellent water quality in Salt Creek.

Although about half of the Preserve has been timbered in the last 20 years, the riparian corridors were excluded by BTG from timber harvests.  These corridors are covered in a comparatively mature mixed hardwood forest, helping to protect water quality.  The conserved properties support native habitat for a number of relatively rare species, including the endangered timber rattlesnake. 

AOA continues to work with area property owners to conserve additional nearby properties.  We have several parcels totaling another ~550 acres under contract that will be acquired within the coming year, as part of our effort to assemble a block of contiguous forested native habitat and preserved stream corridors.  These areas will eventually provide a vital wildlife connectivity corridor linking the Hocking Hills to nearby Tar Hollow State Park and Forest.