LIMA, Ohio (WLIO) — The Johnny Appleseed Park District has added another destination for outdoor enthusiasts with the official opening of the Beil’s Buck Run Nature Area on Sunderland Road.
Dozens of community members gathered for the ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the completion of the project, which transformed a 50-acre property into a public nature preserve.
The land was donated in 2019 by Herbert and Elfrieda Beil. Over the past seven years, park district staff have worked to develop the property into a nature area while preserving its natural features.
The Beil’s Buck Run Nature Area includes five trails that cover more than a mile through wooded terrain. Visitors can explore two ponds, an open meadow, Buck Run Creek and portions of the Auglaize River that wind through the property. Park district officials say the nature area offers residents a chance to disconnect from daily distractions and reconnect with the outdoors.
"I think it's important that people have a place like this to come to where, you know, you're not going to see a playground. It's not paved trails. There's not all of this stuff to do. It's more just you and nature and I think that's important just to conserve and preserve those places for future generations," said Tyler Black, executive director of the Johnny Appleseed Park District.
The trails are open from dawn to dusk for hikers. Pets and alcohol are prohibited within the nature area. Beil’s Buck Run Nature Area becomes the 18th public nature trail property managed by the Johnny Appleseed Park District. More information about the district’s parks, trails and programming is available at the district’s website.
