MOUNT VERNON — A public-private partnership has added 40 acres to The Woodlands, a 165-acre old-growth forest surrounding the Mount Vernon Developmental Center.
When two, 20-acre parcels adjacent to The Woodlands went up for auction, the Philander Chase Conservancy bid on them on behalf of the Knox County Park District.
The conservancy paid $504,645 for the 40 acres. It will hold title to the property until the park district finds funding to buy it.
Park District director David Heithaus said the park district will likely seek Clean Ohio grant funding to purchase the land.
“We’re really excited to get that. It kind of fills in a relatively narrow section of what we got from the state,” Heithaus told Knox County commissioners on Thursday. “I think ecologically, recreationally, it’s great. It’s good all the way around for us.”
The park district acquired the 165 acres in August 2025.
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When Heithaus signed on the bottom line and handed over a $1 check, it was the culmination of 30 years of working with the state to transfer the land.
The total of 205 acres stretches between Vernonview Drive and Upper Gilchrist Road.
The park district roughly developed a small parking lot off Upper Gilchrist Road primarily for maintenance access.
“We haven’t put signage up, but as soon as the snow breaks, we’ll get the parking blocks and some split-rail fence in there and start making that look nice while we consider the much larger project off of Vernonview across Arden Lane,” Heithaus said.
Park staff will also groom the trails.
Official opening set for May 9
The park district will host an official opening for The Woodlands at the Vernonview entrance on May 9.
Heithaus said the district requested partial funding for a 40-by-50-foot shelter that individuals can reserve at no charge for private events.
The park district has funds to pay for an ADA-compliant parking space adjacent to the pavilion.
“That would be the only facility that the parks have at the parks that would be ADA compliant for people with mobility issues,” Heithaus said.
Heithaus said that, based on the topography grade, he believes it’s possible to create a wheelchair-accessible path to the edge of the forest.
“Probably not around the forest, but I’d really like to get them over Center Run to it so they can at least be able to experience some of those trees,” he said.
“It’s not in this scope of work, but we’ll continue to look for partnerships to see what we can do.”
Paving slated for Kokosing Gap Trail
Heithaus said the district is soliciting bids for repaving the Kokosing Gap Trail (KGT). A $1.14 million TAP grant (Transportation Alternatives Program) will cover 80 percent of the cost.
The 14-mile trail was last paved two decades ago and is delaminating in shaded areas.
Heithaus said the construction window is September. Once the contractor starts, the company will complete the work end-to-end.
Work includes milling, filling, and repaving from Mount Vernon Avenue to the Danville trail head.
A bridge replacement on Howard-Danville Road will require a significant detour for KGT riders, especially through riders on the Ohio to Erie Trail.
Heithaus said the likely detour is Magers to Cornish to Howard-Danville Road.
“That’ll be a relatively significant detour, but at least it keeps people off U.S. 36. That was our primary concern,” he said.
Eleven data loggers bought with Ohio Department of Transportation funding were installed on the multi-use trails in November. The farthest south is on the Heart of Ohio Trail at the Delaware County line. The farthest north is at the Bridge of Dreams on the KGT.
Heithaus said the Mid-Ohio Regional Planning Commission transferred the data logger at Midway Station in Centerburg to the park district, bringing the total number of data loggers to 12.
“It’s been interesting to look at that data,” Heithaus said. “Even with this extreme cold, we’ve had over 4,400 people on the path since Jan.1.”
Heart of Ohio Trail
Maintenance issues on the HOOT include expansion cracking and heaving, berm stabilization, and tree maintenance and removal.
“It’s been between 13 and 16 years since it was paved. The most significant issue is a failing culvert east of Updike Road, which is going to involve a total tear-out and rebuild,” Heithaus said.
Heithaus will apply for a recreational trails program maintenance grant through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
Park board considers November levy
The park district board plans to put a levy on the November ballot. It would be a renewal and an increase, from 0.35 mills to 0.75 or 1 mill.
“We’re just trying to find that sweet spot where we can maintain what we have without having to apply for grants or beg to the commissioners every every time a culvert collapses,” Heithaus said.
“I feel pretty strongly about this. If the levy goes up and the levy passes, it will get the park district where we need to be to manage what we have.”
The current levy expires in 2027.
Board members will decide next week whether to proceed with the levy.
Park district staff will relocate from the service center to 104 E. High St. in the next two weeks. The move allows all staff members to be in the same location.
They will share space with ODNR.