Hitz-Rhodehamel Woods 

Why You Should Visit
Hitz-Rhodehamel Woods Preserve is a large, high quality forest spanning ridge tops, ravines, and upland areas. The preserve features chestnut oak forests on its dry ridges, and white oak forests in the steep ravines. In April, the spring wildflowers are vividly strewn throughout the ravines; and in mid-October, the colors of this forest make hiking a wonderful experience of nature’s vibrant splendors.

Location
Brown County

Ecoregion
Interior Low Plateau

Size
350 Acres

Owned & Managed By
The Nature Conservancy

How to Prepare for Your Visit
The preserve is open for visitation and has existing trails on its moderate to rugged terrain. For more information please consult the Conservancy’s Preserves Visitation Guidelines.

Directions
From Bloomington take S.R. 46 east for 19 miles to Nashville. Turn left (north) on S.R. 135 and travel approximately four miles to Greasy Creek Road, turning right and immediately going left onto Freeman Ridge Road. Continue for about one mile to a wooden preserve sign ofn the right side of the road. The preserve is on the south side of the road and is marked by a wooden preserve sign. Park along the north side of the road just past the preserve sign.

What to See: Plants and Animals
The chestnut oak woods on the dry slopes are in excellent condition with an open understory featuring painted sedge (Carex picta), lowbush blueberry (Vaccinium vacillans), huckleberry (Gaylussacia baccata), diverse mosses and lichens and the rare whorled pogonia (Isotria verticillata). Animals to look for include turkeys, coyotes, and woodpeckers. TNC is aiming conservation efforts on forest interior birds like the Yeloow-billed cuckoo, Whip-poor-will, Eastern wood-pewee, Wood thrush and several species of warblers.

What the Conservancy is Doing/has Done
This preserve is an important part of the Brown County Hills large forest block. The Conservancy has been pulling garlic mustard from this site for a number of years. Prescribed fire may be introduced to this site to perpetuate the fire-dependent oak-hickory forest.