Description
Why You Should Visit
Occupying a ridgetop and slope along a minor tributary to the Ohio River, Dinsmore Woods is located within the northern section of the Bluegrass Region. This area of Northern Kentucky is unique in that is the only region of the state to experience Pleistocene glaciations; as the glaciers retreated, outwash of previous glaciers were deposited, giving its moist, deep and fertile soils a higher acidity resulting in a unique natural area.
Location
An early 19th century family homestead lies on KY 18 about six miles west of Burlington in Boone County. Adjacent to the preserved historical landmark is The Nature Conservancy's Dinsmore Woods State Nature Preserve. This relatively mature forest is less than two miles away from the Conservancy's Boone County Cliffs State Nature Preserve.
Why TNC Selected This Site
Dinsmore Woods is a unique area boasting the preservation of both historical and natural resources. Adjacent to the forest is a population of the federally endangered running buffalo clover (Trifolium stoloniferum). This clover is found in semi-shaded areas of open woodland and along trails.
What TNC Has Done/Is Doing
In 1985, Mrs. Martha Breasted donated 107 acres of land to The Nature Conservancy. In 1990, the Conservancy and the Kentucky State Nature Preserves Commission (KSNPC) dedicated the property. (Dedication provides land with the highest form of legal protection available in Kentucky.) The site is managed jointly by both agencies. The Dinsmore Homestead Foundation protects an adjacent 30 acres surrounding the original farmhouse.
In November 2010, Boone County used proceeds from the Kentucky Heritage Land Conservation Fund to purchase the Conservancy’s Boone County Cliffs and Dinsmore Woods preserves to be incorporated into the County’s parks system. These properties were also dedicated to the Kentucky State Nature Preserves system which will assist the county with management decisions. The transactions ensure the properties remain in permanent conservation management while providing the Conservancy with resources needed to further conservation work across the state.