Gravel parking lot. Easy hiking. Open, tallgrass prairie.

Located outside of Peebles, just off of Mendenhall Road, Plum Run Prairie is only a few miles north of another Arc of Appalachia preserve, Ka-ma-ma Prairie. Despite the two prairies’ close proximity, their botanical assemblage of plants is strikingly different. Whereas Ka-ma-ma Prairie is known as a short-grass prairie, the most drought-resistant of all prairie types, well-adapted to thin infertile soils; Plum Run is a tall-grass prairie. Its dominating Indian Grass and Big Bluestems wave tall above one’s head and give evidence to the deeper, richer soils that sustain them.

Plum Run Prairie is one of the larger prairies remaining in the state, and one of the few such large tracts found in southern Ohio. This is truly an exceptional prairie, the site having been officially listed with the Ohio Division of Natural Areas and Preserves as one of the top 40 sites worthy of protection in all of Ohio. At nearly 140 acres, with at least forty acres pristine, and the remaining acres on the farm coming back into prairie even without intentional management, this site has the potential to be among the largest tallgrass prairies in Ohio.

There are no road signs to guide you to the parking area. Plum Run has an unusually high number of chiggers and ticks, including lone star ticks, especially from mid-July through mid-August. Staying on the trail will minimize contact. We also highly recommend using insect repellent on your socks and shoes. A natural option is spraying with rose geranium oil diluted 1:4 with alcohol. Please hike at your own risk and do thorough tick checks after hiking.

Two trails are available for hiking at Plum Run Prairie Preserve.

Allegheny Mound Trail – 1.3 Mile Loop – Easy
The trail travels along a mowed path with moderate undulating hills in a mostly open prairie landscape. It winds its way through a native tallgrass prairie filled with prairie flowers, butterflies, and colorful native grasses, continually changing as the seasons progress. The rolling landscape offers picturesque scenery of the Appalachian foothills of the region. The impressive dwellings of the Allegheny Mound Builder Ants can be seen along the trail, building large conical mounds that can be up to 3 feet tall and 10 feet wide!

Plum Run Loop – 1.1 Mile Loop – Easy
This trail travels along a mowed path with moderate undulating hills in a mostly prairie landscape, with a section of the trail into a cedar glade and wooded hillside along the Plum Run stream. The trail meanders through high-quality tallgrass prairie, cedar glades, and rich woodlands. Each season offers a different array of wildflowers to be seen, both in the prairies and the woodlands. The trail also meanders along a stretch of the scenic Plum Run stream, with many small classic dolomite limestone outcrops covered in mosses, ferns, and flowers.