Oak Glen had been closed after a pipeline rupture that spilled over 20,000 gallons of crude oil in 2014 requiring a five-year cleanup program. According to Great Parks of Hamilton County, it is now open with limited access but be aware that there is no parking and there are no marked trails. The preserve is home to two state-endangered animals (Cave Salamander and Lark Sparrow) and two potentially threatened plant species (Pale Umbrella Sedge and Spring Coral-root), so care must be taken while visiting.

Oak Glen Nature Preserve, 402 acres, is managed by Great Parks to preserve some of Greater Cincinnati’s most beautiful natural features. Many uncommon native species and a lack of non-native exotic plants suggest that past land disturbance at Oak Glen Nature Preserve was minimal. The 402-acre preserve boasts a rich diversity of native trees, shrubs, and wildflowers across rugged hills. No public parking or facilities, including bathrooms, are available.

Karen and Eugene Schunk, being deeply committed to nature, carefully managed their Colerain Township home and its surrounding 109 acres to maximize native wildlife diversity. When the Schunks offered their property to the park district in 1999 to assure its continued preservation, Great Parks quickly agreed and designated it Oak Glen Nature Preserve. Since 1999, Great Parks has added additional, adjoining parcels bringing the preserve up to its current 402 acres. Since its inception, Oak Glen has been an exceptionally fine preserve with mature forests and diverse native wildlife unsurpassed in the Great Parks system.