Field NotesOhio

Woodbury Wildlife Area

Warsaw · Coshocton County · East-Central Ohio

Ohio Department of Natural Resources

19,252acres

—trail miles

1934established

Directions →Official source →

The story of this land

The story starts small. In 1934 the state bought 779 acres here, the site of a little mining town and a coal mine that fed the Woodbury Soap Company. For 55 years Woodbury stayed under 2,000 acres, managed as a game refuge until it opened to public hunting in 1948.

Then it grew. In 1987 the Division of Wildlife signed an agreement with Peabody Coal Company and the Hurst Trust, who owned the neighboring land, for wildlife management and public hunting and fishing, and in 1991 and 1992 the state bought it. About half of the Peabody-Hurst land had been strip-mined between 1963 and 1987, and the older mined areas still have highwalls and spoil banks. Acquisition kept going until 2013 and the total reached over 19,000 acres, which made it the largest public hunting and fishing area in the state.

Reclamation turned a lot of the damaged ground into grassland, shrubs and young forest, and the ponds left behind hold fish and waterfowl. It is now designated a Watchable Wildlife area, home to bobolinks, short-eared owls and rough-legged hawks as well as the usual deer, turkey and small game. Today ODNR runs a 32-site designated primitive campground here, with seasonal rules.

In their own words

Christopher Gist, surveyor for the Ohio Company

December 1750 to January 1751

Gist arrived at the Wyandot town of Muskingum, near today's Coshocton, in mid-December and stayed about a month. Five miles west, on White Woman's Creek, he met a woman who had been 'taken away from New England' as a child by French-allied Indians. She was over fifty, with an Indian husband and several children. He recorded it in a line.

Journal of Christopher Gist, 1750-1751 (text in the Gazetteer transcription); arrival date per the Muskingum River article

Things to do in the park

Camp at the primitive campground from late September to late May
Hunt deer, turkey and small game on 19,000 acres
Fish the 40-plus stocked ponds
Watch grassland birds and raptors from the roads
Sight in at the public shooting range on SR 541

Trails

Maps, reviews and recent trail reports for Woodbury Wildlife Area.

Find trails on AllTrails →

Things to do nearby

Coshocton and Historic Roscoe Village, a restored canal town, about 10 minutes east
Tri-Valley Wildlife Area, another large public hunting area, about 45 minutes south
Mohican State Park and Forest, about 50 minutes northwest
Amish country in Holmes County, about 30 minutes north

Visiting information you can trust

Check before driving — this site is seasonal, approximate, privately run, or otherwise uncertain. Confirm hours and access with the official source above.

Content last reviewed: September 2026 — this is when Field Notes Ohio's content was last checked, not a live status.
Primary official source: ODNR park finder (search this park)
Location confidence: Approximate — boundary or exact point not confirmed
Woodbury Wildlife Area, Coshocton County (representative point)
Check current conditions: Official conditions or closures
Reservations or tickets: ReserveOhio — camping and cabin bookings
Hunting or permits: Woodbury is the largest public hunting and fishing area in Ohio, with deer, turkey, small game, grouse and waterfowl. A public shooting range sits on State Route 541, about seven minutes from Coshocton. A 437-acre section is a designated field trial area for sporting dogs. Camping here is only for people who hold a valid Ohio hunting, fishing or fur taker license. Follow current Division of Wildlife regulations.

Prices, hours, closures, campsite availability and trail conditions shown elsewhere on this page are not live — always confirm with the official source before you go.

Hiking trails

No marked trail network. Visitors walk the mowed roads, field edges and ridges, and there are numerous access roads off State Routes 16, 36, 60 and 541.

Wildlife you might see

White-tailed deer, wild turkey, cottontail rabbit, squirrels and ruffed grouse
Bobolinks, short-eared owls and rough-legged hawks in the grasslands
Waterfowl on the ponds, plus beaver, muskrat, raccoon, opossum and skunk
More than 40 stocked ponds with bass, bluegill, red-ear sunfish and channel catfish

Birding

Woodbury Wildlife Area is managed as grassland and marsh for wildlife, so it favors open-country and marsh species over the forest birds found at Ohio's wooded state parks.

Prothonotary Warbler
American Goldfinch
Marsh Wren
Killdeer
Sedge Wren
Mourning Dove
Swamp Sparrow
Eastern Meadowlark
Eastern Bluebird
Bobolink
Red-winged Blackbird
Dickcissel

March–April and October–November for migrating waterfowl and raptors; June–July for nesting grassland and marsh birds. For a full, current checklist, search this park's name on eBird's Hotspot Explorer.

Fishing

More than 42 ponds are stocked with bass, bluegill, red-ear sunfish and channel catfish. Ohio fishing license required for ages 16 and up.

Hunting

Woodbury is the largest public hunting and fishing area in Ohio, with deer, turkey, small game, grouse and waterfowl. A public shooting range sits on State Route 541, about seven minutes from Coshocton. A 437-acre section is a designated field trial area for sporting dogs. Camping here is only for people who hold a valid Ohio hunting, fishing or fur taker license. Follow current Division of Wildlife regulations.

Soap, Coal and the Biggest Hunting Ground in Ohio

It began as a tiny mining town. In 1934 the state bought 779 acres here, the site of a small town and a coal mine that fed the Woodbury Soap Company. For 55 years Woodbury stayed under 2,000 acres and was run as a game refuge until it opened to public hunting in 1948.

Then it grew. The neighboring land had been strip-mined from 1963 to 1987, and in 1991 and 1992 the state bought it. Acquisition kept going until 2013, and Woodbury became the largest public hunting and fishing area in Ohio.

Behind the legend

The old mine scars are still part of the land, and reclamation turned much of the damaged ground into grassland, shrubs and young forest. The ponds left behind hold fish and waterfowl. It is now a designated Watchable Wildlife area, home to bobolinks, short-eared owls and rough-legged hawks as well as deer, turkey and small game.

The camp is a piece of the story too: 32 primitive sites, open from late September through the third Monday in May to people with a hunting, fishing or trapping license.

If you go

Drive the access roads at dusk in winter for owls and hawks. If you hunt or fish, camp in the primitive campground.

Campsites

Primitive campsite

32 sites · last Friday in September to the third Monday in May only · 14 consecutive days maximum · first-come, first-served · hunting, fishing or trapping license required · 2 vehicles and 2 tents per site, 34 ft combined length

See ODNR

On site

Designated primitive camping area
Public shooting range on State Route 541
Field trial and dog training grounds
Access roads and parking areas across the property

Woodbury camping details (ODNR) →

Camping at Woodbury is first-come, first-served, so there is nothing to reserve. Every camper needs a valid Ohio hunting, fishing or fur taker license, and camping is only allowed on the posted dates each year. The area office at 23370 State Route 60 in Warsaw can answer questions. Tapping through opens ODNR's page for the area.

Prefer the phone?740-824-3211

Camping is seasonal: roughly the last Friday of September through the third Monday of May. You can also camp at the equine camping area only if you have horses. Some sources list the season end differently, so confirm the dates with the area office.

Restaurants nearby

Warehouse Restaurants

Steaks, ribs and famous onion rings in a historic building

Directions

Sorrell's On The Square

Burgers and daily specials on the square; closed Monday

Directions

Main Street Station

Railroad-themed diner with seafood and steaks; open Wednesday to Saturday

Directions

Gas stations nearby

Hahn's Quik Mart / Sunoco

24 hours, closest to the wildlife area

Directions

Murphy USA

Big discount station on the north side of town

Directions

Details last checked 2026-09-22. Confirm hours and prices before you go.

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