W.W. Knight Nature Preserve

29530 White Road, Perrysburg, Ohio

The W.W. Knight Nature Preserve is located in

Perrysburg Township. Entrance is located at the corner of East River Road (SR 65) and White Road.

brochure/map

History

William Windus Knight was a local businessman, philanthropist, and nature enthusiast.  His grandchildren donated this 42-acre parcel to the Wood County Park District in 1993.  The Country Garden Club of Perrysburg saw its potential with its mature woodlot and location near the Maumee River.  They were instrumental in preserving the land and making the accessible trail system possible.  Local community members assisted the Wood County Parks in planning the Preserve.  Which includes a wetland, pond, native prairie, and the Nature Center, which was built in 2005.

The Nature Center at Knight

The Nature Center is open daily from 8:00 a.m. until dusk.  It offers year-round nature experiences with the Look Out On Nature Area, or the LOONA, where (from within the building) visitors can view birds and other wildlife at feeders, in native gardens, and at water features.  Opportunities for hands-on nature activities are available to the public as well as school groups in the Educational Classroom.  visitors may enjoy some relaxing, quiet time with a book in the Library.  This space doubles as a meeting area for small groups.

The Hankinson Great Room, available for rentals, has a serving-kitchen, fireplace, and accommodates up to 150 people.  Hankinson Great Room reservations

Natural Habitats

Frogs jump, fish splash, deer freeze then turn tail and bound away into the trees.  Visitors experience a variety of wildlife as they walk along the trails through fields, prairie, and mature oaks, along the wetland and pond, and on the boardwalk through the wet woods at W.W. Knight Nature Preserve.

A few wingbeats from the Maumee River, the Preserve invites songbirds, eagles, and waterfowl to look for food and nesting sites and is a welcome resting spot during migration.

Colorful dragonflies sparkle over the water, as swallows bank and swoop, and young people fish nearby in the warmth of summer.  The prairie's native wildflowers are in their glory just as fall begins.  Winter brings ice-skating, cross-country skiing, and school groups looking at animal tracks in the snow.

Award-Winning Nature Center at W.W. Knight Preserve

Lobby

Youth and Family Fishing

                                    ~Youth must be 17 years of age and younger.   

                                    ~Adults may only fish with youth.

                                    ~Grass carp and large-mouth bass are catch and release.

                                    ~Bluegill and catfish may be kept.

                                    ~DO NOT use minnows for bait

                                    ~No fishing in wetland area.

                                    ~NO ICE FISHING