The park is open from 8 a.m. to sunset every day of the year. Sunset times can be found on the Park Hours page.
Garbry Big Woods Sanctuary
The Garbry Big Woods Sanctuary is a beautiful 100 acre park with a .7-mile boardwalk loop through an undisturbed wet beech-maple forest. This site is not connected to the Reserve, but can be reached by driving a short distance north from the Reserve entrance and turning west on Statler Road. The Sanctuary has a prolific spring flower display and a colorful autumn show. Plants and trees are labeled making the hike educational as well as pleasurable. A boardwalk guides the visitor through woodland habitat helping to preserve the sensitive and rare plant community, and making the Sanctuary handicapped accessible.
To broaden your experience and to help protect this unique natural site, please use the pathways provided and please obey the rules of the Sanctuary and Reserve.
Garbry Big Woods Reserve
Garbry Big Woods Reserve is a 172 acre park. An educational arboretum is located on the reserve site south of the picnic shelters. This arboretum contains a variety of native Ohio trees and gives the public a chance to learn about their state trees by leaf, bark or bud.
The reserve has three picnic shelters, which can be reserved through the park district office. There is also a stocked fishing pond that doesn’t require a fishing license and 2.19 miles of hiking trails. The reserve is also the home to the annual Hug the Earth Festival. During the week-long festival, thousands of Miami County school students gather to celebrate a year of learning about the environment through our environmental education program.
Park Activites
- Cross-country skiing (Reserve only)
- 2.19 Hiking Trails (Reserve)
- Hug the Earth Festival (Reserve)
- .7 Mile boardwalk loop Sanctuary
- Nature Programs
- Wildlife Pond Observation Deck
- Picnicking
- Hands-on Environmental Education
- Shelters are available for use during regular park hours and may be reserved by calling the Miami County Park District at 937-335-6273. Plan ahead! Shelters fill quickly. You may view the procedures for reserving a shelter on our permit page.
Park History
On February 13, 1981, J. Scott Garbry and his family of Piqua, Ohio deeded the 100-acre Sanctuary to the Miami County Park District. Prior to this time, the "Big Woods" had been under the stewardship of the Garbry family for over 130 years. In accepting this responsibility, the Park District will, "protect, manage and preserve the site in perpetuity as an area for enjoyable observation of the natural world, leisurely pursuits and inspirational contemplation."
The Garbry Big Woods Sanctuary is a .7-mile boardwalk loop through an undisturbed wet beech-maple forest. The 100-acre site is not connected to the Reserve, but can be reached by driving a short distance north from the Reserve entrance and turning west on Statler Road. The Sanctuary has a prolific spring flower display and a colorful autumn show. Plants and trees are labeled making the hike educational as well as pleasurable. A boardwalk guides the visitor through woodland habitat helping to preserve the sensitive and rare plant community, and making the Sanctuary handicapped accessible.
- To broaden your experience and to help protect this unique natural site, please use the pathways provided and please obey the rules of the Sanctuary and Reserve.
- Gallery (click to expand)
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Directions to Garbry Big Woods Reserve & Sanctuary:
Reserve Location:
The Garbry Big Woods Reserve entrance is located two miles south of US 36 (east of Piqua). From US 36, turn south and travel to 6660 Casstown-Sidney Road, Piqua.Garbry Big Woods Reserve borders both Casstown-Sidney Road and Statler Road.
The Sanctuary and the Reserve are not connected. It is necessary to drive from one to the other.
Sanctuary Location:
The Sanctuary can be reached by taking Casstown-Sidney Road, (north of the Reserve entrance) turn west on Statler Road at 2540 E. Statler Road, Piqua.
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