Flint Ridge Ancient Quarries and Nature Preserve

09/01/2026

Join us at Flint Ridge on September 12 from 11am to 4pm. 🌿🐝🪨 We hope to see you there!

Join us at our final Earth Science Summer event on September 12! ⛏️🌼

The ODNR Division of Geological Survey and Ohio History Connection are hosting an Open House event at Flint Ridge Ancient Quarries & Nature Preserve. Visitors will engage in hands-on activities at the pavilion and get a chance to visit the museum free of charge. Throughout the day, accessible guided tours co-led by a geologist and a historian will take participants through the preserve to see ancient pits left by American Indians who came from the surrounding area to quarry flint.

Participants should dress appropriately for this outdoor event and are encouraged to wear sturdy closed-toe shoes and have plenty of water, snacks, sunscreen, and bug spray.

The event is free and open to all ages. No registration is required.

08/07/2026

🍂 Now Hiring: Intermittent Interpreter – Newark Earthworks & Flint Ridge!

Do you enjoy working with kids? Love history, archaeology, and the outdoors? Join the Ohio History Connection team and help inspire the next generation of explorers!

We're looking for an Intermittent Interpreter to assist with field trips and group experiences at the Newark Earthworks and Flint Ridge Ancient Quarries & Nature Preserve.

In this role, you will:
📚 Lead hands-on educational activities for students in grades 3–5
🏺 Share the stories of the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks and Flint Ridge
😊 Create fun, welcoming, and engaging experiences for visitors of all ages
🤝 Work alongside staff and volunteers to provide memorable educational programs

Field trips are primarily held Monday–Wednesday from 9:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m., with the busiest seasons in September–November and mid-March–May.

This is an intermittent position, making it a great opportunity for retirees, substitute teachers, college students, educators, or anyone looking for flexible work while making a meaningful impact.
If you're passionate about history and enjoy helping others discover Ohio's incredible past, we'd love to hear from you!

Apply here:

See current career opportunities that are available at Ohio History Connection

07/02/2026

We were lucky to spot this beautiful pipevine swallowtail butterfly yesterday at Flint Ridge!

Fun fact: As caterpillars, pipevine swallowtails feed on pipevine plants, which contain natural toxins called aristolochic acids. These toxins remain in their bodies throughout their lives, making both the caterpillars and adult butterflies unappetizing—and even poisonous—to birds, lizards, and other predators. Pretty cool! 🌿🦋✨

06/05/2026

While the Flint Ridge Museum remains closed for repairs, you can still pick up your favorite Flint Ridge merchandise at the Great Circle Visitor Center! 🛍️

Collecting stamps? The Flint Ridge site stamp is also available at the Great Circle Visitor Center, making it easy to add to your collection during your visit.

Thank you for your support!

05/27/2026

Flint Ridge Museum Closure:
Due to necessary interior repairs, the museum at Flint Ridge Ancient Quarries & Nature Preserve will be closed for this season. However, the grounds and trail system will remain open to visitors during daylight hours.

If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected]

04/14/2026

Our Vernal Pool program this past Saturday was a huge success! 🌿💧 We were excited to spot quite a few salamanders and many frogs! 🐸

Thank you to everyone who came out and joined us — we had a great time exploring and learning together. We hope to see you all at future programs! ☺✨

03/12/2026

Did you know that Flint Ridge’s forest is classified as an old-growth forest? This means that our forest contains mostly mature trees native to Ohio that help create a special environment for diverse populations of plant and animal life.

Flint Ridge’s forest is always active! The fallen trees provide homes of beetles, fungi, and other decomposers to thrive. Mosses and lichens abound. The vernal pools offer nurseries for salamanders, frogs, and fairy shrimp. Owls and other birds roost in snags. Wildflower bloom, and chipmunks, squirrels, and deer frolic in the understory.

The Old-Growth Forest Network recognizes old growth forests throughout the nation and Flint Ridge is celebrating 10 years of being a part of this amazing network of forests. Over 40 forests have been designated in the state of Ohio! Check out their most recent blog featuring Flint Ridge.

By OGFN Mid-Atlantic Manager, Brian Kane Many of us know families where the children’s heights and an accompanying date were scratched on a wall or doorframe with a pencil as the young ones grew to adulthood. The marks were never painted over until the house was sold. Families marked time by the g...

03/11/2026

Early spring is a great time to look for salamanders at Flint Ridge Historic Quarries and Nature Preserve. As temperatures warm and spring rains arrive, these secretive amphibians begin emerging from beneath logs, rocks, and leaf litter.

Many salamanders travel to the area’s vernal pools—temporary pools of water that form in the spring—to breed. Because these pools dry up later in the year, they don’t contain fish, making them a safe place for salamander eggs and larvae to develop.

Salamanders play an important role in the forest ecosystem, helping control insects and serving as indicators of a healthy woodland environment. If you’re hiking the trails this season, keep an eye on damp areas —you might spot one! 🦎🌿

02/25/2026

When visiting Flint Ridge Ancient Quarries and Nature Preserve this summer, keep an eye out for Black Cohosh, a striking native woodland plant. 🌿

Black cohosh blooms from May through July, producing tall, white, bottlebrush-like flower spikes. Its flowers give off a sweet but fetid scent that attracts flies, gnats, and beetles, which serve as its primary pollinators.

The name black cohosh refers to the plant’s dark, thick, knobby rhizome—“cohosh” meaning knobby root in the Algonquian language. It is also known as bugbane, a name that comes from its historical use as an insect repellent, though it is no longer commonly used for that purpose.

For centuries, North American Indigenous peoples have used black cohosh in traditional medicine, particularly to help ease pain associated with menstruation, childbirth, and menopausal symptoms.

02/19/2026

When visiting Flint Ridge Ancient Quarries and Nature Preserve this summer, keep an eye out for a striking red wildflower called Fire Pink.

Fire Pink (sometimes called Scarlet Catchfly) is an uncommon visitor to the Preserve. A small, scattered population of these beauties was last observed blooming in spring 2022 near the museum. If you spot Fire Pink in bloom—typically from early April through early June—please let staff know. This is a discovery worth sharing!

Fire Pink is a weak-stemmed, short-lived perennial that grows 1–2 feet tall. It has long, narrow, opposite leaves and brilliant red, tubular flowers that are hard to miss.

Plants in this genus are often called Catchfly, a name that comes from the sticky hairs or exudates that can trap insects. The flowers are especially attractive to hummingbirds and butterflies, while the seeds provide food for juncos, pine siskins, sparrows, water pipits, and horned larks.