Mahoning Valley wildlife preserve closed to public by Coitsville Township

The McGuffey Wildlife Preserve, located on McGuffey Road, has been closed to the public.

A sign posted by Coitsville Township states the park is closed until further notice.

Coitsville Township Police have erected warning tape around the preserve entrances, parking lot and fences, stating that the preserve is closed to the public and no tresspassing is allowed.

Purchased from Mill Creek Metroparks for one dollar at the end of January 2026, the National Historic Landmark contains seventy-three acres of trails, woodlands, pastures, and unusual geological formations.

According to Richard S. Scarsella, chairman of the board of trustees, of the William Holmes McGuffey Historical Society (WHMHS), the preserve was donated by the WHMHS to the park district in 1998.

“After refusing multiple appeals to restore the pond and dock, which were not maintained by the park district, the park district decided to sell the property. Another public entity, with much deeper pockets than the township, wanted to purchase the property and had the funds to maintain and operate it,” he said. “If the township is unable to open and maintain the preserve, I would hope the township would consider giving up ownership. The current situation is not acceptable.”

Scarsellas said McGuffey published the famous Eclectic Readers in 1836 and that the book, still in print, taught generations of Americans how to read.

He said the McGuffey Archive is on loan to the Butler Institute of American Art in Youngstown, courtesy of the WHMHS.