Er_SheldonMarshSNP


Lake Erie Public Access Sites - Erie County

Sheldon Marsh State Nature Preserve, Lake Erie Public Access Site in Erie County, OH

Location: U.S. Route 6 west of Rye Beach Road 2715 Cleveland Rd West Huron Township, OH Latitude: N 41° 24.50’ Longitude: W 082° 36.13’ Waterbody: Lake Erie East Sandusky Bay Access Site Type: Natural Environments: Barrier Beach Sandy Beach Wetland Monitoring: - Research: - Grants: -	The 463-acre Sheldon Marsh State Nature Preserve is one of the last remaining undeveloped stretches of coast on Lake Erie’s south shore. Acquired by ODNR in 1979, Sheldon Marsh is Ohio’s best example of a natural barrier beach. The 1.13-mile barrier beach used to extend from the NASA Plum Brook water intake pump station (still present) westward. Then in 1972, the west-end of the barrier beach was separated from the rest of the 6.5-mile Cedar Point sand spit due to a rise in lake level coupled with a major northeast storm. Over the past 40 years, the barrier beach has eroded westward and lakeward approximately 1,200 feet in places, forming a broad U-shaped bay and shrinking the marshland behind. Still, the preserve’s lush wetlands provide protection and habitat for a variety of plants and animals including 300 bird species. During migrations, Neotropicals, shorebirds and waterfowl briefly stop to rest and feed in the cattail marsh, swamp forest, upland hardwood forest and old-field habitats of the preserve. The preserve’s wetlands mark the eastern end of East Sandusky Bay and are one of Ohio’s three remaining coastal wetlands not diked for water level management. The preserve’s parking lot is north of U.S. Route 6 about 4 miles west of downtown Huron. A handicap-accessible asphalt paved path connects the parking lot to a boardwalk leading to the barrier beach. Various wetland overlooks are along the path. The preserve is open 365-days a year from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset.	Location Map: Select for interactive map viewer of *Ohio's Lake Erie Public Access sites* Amenities and Services:

Learn more: ODNR Division of Natural Areas and Preserves ohiodnr.com/dnap ohiodnr.com/tabid/910/default.aspx		Print this page 877 KB PDF
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