Ottawa+National+Wildlife+Refuge+Crane+Creek+Estuary

Also, see Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge =Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge= =Crane Creek Estuary= 14000 West OH-2 Oak Harbor, Ohio 43449 Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge website Refuge map from Black Swamp Bird Observatory Trail map from Black Swamp Bird Observatory
 * =Birding in Ohio=

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Ottawa NWR--Crane Creek Estuary (Lucas Co.)
Coordinates: 41.6276273, -83.206232 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

Ottawa NWR--Crane Creek Estuary Trail
Coordinates: 41.6310555, -83.1958526 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

Ottawa NWR--Crane Creek Estuary (Ottawa Co.)
Coordinates: 41.6199179, -83.2219934 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

Tips for birding Crane Creek Estuary
The Crane Creek Estuary can be good during any season. It has breeding birds in summer and attracts migrants in spring and fall. It can be productive when there is open water in the winter. Visiting the estuary requires hiking.

The easiest hike is to use the Crane Creek Estuary Trail, a joint project of the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge and Magee Marsh Wildlife Area. This trail leaves from the west end of the parking lot at Magee Marsh and is an easy .5 mile walk along the lake shore Crane Creek. During migration and when water levels are appropriately low, this section of the estuary can host shorebirds. A spotting scope is helpful. This section of the estuary is in Lucas County.

To reach the Lucas County section of the estuary, drive straight north from the refuge entrance to the lot marked "East parking for trails" on the map, and hike north from there for about a mile on the dike road alongside the impoundments labeled MS 8b, Pool 2c, and Pool 2b. In about a mile the dike road angles northwest and then southwest, and the estuary becomes visible on the right (north) side, while the open areas of Pool 2b are visible to the left.

The Ottawa County section of the estuary can be reached by hiking from the parking lot at the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center.

The hiking trails at the National Wildlife Refuge are open most of the year. Some sections may be closed during breeding season or while there is hunting in progress at the refuge. Observe all "area closed" signs. The Visitor Center staff can tell you which trails are closed to hiking.

Ruddy Turnstone Photo by Jeremy Dominguez || **Please, be safe. It is never safe to stop your car on OH-2 in this area. State and local police ticket drivers pulled over to the side of this highway.**

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