Maumee+Bay+State+Park+Boardwalk

Also, see Maumee Bay State Park and Lucas County Lakeshore Birding Drive
 * =Birding in Ohio=

Lucas County
=Maumee Bay State Park= =Boardwalk= Oregon, Ohio 43616 Maumee Bay State Park website Maumee Bay State Park Boardwalk Trail description Maumee Bay State Park map

media type="custom" key="29501005"

Maumee Bay SP--Boardwalk
Coordinates: 41.6841898, -83.3654426 eBird links: Hotspot map View details Recent visits My eBird links: Location life list Submit data

About Maumee Bay State Park Boardwalk

 * Length: 2 miles
 * Duration: 2 hours
 * Surface: boardwalk
 * Type: Loop.
 * Difficulty: easy
 * Accessibility: Yes. There are ramps, and the boardwalk is wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs and strollers.

This delightful boardwalk takes you through a large coastal wetland complex faintly reminiscent of what the Great Black Swamp may have been like before it was drained and cleared for farmland in the 1800′s. The trees in this wetland forest are a bit smaller, but the species mix is similar: Green Ash, Cottonwood, Silver Maple, Red Maple, Elm, Swamp White Oak.

Bird life is abundant in our coastal Ohio wetlands. Here you may see the Wood Duck, Redheads, Ruddy Ducks, Pintails, as well as a number of woodpecker species, such as the Hairy Woodpecker. Great Blue Heron hunt in the shallow water for fish, while the Yellow Warbler, Swamp Sparrows, and other songbirds sing their praises to the great Lake Erie. From Maumee Bay State Park Boardwalk Trail description

About Maumee Bay State Park
Maumee Bay State Park is a tribute to Lake Erie. This precious gift is one of the largest bodies of fresh water in the world and it reflects the diverse natural heritage of Ohio.

The history of Lake Erie began with the glacial period known as the Pleistocene. Massive sheets of ice gouged and scoured the bedrock of Ohio. Testimony of the ice's force is found throughout the lake area. Small scratches in the rock surface known as glacial striations are common, while major grooves are rare but awesome.

The wetlands of the Maumee Bay area offer a vivid array of natural wonders. Wetlands contain more species of wildlife than any other habitat type, including fox snake, northern water snake, painted turtle, chorus frog, green frog, spotted salamander, raccoon, muskrat, dragonfly, caddis fly, and water striders. Over 300 species of birds have been recorded with shorebirds such as snipe, great blue heron, common gallinule and ring-billed gulls residing with waterfowl including Canada geese, pintails, redheads, and ruddy ducks. Songbirds include the red-winged blackbird, yellow warbler, killdeer, and swamp sparrow. Spring migration brings many others including the colorful warblers. The plant life is diverse as well. Cattails, buttonbush, phragmites, bur-reed, cottonwood and black willow are just a few examples of the marsh plants at the park.

In addition to marsh and swamp wetlands, several prairies add more diversity to the landscape. Ring-necked pheasants densely populate the meadow areas of the park.

The Lake Erie shoreline sets the stage for the comeback of the bald eagle in Ohio. Nesting pairs have been reported recently in Ohio with the majority being in the western basin of Lake Erie. From Maumee Bay State Park website

Virginia Rail Photo by David Zittin

|| media type="custom" key="27341968"

media type="custom" key="27810009"

|| L339541 US US-OH US-OH-095 41.6841898 -83.3654426 Maumee Bay SP--Boardwalk