East Sandusky Bay MetroPark

East Sandusky Bay MetroPark

Cleveland Road West Sandusky, Ohio 44870

Also, see all the hotspots at:
Lake Erie Western Basin Important Bird Area
Erie County Lakeshore Birding Drive

Tips for Birding

Note: The open waters of the park are visible from Cedar Point Road, which runs along the park’s east side–Sheldon Marsh State Nature Preserve is on the other side of this road. However, stopping along Cedar Point Road is forbidden, and the park must be accessed via a mile long trail that begins at the parking area off US-6, about a mile west of Cedar Point Road.

The East Sandusky Bay MetroPark is a stop on the Lake Erie Birding Trail.

About East Sandusky Bay MetroPark

See all hotspots at East Sandusky Bay MetroPark

East Sandusky Bay MetroPark is the umbrella name for a collection of neighboring parks and preserves located on East Sandusky Bay. The facilities include, from west to east, Eagle Point, Joseph Steinen Wildlife Area, Putnam Marsh Nature Preserve, Wyandot Wetland Meadows Preserve, and the Barnes Addition. All are passive-use sites and offer hiking trails, wildlife viewing opportunities, fishing, and seasonal hunting by permit only.

Steinen Wildlife Area is one of several key protected natural areas along the southern shoreline of Lake Erie. Part of East Sandusky Bay Preserve MetroPark, this 155-acre natural area protects an extraordinary freshwater marsh and uplands rich in critical food and sanctuary for all types of species including ducks, raptors, and migratory birds. It’s an important stopover point along the Mississippi and Atlantic Flyway, one of the largest bird migration routes in the eastern U.S. Plans for public use of the area need to be wisely balanced to protect the area’s rich mixture of open water, wetlands, and wildlife habitat.

The wildlife area includes three neighboring parcels, all adjacent to US-6. The east and west parcels are bounded on the north by Lake Erie and the southernmost parcel by Perkins Avenue. The northernmost parts of the east and west parcels are greatly influenced by the water level of the adjacent lake and some sections are underwater. From the most northern tip of the wildlife area, the view of East Sandusky Bay is open and inspiring. The south parcel is very different from the other two parcels and the Erie County Ohio Bicentennial Barn is on the site. A neighbor’s horses graze on the private pastureland adjacent to the Barn. The west parcel has about a 0.5 mile rustic trail and is open daily, year‐round, from 8 am to dark, except during hunting season when access is restricted. Access to the south and east parcels is by prior permission only. With the collaboration of the ODNR, Division of Wildlife, seasonal controlled youth hunting at this site is by permit only.

Restrooms at Eagle Point.

Features

  • Restrooms on site

Content from Lake Erie Birding Trail