Oak Openings--Girdham Rd. Sand Dunes

About this Location

The Sand Dunes Trail traverses higher ground, passing through an area of large, open sand dunes---remnants of ancient, glacial beach ridges. The unique topography of this high and dry, desert-like habitat, inter-mingled with nearby, low, wet depressions supports many types of rare and unique plant species. Watch for tracks of coyotes, wild turkeys, and snakes. Portions of this trail are closed from May 1 to July 1, due to ground-nesting birds, such as the state endangered lark sparrow and the rare, antenna-waving wasp.

Parking for this trail can be found at Mallard Lake Area.

About Wabash Cannonball Trail

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The Wabash Cannonball Trail is a 63-mile multi-use recreational trail in Northwest Ohio. It provides non-motorized access to hikers, bikers, equestrians, and cross-country skiers. The 12-foot wide trail surface varies within the different jurisdictions, from asphalt to hard packed cinder ballast. The trail is a part of the nationwide movement to rejuvenate former railroad corridors into linear parks where people can enjoy the beauty and solitude of the outdoors while also providing a safe alternate mode of transportation between towns and villages along the route. There are more than 15,000 miles of rail-trails throughout the United States. View the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy website for more information about rail-trails. Portions of the Wabash Cannonball Trail are also certified as segments of the North Country National Scenic Trail, a 4,600-mile long hiking trail connecting the Lewis and Clark Trail in western North Dakota with the Appalachian Trail in upstate New York. The Trail is administered by the National Park Service.

When Norfolk Southern Railroad announced the abandonment of service on this rail line in 1990, several local visionaries and enthusiasts gathered to share ideas about creating a public recreational trail and utility corridor. Their dream became a reality on March 24, 1994, when the corridor was purchased from Norfolk Southern. The Wabash Cannonball Trail is one of Ohio’s longest rail-trails, covering a total of 63 miles and traversing four counties: Fulton, Henry, Lucas, and Williams. The Trail is owned by several partners within the four counties. With the Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments (TMACOG) acting as coordinating partner for the project, the land-owning partners are Lucas County, the city of Maumee, Northwestern Ohio Rails-to-Trails Association, Inc. (NORTA), the Metropark District of the Toledo Area, the city of Wauseon, and the village of Whitehouse. The Trail is actually comprised of two rail lines that converge in Maumee at Jerome Road. The “North Fork” of the Trail runs in an east-west direction, 46 miles from Maumee to within 15 miles of the Indiana state line near Montpelier, Ohio. The “South Fork” takes a southwesterly route from Maumee to the edge of Liberty Center, Ohio for a length of 17 miles. The average width of the Trail corridor is 100 feet, with the width of the Trail surface being 10-12 feet. If you traverse the length of the Trail, you will cross over 13 bridges. The longest of these is the Tiffin River Bridge, at 210 feet in length. The Beaver Creek Bridge is the highest, at 38 feet above water level. When Trail development is fully completed, the Trail will be surfaced with finely crushed stone in the rural areas and asphalt through the more populated areas. In the interim, as the Trail is opened section by section, you may find the surface a bit rough in spots. Mountain and hybrid/cross bikes will have no problem traveling on all open sections of the Trail.

About Oak Openings Preserve Metropark

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Located between Whitehouse and Swanton, Oak Openings Preserve takes its name from the surrounding region, which is 23 times larger than the park itself. That’s something to consider when you realize that Oak Openings Preserve is over 4,000 acres.

Pioneers trudging through a dense swamp called this area “Oak Openings.” Most of the park is an oak savanna ecosystem, characterized by alternating wetlands and vegetated dunes. The Nature Conservancy once named the sandy region one of the 200 “Last Great Places on Earth.”

Prickly-pear cactus, wild lupine, and sand cherry bloom atop dry, hot sand dunes just yards away from orchids growing in low, wet swales. There are more than 50 miles of trails in Oak Openings Preserve. Stands of isolated pine and spruce planted by the WPA during the Great Depression are still visible.

Oak Openings is a birder’s paradise. It is the nesting place of Bluebirds, Indigo Buntings, Whippoorwills, Lark Sparrows, and many other species, as well as an excellent location to see migrating songbirds in the spring.

Features

  • Entrance fee

Content from Wabash Cannonball Trail Official Website, Oak Openings Preserve Metropark Official Website, and Ohio Ornithological Society