Roadside Birding

Riddle Road, Sandusky County
Photo by Ken Ostermiller

Birding from your vehicle
There are many locations, especially in rural counties, in Ohio where you can view birds from your vehicle. Rural roads through agricultural lands, state forests and wildlife areas, “skypools” that form after a rain, airport runways near public roads, cemeteries, the wildlife drive at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge, all are examples of places you can do roadside birding.

Safety first
Please use care when birding these locations. When you stop, pull off as far as you are able. Use flashers when there is traffic. If you park to get out of your vehicle, park at a pull off or on the berm completely off the pavement. Many of these locations are on roads that traverse privately owned land. Do not enter a private property without permission.

Also, see the list of hotspot locations which have handicap accessible facilities.

Please contact us by email to suggest locations where you view birds from your vehicle which should be added to this list.
hotspots@ohiobirds.org

Roadside Birding Locations listed by County

Adams County
Brush Creek State Forest
Edge of Appalachia Preserve–Abner Hollow Road
Shawnee State Forest
Tranquility Wildlife Area

Allen County
Ridge Road, Delphos

Ashland County
Artesian Lake
Ashland Cemetery
Ashland County Road 1950
Eckley Cemetery
Mohicanville Dam–Mohican Township Road 2250
Perrysville Union Cemetery
Pioneer Cemetery
Saint John Cemetery, Lakeville
Saint Peters Cemetery
Vermilion Cemetery

Ashtabula County
Center Cemetery
Dorset Wildlife Area
Fields Brook
I-90 Ohio Welcome Center
Kyle Road Ponds
Northeast Ohio Regional Airport
Stollacker Road
Turkey Creek Metropark

Athens County
Waterloo State Forest–Driving Loop
Wayne National Forest–Utah Ridge

Auglaize County
US-33 Auglaize Rest Area

Belmont County
Briar Wood Road
Egypt Valley Wildlife Area

Brown County
Indian Creek Wildlife Area

Butler County
Jacksonburg Road
Ross Gravel Pit
Woodsdale Road Gravel Pit

Carroll County
Bellflower Road
Fargo Road
Leesville Lake–Autumn Road
Leesville Lake–Bramble Road and Dove Road
Leesville Lake Wildlife Area

Champaign County
Maple Grove Cemetery, Mechanicsburg
Oakdale Cemetery, Urbana

Clark County
Ferncliff Cemetery
Greenlawn Cemetery, South Charleston
Greenmount Cemetery
Lawrenceville Cemetery
Moorefield Road
Newcomers Cemetery
Old Columbia Street Cemetery
Osborn Road Gravel Pits
Saint Bernard Cemetery
Saint Charles Borromeo Cemetery
Shockley Road
South River Road, South Charleston
Union Road
Upper Valley Mall

Clermont County
East Fork State Park

Clinton County
Caesar Creek Lake Wildlife Area
Melvin Quarry Pits
Sugar Grove Cemetery

Columbiana County
Bolivar Road
Fairmount Road and Lusk-Lock Road
Foundry Hill Road
Haiti Road Wetland
Lee Cemetery
OH-39 @ OH-164 Intersection
Rowley Run Beaver Marsh
Smith Road, Fredericktown
Woodland Cemetery, Salineville
Woodsdale Cemetery

Coshocton County
Conesville Coal Lands–Coshocton County Road 7 Pond
Shelly Gravel Pits
Woodbury Wildlife Area

Crawford County
Fairview Cemetery, Galion
Oakwood Cemetery
Stevens Road @ OH-98

Cuyahoga County
Calvary Cemetery, Garfield Heights
Chestnut Grove Cemetery
East Cleveland Township Cemetery
Erie Street Cemetery
Highland Park Cemetery
Holy Cross Cemetery
Lake View Cemetery
Lakewood Park Cemetery
Maple Ridge Cemetery
Old Chestnut Grove Cemetery
Riverside Cemetery, Cleveland
Solon Landfill
Sunset Memorial Park Cemetery
West Park Cemetery
Woodland Cemetery, Cleveland
Woodvale Union Cemetery

Darke County
Wayne Lakes Village
Woods Road Wetland

Defiance County
Price Road
Riverside Cemetery, Defiance

Delaware County
Alexander Road
Delaware Wildlife Area
Resurrection Cemetery, Lewis Center
Smith Preserve

Erie County
Bay View
Castalia Cemetery
Lagoon Deer Park–North
Medusa Marsh–Barrett Road
OH-269 @ Erie County Road 175
Resthaven Wildlife Area
Saint Johns Cemetery, Milan

Fairfield County
Coonpath Road Wetland
Mill Park Drive Pond

Fayette County
Deer Creek Wildlife Area
Madison Mills Cemetery

Franklin County
Brown Pet Cemetery
Clover Cemetery and Wetlands
Davis Cemetery
Green Lawn Cemetery, Columbus
Hall Road Intermittent Ponds
Jackson Pike Waste Water Treatment Plant
Sunset Cemetery
Union Cemetery–East

Fulton County
Greenlawn Cemetery, Delta

Gallia County
Cheshire Gravel Pits
Crown City Wildlife Area
Swan Creek Bottoms
Symmes Creek

Geauga County
Hayes Road
LaDue Reservoir
Patch Road
Soltis Road
South Newbury Cemetery

Greene County
Byron Road
Caesar Creek Lake Wildlife Area
Clifton Union Cemetery
Friend Cemetery
Glen Forest Cemetery
Gravel Pit Road
Grape Grove Cemetery
Hyde Road
Linebaugh Road
Old OH-42 Road
Paintersville New Jasper Road Cemetery
Peterson Road
Rockafield Cemetery
Roxanna New Burlington Road Gravel Pit
Solon Road
Stevenson Cemetery
Tarbox Cemetery
US-35 @ OH-72 Pond
Wildman Road
Woodland Cemetery, Xenia

Guernsey County
Salt Fork State Park–Road 54

Hamilton County
New Haven Cemetery
New Saint Joseph Cemetery
Old Saint Joseph Cemetery
Spring Grove Cemetery
United American Cemetery
Walnut Hills Cemetery

Hancock County
Blue Rock Nature Preserve
Camp Berry
Clay Pits
Findlay Airport
Lake Cascades
Maple Grove Cemetery, Findlay
West River Road–I-75 to Hancock County Road 139
Younger Property Grasslands

Hardin County
Hardin County Airport
Hardin County Wetlands
Hog Creek Marsh
Otterbein Cemetery

Harrison County
Harrison State Forest
Industrial Park Drive
Lower Clearfork Swamp
Upper Clearfork Swamp

Henry County

Highland County
Gist Settlement and Cemetery
Paint Creek Lake Wildlife Area

Hocking County
Enterprise Iles Road
Tar Hollow State Forest

Holmes County
Bunker Hill
Four Ponds
Holmesville Marsh
Killbuck Marsh Wildlife Area
Killbuck Township Road 92
Odell Lake
Redett Road, Fredericksburg
Rices Swamp
Trail Bottom Valley

Huron County
Celeryville Muck Crop Fields
Exchange Road–US-250 to OH-162
Maple Grove Cemetery, Plymouth
Riverside Cemetery, Monroeville
Saint Joseph Cemetery, Monroeville
Wakeman Township Cemetery
Weis Road Wetlands
Woodlawn Cemetery, Norwalk

Jackson County
Grassy Fork Bottoms, Jackson County Road 2
Pyro Wetlands< Tabernacle Road Marsh

Jefferson County
Mingo Grasslands
Pleasant Hill Road, Richmond
Short Creek Marshland

Knox County
Arrington Road
Krause Road, Centerburg
Mink Street
Spohn Road

Lake County
Daniels Park
Fairport Nursery Road
Great Lakes Mall
Smith Road, Waite Hill
Williams Cemetery
Willoughby Memorial Gardens Cemetery

Lawrence County
Blackfork Swamp
Crown City Wildlife Area
Lawrence Chapel-Okey Wetlands
Woodland Cemetery, Coal Grove

Licking County
Dawes Arboretum
Horns Hill Park
Swamp Road
T. J. Evans Park, Newark
Welsh Hills Cemetery

Logan County
Plum Cemetery

Lorain County
Calvary Cemetery, Lorain
Elmwood Cemetery
Lorain County Regional Airport–Russia Road
New Russia Township Cemetery
OH-2 Lorain Rest Area Nature Trail Eastbound
OH-2 Lorain Rest Area Nature Trail Westbound
Ridge Hill Cemetery
Westwood Cemetery and Oberlin Country Club

Lucas County
Amolsch Ditch @ Lallendorff Road
Anchor Point Road
Angola Road and Raab Road
Calvary Cemetery, Toledo
Cedar Point Road
Corduroy Road
Decant Road @ Seaman Road
Elliston Road @ Veler Road
Forest Cemetery, Toledo
Manore Road
North Yondota Road
Park Colony Road
Oak Openings Preserve Metropark
Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge–Wildlife Drive
Resurrection Cemetery, Toledo
Sacks Road
Seaman Road
Swan Creek Cemetery
Wilkins Road @ Sager Road
Woodlawn Cemetery, Toledo

Madison County
Deer Creek Township Cemetery
Foster Chapel Cemetery
Guy Cemetery
I-70 South Vienna Rest Area
William Lucas Road
Pleasant Cemetery

Mahoning County
Bull Creek @ Lipply Road
Vaughn Cemetery

Marion County
Agosta Cemetery
Big Island Wildlife Area
Caledonia Cemetery
Gearhiser Road
Marion Cemetery
Sager Road @ Groundhog Road

Medina County
Friendsville Road Gravel Pits
Greenwich Road, Homerville
Lake Road Sod Farm
Spencer Lake Wildlife Area

Meigs County

Mercer County
Coldwater Wastewater Treatment Plant
Now Road

Miami County

Monroe County
Fly Rest Area

Montgomery County
Woodland Cemetery, Dayton

Morgan County
Knox Cemetery
Smith Road Grasslands

Morrow County
Bloomfield Cemetery
Blooming Grove Cemetery
Bryn Zion Cemetery
Glendale Cemetery
Iberia Cemetery
Kathryn Sheedy Sanctuary
Maple Grove Cemetery, Chesterville
Mount Gilead State Park
River Cliff Union Cemetery
Shauck Cemetery
Steam Corners Cattle Feedlot

Muskingum County
ReCreation Land
The Wilds

Noble County
Hiramsburg Cemetery
Lexington Ridge
ReCreation Land

Ottawa County
OH-2 La Carpe Creek Rest Area
OH-2 @ Russell Road
Ottawa-Lucas County Road
Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge–Wildlife Drive
Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge–Stange Road and Krause Road and Observation Tower
Sackett Cemetery
Stange Road @ W. Walbridge East Road
Yetter Road Fishing Access
Zenser Road

Paulding County
Paulding County Road 146
Paulding Sewage Lagoons

Perry County
Clayton Township Road 217
Perry County Road 112
Perry State Forest

Pickaway County
Charlies Pond
Forest Cemetery, Circleville
Island Road
River Drive

Pike County
OH-32 Pike Rest Area

Portage County
I-76 Portage Rest Area
Johnson Road, Kent
Standing Rock Cemetery

Preble County

Putnam County

Richland County
Bellville Cemetery
Bistline Road
Clear Fork Reservoir–Gass Road Dam And Spillway
Ernsberger Road
Greenlawn Cemetery, Crestline
Greenlawn Cemetery, Plymouth
Lantz Cemetery
Little Washington Cemetery
Mansfield City Cemetery
Mansfield Lahm Airport and Vicinity
Mount Hope Cemetery
Mount Zion Cemetery, Lucas
Oak Grove Memorial Park
Odd Fellows Cemetery
Pavonia Cemetery
Pioneer Rest Cemetery
Shelby-Oakland Cemetery
Urwin Parkway Wetland
Windsor Park Cemetery