Old Woman Creek (Huron & Lorain Loop)
Old Woman Creek encompasses 574 acres, with the shallow estuary the centerpiece of the reserve. A small barrier beach buffers the estuary from Lake Erie. Other habitats include woodlands, old fields, and tributary streams. An outstanding visitor's center is full of interesting interpretive displays, and offers an overlook of the estuary.
Key Species by Season
Spring
- Warbling Vireo
- Orchard Oriole
- Solitary Sandpiper
Summer
- Bald Eagle
- Red-Eyed Vireo
- Wood Thrush
Fall
- Field Sparrow
- Great-Crested Flycatcher
- Yellow-Rumped Warbler
Winter
- Hairy Woodpecker
- Brown Creeper
- Tufted Titmouse
At-a-Glance
45 - Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve
Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife
2514 Cleveland Road East
Huron, OH 44839
419.433.4601
Public Access
Open daily, dawn until dusk
Amenities
Hiking Trails, Restrooms (during visitor center hours), Visitors Center, Checklist Available, Sightings Board, Outdoor Feeders, Wildlife Observation Window
Driving Directions
From State Route 2, take the State Route 61 exit and turn north toward the lake. State Route 61 dead ends at U.S. Route 6. Turn left at the flashing red light. Old Woman Creek Reserve is about 1 mile ahead on the left.
What to Look For
An estuary is an enclosed water body fed by one or more rivers, and with a direct connection to the sea or large lake. There are 27 estuarine reserves in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's estuarine reserve system. Old Woman Creek is the only national estuarine reserve in the Great Lakes and is also unique in that it is the only one not located to an ocean.
Old Woman Creek encompasses 574 acres, with the shallow estuary the centerpiece of the reserve. A small barrier beach buffers the estuary from Lake Erie. Other habitats include woodlands, old fields, and tributary streams. An outstanding visitor's center is full of interesting interpretive displays, and offers an overlook of the estuary. A mile long trail circles through most of the reserve's habitats.
Bald Eagles nest nearby and are often in evidence. Migrant waterfowl can be abundant in season, and this is a good spot to watch for migrant raptors following the Lake Erie shoreline. Good numbers and diversity of songbirds can occur in both spring and fall migration, and the reserve supports at least 74 species of breeding birds. Noteworthy among the latter are Sedge Wren and Northern Mockingbird (neither is annual).
Natural Features
At least ten species of state-listed rare plants have been found in the preserve, including four uncommon sedges to entice serious botanists. Eastern fox snakes can sometimes be seen around the estuary. The visitor's center—formally known as the Mike DeWine Center for Coastal Wetland Studies—contains many educational exhibits about Lake Erie, and information about Old Woman Creek.
Local Resources
Lake Erie Shores & Islands
Ohio Ornithological Society
Old Woman Creek National Estuarine Research Reserve
About the Huron & Lorain Loop
Scores of serious birders flock to the sites on this loop. Some of Ohio's legendary "lake-watching" sites are here, such as the Huron Harbor West Pier and Sherod Park. Chances of finding a fall jaeger at these spots are about as good as anywhere in the state.
The section of Lake Erie between the cities of Huron and Lorain encompasses the “bottom of the bowl;” the southernmost curve of the lake. The fourteen sites in this region offer some of the finest birding in Ohio. The varied habitats include a power plant’s warm water outlet, sandy beaches, expansive woodlands, marshes, and reservoirs. The total species list for this loop is 325.
What to Look For
Some of Ohio's legendary "lake-watching" sites are on this loop, such as the Huron Harbor West Pier and Sherod Park. Chances of finding a fall jaeger at these spots are about as good as anywhere in the state. Lorain Harbor and vicinity has produced scores of rare birds, and is always interesting in peak migratory periods. If you can endure the cold, the open waters behind the power plant, adjacent to Miller Road Park, harbor outstanding duck and gull concentrations in the dead of winter.
Slightly inland are Oberlin and Wellington reservoirs; magnets for ducks. Nearly all of the common species can be found on their waters, and rarer birds such as scoters and Long-tailed Duck are regularly found. Findley State Park and Vermilion River Reservation are two sites that offer excellent woodland birding, and massive restored wetlands at Sandy Ridge Reservation have become famous for wetlands species such as bitterns, rails, and Sandhill Crane.
Noteworthy Rarities
There is a reason that scores of serious birders flock to the sites on this loop. This part of Lake Erie regularly produces vagrants and exciting rarities. Six species—Tufted Duck, Pacific Loon, Spotted Redshank, Heermann's Gull, Royal Tern, and Green-tailed Towhee—have only been at sites on the Huron and Lorain Loop. The records of the duck, redshank, gull, and tern are the only Ohio records.
Natural Features
Many of these sites on the Huron and Lorain loop are not "natural"; they are highly altered habitats that nonetheless offer great vistas of Lake Erie and in season can produce an abundance of birds. Old Woman Creek and Sheldon Marsh State Nature Preserve contain outstanding examples of undisturbed wetlands and beach. A number of rare animals and plants occur at these sites. Vermilion River Reservation flanks the visually stunning Vermilion River and offers a taste of big woods and forest diversity.
2514 Cleveland Road, East Huron, OH 44839
