Little Portage State Wildlife Area (Sandusky Bay Loop)
The 407-acre wildlife area is primarily riverine wetlands, with the remainder in upland meadow and shrub-scrub. Large numbers of American Woodcock can be observed giving their aerial display flights in early spring, and impressive numbers of Wilson's Snipe can occur in migration.
Key Species by Season
Spring
- Great Egret
- Northern Pintail
- American Black Duck
Summer
- Willow Flycatcher
- Yellow Warbler
- Green Heron
Fall
- American Wigeon
- Wilson's Snipe
- Blue-Winged Teal
Winter
- Bald Eagle
- Northern Harrier
- American Kestrel
At-a-Glance
61 - Little Portage State Wildlife Area
Ohio Department of Natural Resource Division of Wildlife
Darr-Hopfinger Road, off of State Route 53
419.424.5000
Public Access
Open all day year-round
Amenities
None
Driving Directions
From State Route 53, four miles southwest of Port Clinton, go two miles west on Darr-Hopfinger Road.
What to Look For
The 407-acre wildlife area is primarily riverine wetlands, with the remainder in upland meadow and shrub-scrub. Large numbers of American Woodcock can be observed giving their aerial display flights in early spring, and impressive numbers of Wilson's Snipe can occur in migration. Although not always easy to see, there are often Virginia Rail and Sora, and sometimes American and Least bitterns. Good numbers of waterfowl can be present in both spring and fall migration.
Local Resources
Lake Erie Shores & Islands
ODNR Division of Wildlife
About the Sandusky Bay Loop
The massive Sandusky Bay is the most conspicuous bay on Ohio’s Lake Erie shoreline. State Route 2 passes over the bay via a bridge that is over 2.5 miles in length, and is crossed by many of the nearly 7 million visitors each year. This region of Lake Erie is renowned for its marshes and the tremendous numbers of waterfowl that occur in migration. Historically, vast wet prairies occurred, remnants of which still exist.
The most prominent bridge along Ohio’s Lake Erie shoreline is the State Route 2 span over massive Sandusky Bay. Historically, the bay was ringed with mixed-emergent marshes and prairie wetlands, most of which have been destroyed. However, large marshlands are still protected and provide some of the most important bird habitat along Lake Erie. Sandusky Bay and vicinity is a very important stopover area for migratory waterfowl. The total species list for this loop is 313, and three of them – Black-bellied Whistling-Duck, Magnificent Frigatebird, and Ancient Murrelet – have only been found in this region.
What To Look For
The massive Sandusky Bay is the most conspicuous bay on Ohio's Lake Erie shoreline. State Route 2 passes over the bay via a bridge that is over 2.5 miles in length, and is crossed by many of the nearly 7 million visitors that come to the Sandusky Bay region each year. This region of Lake Erie is renowned for its marshes and the tremendous numbers of waterfowl that occur in migration. Historically, vast wet prairies occurred, especially along the southern reaches of Sandusky Bay. While most of these prairies have been lost, remnants still exist, such as Resthaven Wildlife Area.
Noteworthy Rarities
The total species list for this loop is 313, and three of them—Blackbellied Whistling-Duck, Magnificent Frigatebird, and Ancient Murrelet— have only been found in this region. Many other rare birds have been seen here, including Eurasian Wigeon, Tricolored Heron, Western Tanager, and White-faced Ibis.
Natural Features
The largest remaining marshes in Ohio buffer the western end of Lake Erie. In addition to supporting tremendous numbers and diversity of birds, these wetlands also harbor many other animals and an impressive diversity of plants. Species of plants that are now threatened or endangered, such as wild rice and bullhead-lily, can still be found. Two interesting reptiles that can be found are the Blanding’s turtle and Eastern fox snake, both of which are largely confined to the western Lake Erie shoreline in Ohio. Large numbers of dragonflies of many species live in the marshes, and occasionally rare migrant dragonflies are found, such as the striped saddlebags.
Darr-Hopfinger Road, off of State Route 53
