Pipe Creek State Wildlife Area

Pipe Creek State Wildlife Area (Sandusky Bay Loop)

Pipe Creek was constructed in the early 1990s as a mitigation site for wetlands destroyed by development elsewhere. A series of dikes radiate out from a central hub and create four triangular cells that collectively total 97 acres, and jut into the waters of Sandusky Bay.

Key Species by Season

Spring

• Snowy Egret
• Red-Winged Blackbird
• Sora

Summer

• Common Nighthawk
• Lesser Yellowlegs
• Great-Blue Heron

Fall

• Snowy Egret
• Short-Billed Dowitcher
• Stilt Sandpiper

Winter

• Herring Gull
• Ring-Billed Gull
• Rough-Legged Hawk

At-a-Glance

49 - Pipe Creek State Wildlife Area
Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Wildlife
River Avenue, off of Cedar Point Drive
Sandusky, OH

419.424.5000

Public Access
Limited public access from Sept 1 through mid-Jan, open to the public rest of the year

Amenities
None

Driving Directions
Turn north off Cleveland Road (U.S. Route 6) at Cedar Point Drive. Turn right at River Avenue (just after McDonald’s restaurant). River Avenue ends at unmarked F Street, where Pipe Creek's small grassy parking lot is on the right-hand side.

What to Look For

Pipe Creek was constructed in the early 1990s as a mitigation site for wetlands destroyed by development elsewhere. A series of dikes radiate out from a central hub and create four triangular cells that collectively total 97 acres, and jut into the waters of Sandusky Bay. The wildlife area has proven to be a hotspot for shorebirds, herons, waterfowl, and other waterbirds and is productive at all seasons, excepting perhaps the dead of winter. If mudflat conditions are good, a later summer or early fall visit can net a dozen or more species of shorebirds.

Noteworthy Rarities

Numerous rarities have turned up, including the second Ohio record of Black-bellied Whistling-Duck in 2010. Less rarities such as Tricolored Heron, Marbled Godwit, Red-necked Phalarope, and Nelson's Sparrow have also been recorded.

Local Resources

Lake Erie Shores & Islands  
Ohio Division of Wildlife  
Ohio Ornithological Society  
Sandusky Historic Downtown Waterfront 

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.