Port Clinton Lakefront Preserve

Port Clinton Lakefront Preserve (Sandusky Bay Loop)

The Port Clinton Lakefront Preserve was acquired in 2009, and is contiguous with Port Clinton City Beach to the east and Waterworks Park to the west. Collectively, these three sites protect over 3/4 of a mile of lakefront beach and associated habitats. The beach is always worth investigating for shorebirds, gulls, terns, and waterfowl.

Key Species by Season

Spring

• Ruddy Turnstone
• Willet
• Black-Bellied Plover

Summer

• Canada Goose
• Northern Rough-Winged Swallow
• Common Tern

Fall

• Least Sandpiper
• Semipalmated Sandpiper
• Semipalmated Plover

Winter

• Canada Goose
• Herring Gull
• Bufflehead

At-a-Glance

60 - Port Clinton Lakefront Preserve
State Route 163
Port Clinton, Ohio 43452

Public Access
Open all day year-round

Amenities
None

Driving Directions
State Route 2 to State Route 163 (Perry Street)

What to Look For

The Port Clinton Lakefront Preserve was acquired in 2009, and is contiguous with Port Clinton City Beach to the east and Waterworks Park to the west. Collectively, these three sites protect over 3/4 of a mile of lakefront beach and associated habitats. The beach is always worth investigating for shorebirds, gulls, terns, and waterfowl. Piping Plover has turned up, and Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling, and many other species of plovers and sandpipers can be expected. Large numbers of diving ducks often gather offshore, and any of the three scoter species can turn up. Sizeable flocks of Canada Geese often forage on the beach in late fall, and these flocks should be checked for Brant. Well-vegetated back areas of the beach are worth searching for migrant sparrows, including rare Le Conte's and Nelson's sparrows, in October.

Local Resources

Lake Erie Shores & Islands  
Port Clinton Chamber of Commerce

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.