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Crane Creek State Park
13531 West State Route 2
Oak Harbor, OH 43449
(419) 898-2495
Park
Map
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| Activity |
Facilities |
Quantity |
Fees |
| Resource |
Land,
acres |
79 |
 |
|
Water,
acres |
L.
Erie |
|
|
Nearby
Wildlife Area, acres |
2,600 |
|
| Day-Use
Activities |
Fishing |
yes |
|
|
Hiking
Trails, miles |
0.5 |
|
|
Picnicking |
yes |
|
|
Picnic
Shelters, # |
1 |
|
|
Swimming
Beach, feet |
3500 |
|
| Winter
Recreation |
Snowmobiling |
yes |
|
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Ice
Fishing |
yes |
|
Located on the scenic shore of Lake Erie, Crane Creek
State Park offers a vast freshwater marsh and spacious sandy beach for
enjoyment. This coastal environment is home to more than 300 species of
birds. Herons, waterfowl, warblers, gulls and the magnificent bald eagle
make this park one of the best birdwatching areas in the country.
Nature of the Area
Crane Creek is located along the shores of Lake Erie,
one of the largest freshwater bodies in the world. Lake Erie is the result
of the massive ice sheets that entered Ohio during the ice age. As the ice
melted, the area from Fort Wayne, Indiana to western New York was covered
by a large lake. Eventually, the lake shrank in size as waters drained
from the state leaving a vast area of swamps and marshes. The wetlands of
the Crane Creek area are remnants of those ancient swamps.
 These Lake Erie marshes
provide food, shelter and nest sites for many species of waterfowl,
birds-of-prey, songbirds and others. The bird population grows enormously
during spring migration as weary migrants take refuge in the marsh and
rest for a time before winging northward across Lake Erie into Canada.
Known as one of the premier birdwatching areas in the country, it is not
uncommon to observe more than one hundred species in a day's time.
Throughout summer, swallows in flight delight the eye, while ducks, geese,
coots and egrets are easily sighted in their natural habitat. In the
winter, short-eared owls can be seen hunting over the open meadows and
marshes. Careful observers may see the elusive bittern or horned grebe.
The Lake Erie shoreline provides one of the last strongholds of the bald
eagle in Ohio. Several nesting pairs have been reported recently in the
Crane Creek vicinity.
Numerous reptiles, amphibians, mammals, fish and insects inhabit the
marshes including the fox snake, northern water snake, painted turtle,
green frog, bullfrog, spotted salamander, raccoon, muskrat and a variety
of wetland insects.
 History
of the Area
The Crane Creek area was originally part of the Great
Black Swamp, an enormous flat plain 120 miles long and 30 to 40 miles
wide. For many years, the swamp was a tremendous barrier to western
settlement. In 1859, a law was passed providing for a system of ditches to
drain the land. Eventually, after a period of intense lumbering and
draining, the swamp nearly vanished as it became a major agricultural
area. The area gained fame during the late 1800s as one of the best
waterfowl hunting areas in the United States. Most of the land in the area
was purchased by wealthy sportsmen, so that by as early as 1890, much of
the wetland area was being operated for private shooting. By 1951, the
entire 30,000 acres of marshlands along the Lake Erie shore from Toledo to
Sandusky was under private club ownership.
 In 1951, a total of 650
acres, which included a strip of marshlands and sand beach three miles
long, was purchased by the ODNR Division of Parks and Recreation. The
purchase was made in collaboration with the ODNR Division of Wildlife
which purchased some of the marshlands behind the beach for the purpose of
developing a public duck hunting area. A segment of the beach was opened
to swimming in 1955.
Today, Crane Creek State Park comprises 79 acres of beach and marshlands
adjoining the 2,600-acre Magee Marsh Wildlife Area and Ottawa National
Wildlife Refuge. The park's name is borrowed from nearby Crane Creek which
flows into Lake Erie just west of the park. Undoubtedly, the creek owes
its name to the great blue herons and egrets--often misidentified as
cranes--which are abundant in the marsh habitat.
Hunting and Fishing
Anglers will enjoy catches of walleye, yellow perch,
bluegill, crappie, white bass, channel catfish and freshwater drum from
Lake Erie, summer or winter. Controlled hunting is permitted on the
adjacent Magee Marsh Wildlife Area. Waterfowl hunting is excellent in this
area. A valid Ohio hunting and/or fishing license is required. All hunters
and fishermen must comply with the rules and regulations established by
the ODNR Division of Wildlife.
Boating
Lake Erie offers unlimited opportunities for boaters.
Marinas near the park offer access to the lake.
Swimming
A spacious 3,500-foot, sandy beach graces the shore of
Lake Erie. Latrines and changing booths are provided.
Trails
A one-half-mile boardwalk trail provides access to the
many different habitats in the park. The wheelchair accessible boardwalk
skirts several small ponds, winds through woodlots and borders open
marshlands. Birdwatchers delight in the numerous avian species sighted
along the trail.
Picnicking
Tables and grills are scattered along the Lake Erie
shoreline providing a scenic picnicking opportunity. One picnic shelter is
available on a first-come, first-served basis.
 Area
Attractions
Encompassing 2,600 acres of wetland adjoining Crane
Creek State Park, Magee
Marsh Wildlife Area offers outstanding nature study areas and fishing
access to Turtle Creek Bay. Controlled public hunting is permitted here.
The Sportsmen's
Migratory Bird Center, located on the main entrance road to the park,
is operated by the ODNR Division of Wildlife and features displays of
native wildlife species and information about the area. An observation
platform offers a unique perspective of the surrounding terrain.
The Ottawa National
Wildlife Refuge borders the southwest portion of Crane Creek State
Park. The largest federal wildlife refuge in the state, Ottawa NWR is one
of the few nesting sites of the bald eagle left on the Great Lakes. More
than 250 species of birds along with a variety of mammals, reptiles and
insects have been found in the refuge.
There are two other state parks near Crane Creek. East
Harbor State Park lies east just past Port Clinton via S.R. 2, and Maumee
Bay State Park is 17 miles west of the park also via S.R. 2. Camping,
fishing, swimming and boating opportunities exist at both parks, while
Maumee Bay also provides a resort lodge, cabins, golf course and nature
center. Louis W. Campbell State Nature Preserve in Springfield Township,
Lucas County, is a 73-acre sedge meadow and beach ridge site. This
scientific preserve can be accessed by written permit only by contacting
the ODNR Division of Natural Areas and Preserves.
For more information on area attractions, call the Ohio Division of Travel
and Tourism at 1-800-BUCKEYE. |
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