Hike the Ottawa Wildlife Interpretive Trail at Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge

Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge spans over 11,000 acres of federally protected land in Lucas and Ottawa counties. It is home to bald eagles and serves as a stopover point for dozens of species of colorful migrating songbirds, shorebirds and waterfowl. 

A good starting point is the refuge’s visitor center, which has educational displays, restrooms and helpful staff. The Ottawa Wildlife Interpretive Trail starts in the woods behind the center, which has historically been a spot to see great-horned owls, woodpeckers, migrating warblers and, depending on the time of day, deer. Although the entire trail covers 8 miles, its grid-like nature makes it so you can plan either a longer or shorter hike.

As the trail emerges from the woods into the gravel dikes lining the pools of the marsh that duck hunters preserved in the 1800s, you can hear the song of the refuge. It is a mix of geese honking, trumpeter swans trumpeting and frogs trilling, with sandhill cranes often joining in to punctuate the chorus with their calls. From there, the marsh opens into scenic views, with waterfowl swimming and feeding in the pools. The farthest part of the trail borders Lake Erie, and sunrises and sunsets over the marshes and the lake are known to be especially beautiful. 

Plants and wildflowers bloom throughout the year, and butterflies — especially monarchs, red admirals and tiger swallowtails — can be seen during the summer and early fall. 

Fortunate hikers may catch a glimpse of some of the refuge’s more unique species such as the river otters (usually found in the morning or evening in the marsh pools) or the endangered Blanding’s turtles, which are marked with bright yellow and appear to be smiling. 

The refuge is flat, and much of the trail is gravel on dikes along the pools, so the walk is relatively easy. Summer visitors should be ready with bug spray, especially something that repels flies. The dikes are also out in open sun, so sunscreen and a hat are recommended. 14000 St. Rte. 2, Oak Harbor 43449, fws.gov/refuge/ottawa

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