Baker Swamp State Nature Preserve
Jackson County, Ohio
Our take written by Nature Awed
Baker Swamp in Jackson County is a 180-acre Teays wetland, formed on clay left by lakes after the first major ice advance blocked the pre-glacial Teays River.
ODNR lists oak-maple-elm swamp forest, alder swamp and three kinds of marsh, with Virginia meadow-beauty among the plants and waterfowl and shoreline birds. There is a small parking lot at the end of Skaggs Road and a mowed loop trail.
Our plain-language reading of the ODNR text quoted on this page. It adds no facts of its own.
Verify current visiting hours and access restrictions with ODNR's page for this preserve and ODNR's permit page before relying on this summary.
What ODNR says about it
The 180-acre Baker Swamp State Nature Preserve protects one of the best and last examples of a “Teays Wetland”.
The Teays River was a pre-glacial river that was the same size as the modern day Ohio River. The first major ice advance blocked the river, creating lakes after the glacial retreat and the formation of the Ohio River. The lakes drained — leaving large area of clay that held water — creating wetlands.
Baker Swamp has several wetland community types: oak-maple-elm swamp forest, alder swamp, emergent marsh, floating-leaved marsh, and submergent marsh.
The preserve is a great birding location for waterfowl and shoreline birds. Virginia meadow-beauty is one of the rare plant species that can be seen at Baker Swamp.
Currently the nature preserve has a small parking lot at the end of Skaggs Road and a mowed loop trail through open meadow/field habitat.
Baker Swamp was donated to the Division by The Nature Conservancy Ohio.
Visiting
Open 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset
No Pets
Verify current visiting hours and access restrictions with ODNR's page before relying on these hours.
In ODNR's preserve guide
This preserve has no row in ODNR's printed guide. The guide says: Preserves not listed are either unimproved, or require a written permit to visit.
(ODNR: Ohio State Nature Preserves & Natural Areas Guide (PDF)).
Access permit
Baker Swamp State Nature Preserve is not on ODNR's list of preserves that require an access permit, and its ODNR page as quoted here doesn't call for one. ODNR also says: An access permit is required to leave trails within a state nature preserve.
(ODNR: State Nature Preserves Access Permit).
The land on ODNR's map
| LANDS_NAME | COUNTY | PROP_TYPE | SUM_CALC_ACRES | MANAGING_AGENCY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baker Swamp State Nature Preserve | JACKSON | Dedicated Nature Preserve | 180.75 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves |
| Mapped acres | 180.75 (our sum of the parcels ODNR's GIS layer maps under this name) |
|---|---|
| Access permit | No whole-preserve permit requirement identified in the sources we check; named-area or activity permits may still apply |
| Centre of mapped land | 38.9509, -82.6147 (our calculation; not an entrance or parking lot) |
Statewide rules
Ohio Administrative Code chapter 1501:17 sets rules for nature preserves and natural areas under ODNR's supervision or its designated custodian, on pets, drones, picnics, collecting and more. Can I…? quotes them rule by rule, with their exceptions.
Pets are prohibited at all state nature preserves, except Blackhand Gorge State Nature Preserve where leashed pets are only allowed on the multipurpose paved trail.
Check before you go. Verify current hours, access and trail information on ODNR: Baker Swamp State Nature Preserve and ODNR: State Nature Preserves Access Permit; our checker last found the quoted words there on October 14.
Nearest other preserves
Straight-line miles between the centres of mapped land (our calculation), not driving distance.
- Lake Katharine State Nature Preserve · Jackson County · about 9.8 miles
- Glade Wetlands Dedicated Nature Preserve · Pike and Jackson counties · about 11 miles · permit
- White’s Gulch State Nature Preserve · Jackson County · about 12 miles
- Sylvan Deep State Nature Preserve · Jackson County · about 14 miles
- Jefferson Ridge State Nature Preserve · Ross County · about 18 miles · permit