Dupont Marsh State Nature Preserve
Erie County, Ohio · 0.6 trail miles in ODNR's guide
Our take written by Nature Awed
DuPont Marsh is a river marsh along the Huron River in Erie County, with plants arranged by water depth, from pondweeds and water-milfoil in deep water to burreed, cattail and spatter-dock near shore.
ODNR names leafy blue flag, a state-endangered plant, and says the marsh matters to Lake Erie fish and waterfowl. Erie MetroParks leases it, and the guide lists 0.6 miles of trail and a seasonal portable restroom.
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
DuPont Marsh was made possible by a gift from the DuPont Chemical Company to the Ohio Chapter of The Nature Conservancy, which in turn donated the preserve to the division in 1980. Most of the preserve consists of a marsh situated along the edge of the Huron River. The vegetation varies with the depth of the river; pondweeds and water-milfoil being in the deepest areas, with burreed, cattail and spatter-dock occurring closer to shore. Other interesting species include water-dock and pickerel-weed.
One of the most significant species occurring in the marsh is leafy blue flag, a state endangered plant. Few river marshes still remain anywhere in Ohio along the streams flowing into Lake Erie. DuPont Marsh plays an important role in the life history and nutrition of Lake Erie fish and waterfowl. The higher ground adjacent to the marsh was formerly pasture and farmland. These areas are now occupied by typical old-field vegetation, such as hawthorn and locust.
DuPont Marsh State Nature Preserve is leased to Erie MetroParks.
Trails
0.6 miles of hiking trails
In ODNR's preserve guide
| Address | 1805 River Rd, Huron, 44839 |
|---|---|
| Trails (miles) | 0.6 |
| Visitor information | Managed by Erie Metro Parks • eriemetroparks.org • Seasonal portable restroom |
DuPont Marsh Erie 1805 River Rd Huron, 44839 0.6 Managed by Erie Metro Parks • eriemetroparks.org • Seasonal portable restroom
Access permit
Dupont Marsh 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dupont Marsh State Nature Preserve | ERIE | Dedicated Nature Preserve | 117.28 | Erie Metro Parks |
| Mapped acres | 117.28 (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 | 41.3641, -82.5561 (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: Dupont Marsh 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.
- Old Woman Creek State Nature Preserve and NERR · Erie County · about 2.4 miles
- Sheldon Marsh State Nature Preserve · Erie County · about 4.9 miles
- Erie Sand Barrens State Nature Preserve · Erie County · about 7.8 miles
- Augusta-Anne Olsen State Nature Preserve · Huron County · about 10 miles
- Lakeside Daisy State Nature Preserve · Ottawa County · about 14 miles