Erie Sand Barrens State Nature Preserve
Erie County, Ohio · 1 trail miles in ODNR's guide
Our take written by Nature Awed
Erie Sand Barrens sits on the sandy beach ridges of glacial Lake Warren in Erie County. ODNR says past farming reduced the diversity of its flora, though many state-listed species remain.
Prairie plants such as green milkweed and partridge-pea grow on the dry ridges, and wet sedge meadows between them hold plants ODNR associates with the Atlantic and Gulf coasts. The guide lists roadside parking and 1 mile of 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
Erie Sand Barrens is situated in the sandy beach ridges of glacial Lake Warren, a predecessor to modern Lake Erie. Because of past intensive agricultural activities, the flora of this preserve is not very diverse. Nevertheless, many state-listed species still remain. The sandy soil of the preserve is well-drained and plants which survive here are adapted to its dry conditions.
On the highest, driest ridges and knolls, prairie plants including green milkweed, partridge-pea and sand panic grass thrive. Wet depressions between the rises hold wet sedge meadow communities where plants more commonly found along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts occur. These include lance-leaved violet, Virginia meadow-beauty, twisted yellow-eyed grass and least St. John's-wort.
Visiting
Open 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset
Stay on designated trails
Pets are not permitted
No public restrooms
Verify current visiting hours and access restrictions with ODNR's page before relying on these hours.
Trails
1 mile of trails
In ODNR's preserve guide
| Address | Taylor Rd, Sandusky, 44870 (marked *: No physical address, see website for details.) |
|---|---|
| Trails (miles) | 1 |
| Visitor information | Roadside parking |
Erie Sand Barrens Erie *Taylor Rd Sandusky, 44870 1 Roadside parking
Access permit
Erie Sand Barrens 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Erie Sand Barrens State Nature Preserve | ERIE | Dedicated Nature Preserve | 30.48 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves |
| Mapped acres | 30.48 (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 | 41.3588, -82.7071 (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: Erie Sand Barrens 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.
- Sheldon Marsh State Nature Preserve · Erie County · about 6.6 miles
- Dupont Marsh State Nature Preserve · Erie County · about 7.8 miles
- Old Woman Creek State Nature Preserve and NERR · Erie County · about 10 miles
- Lakeside Daisy State Nature Preserve · Ottawa County · about 12 miles
- Augusta-Anne Olsen State Nature Preserve · Huron County · about 17 miles