Swamp Cottonwood State Nature Preserve
Medina County, Ohio
Our take written by Nature Awed
Swamp Cottonwood in Medina County protects a population of swamp cottonwood in wet depressions with sphagnum moss, poison sumac and highbush blueberry.
Ferns and spring wildflowers grow in the surrounding woods. ODNR's page lists no trail system and no facilities, with parking near the entrance sign along Williams Rd.
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
This preserve has one of Ohio's best populations of swamp cottonwood, a rare species in Ohio. The wet depressions support swamp cottonwood, as well as a variety of other interesting wetland plants including sphagnum moss, poison sumac and highbush blueberry.
The woods surrounding the central wet depression have a variety of ferns and a good spring wildflower display.
Visiting
Open 1/2 hour before sunrise to 1/2 hour after sunset
Pets are not permitted
No facilities. Park near entrance sign along Williams Rd.
Verify current visiting hours and access restrictions with ODNR's page before relying on these hours.
Trails
No trail system present.
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
Swamp Cottonwood 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Swamp Cottonwood Dedicated Natural Area | MEDINA | Dedicated Nature Preserve | 20.27 | Division of Natural Areas and Preserves |
| Mapped acres | 20.27 (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 | 41.0053, -82.1543 (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: Swamp Cottonwood 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.
- Fowler Woods State Nature Preserve · Richland County · about 17 miles
- Augusta-Anne Olsen State Nature Preserve · Huron County · about 22 miles
- Johnson Woods State Nature Preserve · Wayne County · about 23 miles
- Brown's Lake Bog State Nature Preserve · Wayne County · about 23 miles
- Bonnett Pond Bog State Nature Preserve · Holmes County · about 24 miles · permit