Cedar Point National Wildlife Refuge

Cedar Point National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1964 when the owners of the Cedar Point Shooting Club donated the land to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The refuge is now about 2,630 acres (10.6 km2) of marsh that is divided into three pools. The largest one is almost 2,000 acres (8.1 km2), it is the largest contiguous marsh in Ohio's Lake Erie marshes. These marshes were once connected to the vast Great Black Swamp wetlands complex until it was drained in the 19th-century for farming. This refuge is mostly closed off to the public, but between June and August, about 40 acres are open for fishing. Cedar Point National Wildlife Refuge is managed by the staff from Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge out in Oak Harbor, Ohio which is located off of Route 2. The purpose was to maintain the natural wildlife population on balance with the habitat available while decreasing and limiting exotic plant and animal species. This refuge is not to be used as a public park, campground or picnic area.