Erie MetroParks

List of parks and their locations

• East Sandusky Bay Preserve MetroPark, including:
• Joseph Steinen Wildlife Area,, purchased in 2003. Includes the official Erie County Ohio Bicentennial Barn, one of 88 barns painted with a special graphic design commemorating the 200th anniversary of Ohio statehood in 2003. A new farm animal park called "The Barnyard" is also located at the Bicentennial Barn. Open, with a primitive nature trail but with public access limited during special youth hunting seasons.
• Putnam Marsh Nature Preserve,, a protected natural area because of its importance as one of the last undeveloped naturally functioning marshes on the southern Lake Erie shoreline and a critical habitat area for many plants and animals. It was purchased in 2003. Public access is limited.
• Community Foundation Preserve at Eagle Point,, a wooded area named because it is the location of at least two bald eagle nest sites. Access to this park is restricted during the bald eagle nesting season, but open to the public at all other times.
• Wyandot Wetland Meadows Preserve,, the newest park area purchased in 2006. Open by permit only.
• Osborn MetroPark,, the first park developed by Erie MetroParks on the former Osborn State Prison Honor Farm, dedicated in 1975. Picnic shelters, a playground, soccer fields and baseball diamonds are available here along with walking trails and community gardens. The Frost Center building serves as the Park District headquarters and includes community meeting rooms. The operation department offices are located at the Maple Grove Center along with the "Erie MetroBark Park," a fenced, off-leash dog exercise area on the Hull Road side of the park.
• In addition, Erie MetroParks jointly manages the "East Sandusky Bay Extension", adjacent to the Community Foundation Preserve, the location of the former Sandusky Drive-in theater, with the City of Sandusky.

• James H. McBride Arboretum,, created in 1984, the arboretum was named in honor of Dr. James H. McBride, the first Dean of Firelands College. Managed for BGSU Firelands by Erie MetroParks.

• DuPont Marsh State Nature Preserve,, owned by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, and managed by Erie MetroParks.
• Huron River Greenway MetroPark, a rail trail constructed on an abandoned Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway line. The northern trailhead is in Huron Township and shares its parking lot and entrance with the DuPont Marsh State Nature Preserve.

• Pelton Park,, a small wooded park surrounded by residential and commercial development. Owned by Perkins Township.

• The Coupling MetroPark,, a combination of sloping and river bottom lands, including a seasonal boat launch on the Huron River; historic railroad freight cars converted to bunk houses and a historic Wheeling and Lake Erie Railway depot from Monroeville, Ohio, equipped with a kitchen and meeting room and available for rent by the public.

• Huron River Greenway MetroPark, follows the route of the former Milan Canal.

• Edison Woods MetroPark,, once slated to become a nuclear power plant, this site is now an important ecological area. It is the largest single park in the Erie MetroParks system with over of trails. It also contains some of the last old growth forest in Erie County and former farm fields that are being restored to native prairie.

• Hoffman Forest MetroPark,, consists of meadow-to-forest land in succession and mature forest plant communities.

• Castalia Quarry MetroPark,, formerly a limestone quarry, this once barren land is slowly returning to a natural state.

• Birmingham School MetroPark,, a small recreation park with a picnic ground and ball field. The location of the old Birmingham School building, demolished in 1986.