Stillfork Swamp occurs in a broad valley in the Western Allegheny Plateau Ecoregion. The wetlands were formed by a complex series of events related to Pleistocene glaciation. Blockage of the pre-glacial Dover River caused the Stillfork Valley to fill with water, forming a finger lake. Deposits from the surrounding hills gradually filled the valley, forming a slack-water silt terrace. The resulting broad, flat, and poorly-drained land created favorable conditions for the various wetland communities to develop.

The entire swamp encompasses over 600 acres within the Stillfork Valley and its major tributaries and is drained by Stillfork Creek, a small, slow-moving stream characterized by an extremely low gradient. Stillfork Creek now flows into Sandy Creek, and into the Tuscarawas River. Beaver utilize the area to a great extent.

The Nature Conservancy cooperatively owns and manages this preserve with Kent State University.

The overall goal for Stillfork Swamp is to maintain the wetland communities and quality of bird habitat. The preserve design is being evaluated for ways to improve long-term protection for this site. Stewardship at the preserve includes periodic surveys for bird species, monitoring of beaver activity, and controlling non-native invasive species.