15681 Old Rider Road Burton, Ohio 44021
Burton Wetlands Nature Preserve webpageAlso, see all the hotspots at:
Cuyahoga River-Upper Important Bird Area
The Kettle Trail is a 1.12-mile circle trail.
See all hotspots at Burton Wetlands
Burton Wetlands Nature Preserve in Burton Township is a 287-acre parcel that includes the Charles Dambach Preserve. Located within the upper Cuyahoga River watershed, Burton Wetlands was officially dedicated in 1999 as an Ohio State Nature Preserve.
Burton Wetlands grew through a series of acquisitions in the 1980s. The property surrounding Lake Kelso, purchased from Eric Westgren, once housed a private fishing club from the 1950s to the 1970s. The Dambach Preserve, named for renowned conservationist and onetime Burton resident Charles A. Dambach, was previously owned by The Nature Conservancy.
Burton Wetlands Nature Preserve is a system of forest, glacial relict ponds, and wetlands located in Geauga County. The preserve is made up of several sub-units including 22-acre Lake Kelso and the Charles Dambach Preserve. A designated National Natural Landmark, Burton Wetlands is widely considered to be one of the most ecologically significant areas in Geauga County.
This 287-acre parcel is part of a larger 700-acre complex of kettle holes, lower slope seeps, and wet flats referred to by The Nature Conservancy as the Cuyahoga Wetlands.
Burton Wetlands Nature Preserve supports several rare and endangered plants including green woodland orchid, bunchberry, and tamarack trees. Visitors should be wary of the lush growth of poison sumac along Lake Kelso.
Some of the rare animal species found here include northern waterthrush, veery, and four-toed salamander. The lake and adjacent wetlands attract a variety of migratory waterfowl. Other species of interest observed on a seasonal basis include bald eagle, osprey, tundra swan, and common loon.
Restrooms on site
Wheelchair accessible trail
Entrance fee
Roadside viewing
Content from Burton Wetlands Nature Preserve webpage