The Group Camp is the most diverse area of Hueston Woods. Along the road heading into the camp is mostly swampy woodlands, the wetter areas have produced Yellow-crowned Night-heron, American Bittern, Olive-sided Flycatcher, and not uncommonly Winter Wren.

To the north of the camps are three settling ponds, which have water pumped into them when the lake is dredged. The settling ponds and adjacent utility cut are generally good for more open-land species, including sparrows, Willow Flycatcher, Yellow-breasted Chat, White-eyed Vireo, Prairie Warbler, etc. The upper settling pond fills up with silt and then must be re-excavated, meaning the specific habitat changes throughout the years. Deeper water means the ponds are good for ducks and herons, but in the past few years the upper pond has been mostly full of silt, creating weeds and excellent sparrow habitat. The upper pond almost always has great habitat for shorebirds. 

The actual group camps are situated along a creek, which is worth checking for ducks and herons. The camps are also very good for passerines. Warbler and other migrants seem especially common in the fall.

Past the 3rd group camp there is a network of bike trails, one of which travels along the lake shore and leads to an inlet in the northeast corner of the lake. This corner of the lake is excellent for shorebirds, dabbling ducks, wading birds, and sometimes resting gulls and terns. Rarities have included Limpkin, Wood Stork, Snowy Egret, Little Blue Heron, Piping Plover, and many other rare shorebirds. Rails and Rusty Blackbirds are sometimes found in the wet areas around the hotspot.

During the winter the gravel road to the Group Camp is blocked off, so walking is the only way to access the area. A parking lot is right across the street, just next to Hedge Row Road.

The rich soils of the area are part of the glacial till plains of western Ohio. Early settlers cleared the dense woodlands to farm the fertile soil. Nearly all of Ohio’s original forest has since vanished. However, one unique stand of virgin timber remains at Hueston Woods. Over 200 acres have been protected and provide visitors with a glimpse of Ohio’s primeval forest. Stately beech and sugar maple tower above the abundance of ferns, wildflowers, and other woodland species. In 1967, the 200-acre forest was designated a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service.

Hueston Woods State Park located in southwest Ohio has an enormous wealth of natural resources. The limestone bedrock of the area is evidence of an ancient shallow sea that once covered Ohio. Much of the limestone is the magnesium-bearing type called dolomite. Fossilized remains of ancient marine animals are so abundant that people from all over the world come to Hueston Woods to collect them.