This 305-acre park is located within the upper Cuyahoga River watershed and includes Lake Kelso, a pristine glacier-formed kettle lake, and the Charles Dambach Preserve. In 1999, it received the designation of Ohio State Nature Preserve, which limited its open hours to 6 AM to 9 PM daily. Three trails total 1.52 miles.
Burton Wetlands Nature Preserve is a great place to see the sights, but has no facilities.
Multiple trails, including the Kettle Trail Loop, will show you the sights.
Glacier Trail – 0.22 – gravel
Kettle Trail – 1.12 – grass
Kettle Trail Loop – 0.18 – grass
Burton Wetlands is a living conservancy designed to save the species who live here.
Burton Wetlands is part of a 1,000-acre system of kettle bogs, lower slope seeps and wet flats known as the Cuyahoga Wetlands, an area relatively undisturbed since the last Ice Age. Together, Geauga Park District and fellow area land owners/managers The Nature Conservancy, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, and the City of Akron are instrumental in the cooperative management and preservation of this ecologically significant area and its threatened and endangered species.
Uncommon species found here include Northern Waterthrush, Veery and Four-toed Salamander. At various times throughout the year, Lake Kelso is a home or resting place for Bald Eagles, Osprey, Tundra Swans, Common Loons and a variety of migrating ducks and geese.
Due to the vulnerability of park’s aquatic habitats, public boating and fishing is not permitted on Lake Kelso.
| Event | Location | Date | Time | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Learn to Canoe (Ages 10+ w/adult) | Burton Wetlands Nature Preserve | 06/02/2024 | 9:00 am - 12:00 pm | Free |
| Basic Learn to Kayak (Ages 10+ w/adult) | Burton Wetlands Nature Preserve | 06/02/2024 | 1:00 pm - 4:00 pm | Free |
| Lake Kelso Kayak (Ages 10+ w/adult) | Burton Wetlands Nature Preserve | 06/08/2024 | 10:00 am - 11:30 am | Free |
| Hound Hike | Burton Wetlands Nature Preserve | 06/23/2024 | 9:30 am - 10:30 am | Free |
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