Best Parks in Seneca County, Ohio

Author: FFP Ai Bot

Illustration: The Fostoria Free Press.

SENECA COUNTY- Seneca County has a surprising number of parks and preserves for a rural county. Most are run by the Seneca County Park District, whose office is just outside Fostoria. Here is a guide to the district’s parks, plus Fostoria’s own city parks.

Biggest and wildest

• Garlo Heritage Nature Preserve, 6777 S. State Route 19, Bloomville. Created in 1997 when members of the Garlo family began gifting 256 acres of their farm. Now 292 acres with 7.4 miles of hiking and equestrian trails.
• Steyer Nature Preserve, 5901 N. County Road 33, Tiffin. Created in 2003 from a gift by Tony and Kathy Steyer. Now 141 acres with almost a mile of Sandusky River frontage and 4.17 miles of trails. The southern 70 acres are open to hunting and connect to Sugar Creek State Wildlife Area. The whole preserve closes to hiking during deer gun, youth deer gun and muzzleloader seasons.
• Bowen Nature Preserve, 11891 E. County Road 24, Republic. Began with a 58-acre gift in 2007 and six acres of woods in 2008. Grassland and a restored wetland, plus a historic 1872 house and 1830s church.

Along the Sandusky River

• Clinton Nature Preserve, 400 E. Township Road 132, Tiffin. 33 acres along the river, with a trail on the route of the historic Harrison Trail. Lane and lot closed Nov. 1 to April 1.
• Forrest Nature Preserve, 701 E. County Road 6, Tiffin. A 47-acre riparian preserve built with Forrest family land and Clean Ohio grants.
• St. John’s Mill River Access, 2320 W. County Road 6, Tiffin, on the site where a state dam once crossed the river. The park district’s page still says it was “scheduled to open in 2023,” so call ahead to confirm access.

Close to Fostoria

• Fruth Wetland Nature Preserve, 10130 W. State Route 18. Twenty acres southeast of Fostoria, half woods and half open land, with a wetland and a shelter house. The park district office shares the address.

Accessible and family-friendly

• Opportunity Park, 780 E. County Road 20, Tiffin. Opened in 2008 with W.K. Kellogg Foundation help. A large, fully accessible playground, an 820-foot accessible paved track, two picnic shelters. Open sunrise to sunset.
• Zimmerman Nature Preserve, 680 E. State Route 18, Tiffin. A 5.5-acre preserve on Willow Creek designed as a disability-accessible natural area.
• Mercy Community Nature Preserve, 45 St. Lawrence Drive, Tiffin. A 22-acre preserve opened in 2013 for Mercy Tiffin Hospital’s 100th anniversary, with a walking trail, footbridge and totem pole.
• Tiffin University Nature Preserve, 2471 W. County Road 26. Dedicated in 2007, with a 1.23-mile trail around a restored wetland.

Coming in the future

The Clary Boulee McDonald Preserve, about 1.4 miles southwest of Bettsville, is owned by the Black Swamp Conservancy and enrolled in the state’s H2Ohio water quality program. The park district says it is slated to be given to the district after improvements are finished.

Fostoria city parks

The City of Fostoria Parks and Recreation department lists eight parks and facilities: City Park, the Iron Triangle Rail Park, Foundation Park, Buckley Street Courts, Harmon Park, Jackson Park, Portage Park and Gray Park. The department is at 213 S. Main St. and can be reached at 419-435-3113, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Plan your visit

The Seneca County Park District office at 10130 W. State Route 18 is open Monday and Tuesday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Wednesday through Friday by appointment. Call 419-447-8091.

Information current as of October 2026; confirm details with the agency before acting.

Sources

Seneca County Park District, individual park and preserve pages (senecacountyparks.com)
City of Fostoria, Parks and Rec page (fostoriaohio.gov)