Place

Ira Trailhead Information

Two door restrooms (left) and a three sided information kiosk along the driveway with a trail (right — The trailhead has restrooms, picnic tables, and an information kiosk with more exhibits beyond.
NPS / Arrye Rosser

Accessible Sites, Audio Description, Historical/Interpretive Information/Exhibits, Information Kiosk/Bulletin Board, Parking - Auto, Picnic Table, Restroom, Restroom - Accessible, Tactile Exhibit, Toilet - Vault/Composting, Trailhead, Trash/Litter Receptacles, Wheelchair Accessible

Ira Trailhead is the gateway to Beaver Marsh, an extensive wetland popular for seeing and photographing wildlife. Once a dairy farm and then an auto salvage yard, the marsh reminds us of nature’s resilience. From the trailhead, walk a quarter mile north on the Towpath Trail to the boardwalk viewing area.

People and beavers both did work to create the marsh. After the National Park Service purchased the property, volunteers cleaned up the site. Beavers moved in after a 150-year absence. They built a system of dams to hold water in the marsh. It includes a dam across the Ohio & Erie Canal, as well as walls of mud and sticks that you can see surrounding the deepest water along the Beaver Marsh boardwalk.

Today the area is popular for birdwatching, wildlife watching, bicycling, hiking, photography, and much more. The trail is often congested. Use caution by staying to the right, controlling children and pets, and watching for passing cyclists.

Photo Gallery

Beaver Marsh

27 Images

The Beaver Marsh was created by beavers that moved in along remnants of the Ohio & Erie Canal. The area had been a farm and later a junkyard, which was cleaned up by a community effort. Today the area offers visitors the chance to explore a wetland first-hand and up close by a boardwalk through the marsh.