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Places We Protect

Kitty Todd Nature Preserve Salamander Flats

Ohio

Prairie habitat at Kitty Todd Nature Preserve's Salamander Flats.
Salamander Flats Restored mesic to wet sand prairie at Kitty Todd Nature Preserve's Salamander Flats © Pete Blank/TNC

Salamander Flats provides an opportunity to observe rare mesic to wet sand prairie habitat restored on the site of a former farm field.

Overview

Description

Part of the Kitty Todd Nature Preserve, Salamander Flats consists of rare mesic to wet prairie habitat and maturing wet flatwoods. Acquired in 2011, the original homestead was composed of 14 acres of agriculture field with a man-made ditch running east-west through the middle of the property. TNC collaborated with faculty members from the University of Toledo to plan a high-quality restoration of the site that would create approximately four acres of Category 3 wetland and 10 acres of high diversity prairie. The Salamander Flats trail opened to the public in 2017.

The benefits of restoring wetland habitat are profound, providing critical wildlife habitat while helping secure cleaner water for all. Wetlands act as kidneys to watersheds, filtering out sediments and excessive nutrients, retaining storm water to prevent downstream flooding and providing areas for the public to connect to nature in a highly urbanized region.

Access

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Hours

The preserve is open year-round from dawn to dusk.

Highlights

Look for a variety of butterflies and birds. Year-round activities include: Hiking, birding, wildlife-watching, nature photography and observing native plants.

Size

Salamander Flats is part of the 1,400-acre Kitty Todd Nature Preserve.

Explore our work in this region

Photos from Salamander Flats

There's so much to see at Salamander Flats including a diversity of birds, butterflies, dragonflies, wildflowers and more!

Eastern towhee bird sitting in tree.
Trailhead sign at Salamander Flats.
Calico pennant dragonfly.
Meadow fritillary butterfly.
White-tailed deer fawn among blue lupine at Salamander Flats.
Twisted yellow-eyed grass blooms in the wet prairie at Salamander Flats.
Common ringlet butterfly.
Little blue dragonlet dragonfly.
Cedar waxwing bird in tree.
Wet prairie habitat at Salamander Flats.
Eastern towhee bird sitting in tree.

Eastern Towhee: Pipilo erythrophthalmus © Jackie Riley

Trailhead sign at Salamander Flats.

Salamander Flats Trail: The Salamander Flats Trail leads hikers through a mix of restored mesic to wet sand prairie habitat and continues into maturing wet flatwoods. © Pete Blank/TNC

Calico pennant dragonfly.

Calico Pennant Dragonfly: Celithemis elisa © Jackie Riley

Meadow fritillary butterfly.

Meadow Fritillary: Boloria bellona © Jan Dixon

White-tailed deer fawn among blue lupine at Salamander Flats.

White-tailed Deer Fawn: Odocoileus virginianus © Jackie Riley

Twisted yellow-eyed grass blooms in the wet prairie at Salamander Flats.

Salamander Flats: Twisted yellow-eyed grass blooms in the wet prairie. © Brian Yahn/TNC

Common ringlet butterfly.

Common Ringlet: Coenonympha tullia © Jackie Riley

Little blue dragonlet dragonfly.

Little Blue Dragonlet: Erythrodiplax minuscula © Jackie Riley

Cedar waxwing bird in tree.

Cedar Waxwing: Bombycilla cedrorum © Jackie Riley

Wet prairie habitat at Salamander Flats.

Salamander Flats: Part of the Kitty Todd Nature Preserve, Salamander Flats offers visitors rare mesic to wet sand prairie habitats and a diversity of wildlife visitors. © Pete Blank/TNC

Visit

  • Visitors may see the following when visiting Kitty Todd Nature Preserve and surrounding habitats:

    Plants: Big bluestem, black oak, colic root, fringed gentian, grass pink orchid, lowbush blueberry, pin oak, prickly pear cactus, rough blazing star, wild lupine

    Mammals: American badger, coyote, Southern flying squirrel

    Birds: Sandhill cranes, bald eagles, American woodcock, dickcissel, Eastern bluebird, field sparrow, lark sparrow, red-headed woodpecker, vesper sparrow

    Insects/Butterflies: Ant lion, black swallowtail, Karner blue butterfly

    Reptiles and Amphibians: Blue racer, blue-spotted salamander, Eastern hognose snake, spotted turtle

  • Recreational activities at Kitty Todd Nature Preserve Salamander Flats include:

    • The preserve is open to the public for hiking, wildlife-watching, and volunteering.
    • The first section of the ¾-mile loop trail (stay left) provides an opportunity to observe rare mesic to wet sand prairie habitat restored on the site of a former farm field. The trail then leaves the wet prairie and continues into a maturing wet flatwoods community. The last section of trail leaves the flatwoods to emerge back onto the open prairie, as it loops back to the parking lot. Trail maps can be found in the Resources section of the Overview tab.
    • Find out how to become a volunteer.
    • Kitty Todd is a stop along the Lake Erie Birding Trail. See what other sites are on the route.

  • Our vision is of a world where people and nature thrive together. The Nature Conservancy encourages people of all ages, races, ethnicities, religions, gender expressions, and abilities to visit our preserves and has a zero-tolerance policy for racism and discrimination.

    The following activities are prohibited at Kitty Todd Nature Preserve Salamander Flats:

    • Pets of any kind (service animals are permitted)
    • Biking and mountain biking
    • Camping
    • Driving an ATV or off-road vehicle
    • Cooking or campfires
    • Horseback riding
    • Hunting
    • Picking flowers, berries, nuts or mushrooms
    • Removing any part of the natural landscape
    • Snowmobiling

    For information about the use of other power-driven mobility devices (OPDMDs) at our open preserves, visit our OPDMD guidelines.

Find More Places We Protect

The Nature Conservancy owns nearly 1,500 preserves covering more than 2.5 million acres across all 50 states. These lands protect wildlife and natural systems, serve as living laboratories for innovative science and connect people to the natural world.

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