COLUMBUS, OH – Nature enthusiasts throughout Ohio are encouraged to enter a lottery to tour Ohio's only floating island – Cranberry Bog State Nature Preserve in Buckeye Lake – during the bog's annual open house from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, June 18.
Attendance at this popular open house is limited, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR), Division of Natural Areas and Preserves.
Anyone interested in touring the bog on June 18 should send a postcard to the ODNR Division of Natural Areas & Preserves, 2045 Morse Road, Building C-3, Columbus, Ohio 43229. Postcards must be postmarked by May 31 and contain the following information: contact name, address with zip code, daytime phone number and total number of people in the party (not to exceed four). Only one postcard will be accepted per family.
The lottery drawing will be held in early June, and winners will be notified by mail. Walk-in visitors are welcome to attend, however, they will not be guaranteed a time slot. Boat transportation to and from the island will be provided by the Greater Buckeye Lake Historical Society for a donation of $5 per person.
Cranberry Bog is one of Ohio's most unique natural areas. The 11-acre island, located approximately 100 yards off the north shoreof Buckeye Lake in Fairfield County, was registered as a National Natural Landmark in 1968. Its unique composition gives the island a spongy surface, therefore visitors are required to remain on the boardwalk.
The island dates from 1830 when Buckeye Lake was created as a feeder reservoir for the Ohio & Erie Canal. A 50-acre portion of the lake’s bed, once a thriving sphagnum bog, rose with the waters. Cranberry Bog is what remains of that portion after nearly two centuries.
Aside from the annual open house, visitation to Cranberry Bog State Nature Preserve is by written permit only.
ODNR ensures a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all. Visit the ODNR Web site at www.ohiodnr.com.
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