Secrets of Seneca County Historical Driving Tour | Garlo Heritage Nature Preserve

Embark on a captivating journey through the wondrous past of Seneca County, Ohio, with the Secrets of Seneca County Historical Driving Tour! The next stop on the journey is: Garlo Heritage Nature Preserve (6777 South SR 19, Bloomville, OH 44818, Stop #4)

Garlo Heritage Nature Preserve is the first and largest of the eleven parks in the Seneca Parks system.mIt’s 302 acres are comprised of 5 miles of trails, some 68 acres of wetlands, 38 acres of woodlands, 56 acres of grasslands, 114 acres of croplands, an activity & historic area, and a nature-based preschool. The district’s mission is: To preserve, protect, manage, and promote our natural resources; to educate and develop an appreciation of the natural, rural, historical, and cultural aspects of Seneca County.

This park was initiated by a land gift in December of 1998 by Dr. Olgierd Garlo and his daughters. The Garlo family had purchased this land in 1961. Through dams and dykes, Dr. Garlo modified much of the wetlands, including creating the 37 acre shallow lake and three ponds.

Perhaps the most unique feature of this park is these wetlands that have been here since pre-historic times. The underlying bog is apparently as deep as twenty-one feet, composed of partially decayed vegetative material that filled in a gorge created by a glacier of the Pleistocene Ice Age, known in this area as the Wisconsin Ice Age of 10,000 years ago. This bog was a rich source of food, fiber and other natural resources for Native Americans of the area. Many of these unique resources were not found in the more common surrounding upland areas of woodlands and prairies.

Some areas of Garlo are paved for convenient accessibility. Catch and release fishing with a license is allowed. Hunting is prohibited. Garlo Heritage Nature Preserve is open to the public daily, sunrise to sunset. For more information visit SenecaCountyParks.com.