Blue Creek Conservation Area
Waterville-Neapolis Road
at Schadel Road, Whitehouse
NOTE: This park is currently open only during special events. It is not yet open on a daily basis.
One of the newest additions to the Metroparks is steeped in history, dating to the late 1700s when the Ottawa, Chippewa, Wyandot and Potawatomi people lived, hunted and farmed in the area. The property, near Whitehouse, was the site of limestone quarries in the mid- to late-1800s. In 1917, the city of Toledo bought the land to build a prison farm. The Toledo House of Corrections operated from 1918 until early 1991.
Located on the edge of the Oak Openings region, Blue Creek has glacial grooves, a pond, a wetland and an oak savanna. A focal point is a 20,873-square-foot barn with a gambrel roof and plank frame built in the late 1920s. The barn is being renovated and will be used for programs.
Blue Creek Partners
Nature's Nursery Center for Wildlife Rehabilitation and Conservation Education operates a wildlife rehab center at the Blue Creek.
Lucas Soil & Water Conservation District manages the agricultural land and conducts educational programs at Blue Creek.
The Anthony Wayne Youth Foundation manages youth recreation programs on part of the Blue Creek Conservation Area that is leased to the village of Whitehouse. The Whitehouse public library also is located on the property.
