Zoar Wetland Arboretum
Nestled between the historic Village of Zoar
and the Tuscarawas River lies an 82 acre wetland that Earth Action
Partnership now owns. Our goal is to interpret the wetland as an
Arboretum by planting, identifying, and
maintaining a larger diversity of trees, plants, and flowers for public education and enjoyment.
We
offer tree trimming, planting, and identification workshops using our
own woods as the classroom.
The picnic shelter sits on the foundation of the original 1830's Zoar Brewery.
The shelter and patio offers a spectacular view of the wetland.
Visitors can park next to the shelter and walk in two directions from the office. First, to the left is the Guardlock Trail that follows the base of the levee. Across the path is an orange gate to keep vehicles from driving into the woods, but hikers are welcome to walk through. Follow the mowed path along the levee and into the woods where you will find trees that have been identified with signs.
The Guardlock Trail takes you past the newly established Dogwood Grove and Wildflower Loop Trail. Continue on to the Tuscarawas River where the trail splits. Follow the sign downstream to get to the Towpath Trail or upstream to the River Trail.
The foundations of the historic Zoar Power House and Side-cut Feeder Canal Guardlock are located at this juncture. The River Trail follows the Tuscarawas River upstream until it ends at the open field. It is from this point that we envision a boardwalk spanning the shallow marsh to the other side of the wetland...For now visitors must return the same way.
The second path from the picnic shelter is the Cemetery Trail that follows the edge of the lake towards the Zoar Cemetery. This path is the original wagon road extension of 5th street connecting Zoar to Bolivar in the 1800's, before Rt. 212 was built. The "street" is now a wide grassy path that ends at a washed out gully. Again, where the path ends is where the future boardwalk will connect from the other side of the wetland.
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Directions: From highway 77 exit at the Bolivar/Rt. 212 exit and turn east towards Wilkshire Hills. Drive approx. 3 miles to Zoar and turn right at 5th Street, away from the fire station and church. Drive through the stop sign and over the top of the levee where the street turns into a gravel lane. The picnic shelter and parking area is at the bottom of the lane. |