Grand River Conservation Campus

Ohio

Two people paddle a red plastic canoe on a calm, broad stream lined with trees. — Grand River at Morgan Swamp Preserve Canoeing the Grand River at Morgan Swamp Preserve © Kent Mason

Phone: +1 614-717-2770
Email: ohio@tnc.org
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Nestled within Morgan Swamp Preserve, the Grand River Conservation Campus includes facilities and grounds for recreation, environmental education and restoration.

Overview
Photos
Visit
Nature Center
Our Work

Overview

Description

NOTE: To ensure a safe and healthy environment for everyone, the Dr. James K. Bissell Nature Center has been closed to the public. We are pleased to announce that the nature center will be open on Saturday and Sunday, May 7-8, 2022, from 1 to 5 p.m. both days and will remain open on weekends through October. For a full list of 2022 Bissell Nature Center programming, see our list of special events.

Grand River Conservation Campus

The Grand River Conservation Campus has been shaped by the generations of people who have lived and worked here—from early settlers who farmed the land, to a private hunting retreat in the early 1900s, to a religious retreat for Jewish and, later, Christian communities.

Today, as part of The Nature Conservancy’s Morgan Swamp Preserve, the Grand River Conservation Campus remains a place where people can enjoy nature through numerous passive recreation opportunities, all within a beautiful backdrop of unique habitats, rare plants and abundant wildlife. In fact, a hemlock yellow-birch forest community, one of the rarest swamp forest communities in Ohio, still thrives on the Campus grounds.

The Campus offers a number of amenities that are open to the public, including the Dr. James K. Bissell Nature Center, nature trails, an Accessible fishing pier at Bliss Pond, a canoe/kayak launch on the State Designated Wild & Scenic Grand River, and a children’s playground. There is also a pavilion for picnicking and a gymnasium that can be rented out for athletic activities and other events. Click the Visit tab on this page for facilities rental information.

Access

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

Address: 3973 Callender Road, Rock Creek OH 44084 Phone: 440-563-3081

Location

Northeast Ohio near Rock Creek

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Hours

The Dr. James K. Bissell Nature Center is free and open to the public Saturdays and Sundays from 1:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m., April through October. The trails, canoe launch and grounds at the Campus and Morgan Swamp Preserve are open year-round, daily from dawn to dusk. Due to COVID-19, there may be restrictions on the hours of operation for the nature center. Please call before you visit for current hours and to learn about any programs being offered, including virtual.

Wheelchair Accessible

The Bissell Nature Center is wheelchair accessible, as is the public pavilion, which is connected to the nature center by a 4-foot-wide concrete pathway. There is an accessible section of the Grand River Trail adjacent to the pond, which leads to the Grand River Overlook and fishing pier (catch and release only). There is accessible parking available near the pavilion/nature center as well as by the Grand River Trailhead.

Highlights

The Grand River Conservation Campus at Morgan Swamp Preserve offers a nature center, playground, pavilion, fishing pier, pond, trails, interpretive signage, canoe/kayak launch and a gymnasium available for community rental.

Resources

Explore our work in this region

Photos from the Grand River Conservation Campus

The Grand River Conservation Campus at Morgan Swamp Preserve is a serene setting of facilities and grounds used for recreation, environmental education, and restoration.

Grand River Conservation Campus signage.

Grand River Campus: The Campus is part of Morgan Swamp Preserve. © Kent Mason

Hikers walking one of the trails at the Grand River Conservation Campus.

Hiking on Campus: There are 3 hiking trails to choose from at the Campus. © Kent Mason

Grand River at Morgan Swamp Preserve: Canoeing is one of many activities at the Campus. © Kent Mason

Hikers walking along a pond in the woods.

Morgan Swamp Preserve: One of the four trails travels through the woods and along a portion of the Grand River. Stay observant, as otter, beaver and other wildlife are known to inhabit the river. © Kent Mason

GLRI Strike Team: Volunteers often assist with invasive species removal. © Randall L. Schieber

Bissell Nature Center: The Center is a resource for educators & students. © David Ike

Playground at the Grand River Conservation Campus.

Grand River Campus: Kids can play in nature on the Campus playground. © Kent Mason

Vernal pools amid a forest of trees and ferns.

Morgan Swamp Preserve: Extensive vernal pools at the preserve are the breeding sites for many amphibians like spotted salamanders and wood frogs. © Terry Seidel/TNC

Signage for the Grand River Conservation Campus.

Conservation Campus Signage: The Grand River Conservation Campus is a part of TNC's Morgan Swamp Preserve in Ohio. © Kent Mason

A group of hikers following a trail overlooking a pond.

Grand River Hiking: A group of hikers following the trail overlooking Bliss Pond at the Grand River Conservation Campus at Morgan Swamp Preserve. © Kent Mason

Visit

What to See

As part of the Morgan Swamp Preserve, the Grand River Conservation Campus harbors an array of interesting and rare species, many of which are associated with boreal habitats and are near the southern edge of their ranges in North America. Beautiful trails throughout the Campus provide the opportunity to take it all in, through a walk along the state-designated Wild and Scenic Grand River and into a rich hemlock swamp, dotted with vernal pools that teem with life.

The Grand River Conservation Campus also offers a nature center, a playground, a pavilion, a fishing pier and trail, interpretive signage, a canoe launch and a gymnasium available for community rental.
Trail Information
Visitors to Grand River Conservation Camp can explore several walking trails:
- Bliss Pond Trail—an easy .2 mile trail with overlooks of the Grand River and the Conservation Campus and a fishing pier.
- Grand River Trail—an easy .3 mile trail along the Grand River that connects with the Hemlock Swamp & Bliss Pond trails. Visitors can enjoy an accessible section of the Grand River Trail adjacent to the pond, which leads to the Grand River Overlook and fishing pier (catch and release only).
- Hemlock Swamp Trail—a moderate, 1-mile trail that starts from the Grand River Trail, winds through a unique hemlock yellow birch forest and overlooks a beaver pond.
Gymnasium Use and Rental Information

The Grand River Conservation Campus gymnasium is available for hourly, daily and multi-day use. Please see the full GRCC Gymnasium Use & Rental Guide for more information. For questions, or to reserve the gymnasium, please contact Erin O'Rourke at eorourke@tnc.org or 614-717-2770 x 1001.

Gym Rental Information

Gym Use & Rental Guide (.pdf)
Gym Use & Rental Agreement (.pdf)

Dr. James K. Bissell Nature Center

Address: 3973 Callender Road, Rock Creek OH 44084

On October 21, 2017, The Dr. James K. Bissell Nature Center opened its doors for the first time. The nature center is open Saturdays and Sundays from 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm April through October. Special events, programs and tours are offered seasonally. For a full list of 2022 Bissell Nature Center programming, see our list of special events.

The center features exhibits for both adults and children depicting the natural history of Morgan Swamp Preserve and the Grand State Wild & Scenic River. The creation of this center was made possible through grassroots efforts and a strong volunteer base interested in enriching area communities. Local schools frequently visit the center for field trips and special programs.

For teachers and group organizers, see our list of programs offered at Bissell Nature Center.

Please contact bissellnaturecenter@tnc.org or 440-563-3081 for more information or to volunteer.

Photos from the Nature Center

Hikers looking out over Bliss Pond and the Grand River Conservation Campus. — **Grand River Campus** The Campus sits on the 2,000 acre Morgan Swamp Preserve. It's a place where people connect with nature through a number of recreation opportunities. © Kent Mason

Kids explore the natural world at the Grand River Conservation Campus. — **Grand River Campus** The Campus serves as a resource for educators and their students, who are invited to explore the grounds as part of field trip experiences. © David Ike

A woman in a blue jacket points toward tall plants and talks with a group of children in the fall. — **James K. Bissell Nature Center** A class enjoys an educational nature hike through Morgan Swamp Preserve. © David Ike

Boy with red hair and blue plaid shirt looks into a glass terrarium that shows a rotting log and a look at the soil underneath it, along with organisms that like that habitat. — **James K. Bissell Nature Center** There are many educational displays to explore and ways to learn about nature in Ohio. © David Ike

Inside view of the Nature Center showing taxidermied animals and nature displays. — **Bissell Nature Center** The view inside the Dr. James K. Bissell Nature Center with wildlife taxidermy and displays. © David Ike

CURRENT CONSERVATION WORK

At the Grand River Conservation Campus, there is always a flurry of activity focused on ongoing restoration, recreation and education. Past and current projects at the Campus include:

In 2017, the Conservancy opens the Dr. James K. Bissell Nature Center—the first nature center of its kind in Ashtabula County.
In 2016, the Conservancy enters into an agreement with Lake Erie College to allow students and faculty access to the Campus, Morgan Swamp Preserve, and other Conservancy preserves in northeast Ohio for guided research opportunities.
In 2015, the Conservancy is granted its third Great Lakes Restoration Initiative-funded project for northeast Ohio. The project resulted in the control of invasive species on an additional 500 acres throughout the Grand River watershed.
In 2014, the Civic Development Corporation of Ashtabula County gives the Conservancy a grant of $44,350 to create Accessible and primitive foot trails, an accessible fishing pier, and interpretative signage. The Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Division of Wildlife grants the Conservancy $6,000 to construct a canoe access point along the Grand River.
In 2013, outlying buildings are removed to reduce the Campus’ footprint and restore areas to a more natural condition.
In 2012, a Conservancy project funded by the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative controls 400 acres of invasive species in the Ashtabula River watershed.
In 2011, the first Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI)-funded project in the Grand River watershed results in the control of 831 acres of invasive plant species throughout the watershed.
In 2011, the Conservancy acquires the Grand River Conservation Campus through a generous donation from the Cleveland-based City Mission. This acquisition expands the Morgan Swamp Preserve by nearly 60 acres and increases protection efforts along the Grand River.

Northern Ohio Watershed Corps As part of the Northeast Ohio Restoration Team, TNC hosts members of the Northern Ohio Watershed Corps (NOWCorps).

Northeast Ohio Restoration Team

Capacity, equipment and expertise are common threads that continue to challenge restoration and stewardship of natural areas as new lands are protected and new threats emerge. Recognizing this need, The Nature Conservancy created the Northeast Ohio Restoration Team to provide stewardship services for continuing conservation efforts in the region including knowledgeable staff, equipment and supplies.

As part of the Northeast Ohio Restoration Team, TNC hosts members of the Northern Ohio Watershed Corps (NOWCorps). Funded through ServeOhio AmeriCorps, NOWCorps works with watershed groups, soil and water conservation districts, city and county government offices and other conservation nonprofits to facilitate outreach, education, capacity building, environmental stewardship and stormwater management.

For more information, contact the Grand River Restoration Coordinator, Derrick Cooper, at derrick.cooper@tnc.org.

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Grand River Conservation Campus