Birding at Hebron State Fish Hatchery

General Information

Address

10517 Canal Rd., Hebron, OH 43025

County/Counties

Licking

DeLorme Page Number and Coordinates

(7th Edition and earlier) pg. 69: A 5, 6

Nearest Town or City

About 28 miles east of Columbus, and about 7 miles south of Newark, Ohio.

Directions from Nearest Town or City

To get to the hatchery driving from Columbus, take SR 37 south off I-70, after two miles turn left on SR 79 and go another two miles and turn left on Canal Rd; the hatchery is one mile on the right.

To get to the hatchery from the east take I -70 and get off at the Buckeye Lake Newark exit. (Exit 129A), turn right, north, and about 1/10 of a mile turn left onto Business Rt. 79. This turn is shortly after you cross over a river. Drive about 8/10 of a mile and look for a brown sign on your left, Fish Hatchery. The street is Cumberland and when it veers left, it becomes Canal Drive. , Follow this road and drive under I 70. The entrance to the hatchery will be on your left. (It is the second road on the left.)

Driving from Hebron, take Business Rt. 79 south from Rt. 40, about 1/10 of a mile and you will see a brown sign, Fish Hatchery. The street is Cumberland and when it veers left, it becomes Canal Drive. Follow this road and drive under I 70. The entrance to the hatchery will be on your left. (It is the second road on the left.)

About Hebron State Fish Hatchery

Self-Guided Tour and trail maps are available in the Administration/Education Building. They sometimes are found in a holder near the trail map sign. It reads in part as follows: “This 230-acre facility was acquired from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 1982. This hatchery has 63 ponds, 13 indoor rearing troughs, 25 acres of wetlands, and 50 wooded acres with 2.5 miles of nature trails. Water is supplied by Buckeye Lake (5,000 gallons per minute capacity) through a 1.5-mile section of the old Ohio Erie Canal. As one of the Division of Wildlife’s “Watchable Wildlife Areas,” the hatchery attracts bird watchers and wildlife enthusiasts.”

Visiting Information

Closed hours/season

Open all year during daylight hours. Wetland area is closed in the fall on Saturday and Sunday mornings for the Youth Waterfowl Hunt. Dates vary and signs are posted.

Parking Areas

Yes.

Fees/Permits

None.

Restroom Facilities

Available in Administration/Education Building during open hours Monday through Friday 8:00 AM – 4:30 PM.

Restaurants in the Area

Fast food at the intersection of Rt. 79 and I-70. Many restaurants located eight miles north on Rt. 79. Two pizza restaurants are south on Rt. 79.

Other Birding Spots in the Area

Buckeye Lake viewing from public areas, Denison Biological Reserve, Blackhand Gorge, Dawes Arboretum.