Site Details

Pin Oak Marsh--Observation Area - Lucas County

GPS Coordinates: 40.9853732, -93.3068526

Management: County

Description: This open water and marshland adjoins the Chariton River just south of the city of Chariton. At the south end of the marsh is the Pin Oak Marsh Education Center, which houses the Lucas County Conservation Board office and a small nature center. The center offers a parking area and an ADA accessible trail of about 1/3 mile which leads from the center through the edge of the marsh to a handicapped-accessible picnic table and then continues to the water's edge.

Habitat: Open water and marshland. Suitable for migrating shorebirds (depending on water levels) and rails, waders, and waterfowl in general. The marsh is adjoined by both forested and open areas.

Directions: In central Lucas Co., the marsh begins about a mile south of Chariton on both sides of Hwy. 14, just south of the Chariton River. The east side is generally the most productive. The Oak Marsh Education Center is on the left side of the highway at the south end of the marsh.