Nature has a way of rising above the human desire to control it. For example, Buckeye Lake in Licking County, Ohio, would be just another man-made waterway — built in 1826 as a reservoir for the Erie Canal — if it weren’t for a buoyant mass of plant life called Cranberry Bog. When the swamp was flooded in 1830, all marsh plant life was destroyed except for a 12-acre mat of young plants and sphagnum moss that swelled up and rose to the surface like a spongy island.
Today, the Cranberry Bog State Nature Preserve blooms with orchids and pitcher plants and is the highlight along the 40-passenger Queen of the Lake II boat tour on weekends. The leisurely hour-long trip drifts past the bog and the many vacation properties lining the shore, and includes an upbeat account of Buckeye Lake history.
Because Cranberry Bog is a delicate ecosystem, a permit is needed to set foot on the floating boardwalks that weave through the swamp grasses, shrubs and trees. Due to these protections, only certain tours dock on the preserve and are generally prearranged — these Bog Tours cost $12, while the regular tours, which run May through October on weekends, cost $10. During your visit, make sure to check out The Greater Buckeye Lake Historical Society Museum.