A Day on The Lake Erie Ohio Road Trip is an adventure along the shoreline from the extreme west side of Lake Erie Ohio traveling east. Let’s admit it, Lake Erie is our California…sort of. The great thing is that Ohio does not have an annual pass and does not charge entrance fees to state parks. We have more to offer than people realize. There is a lot to discover and uncover.
The first stop on our road trip is Maumee Bay, State Park. I had been before, so I knew there were some great paved trails along the shoreline where I could walk my dogs.
I also heard that Maumee Bay State Park had a great boardwalk, so I went to the nature center where the trailhead began. At this point, I found out that dogs were not allowed. Sorry guys. However, it did not disappoint. Look how awesome this boardwalk is. The moss was so bright green, it was otherworldly.
It was time to move on. I passed the following sights and was tempted to check them out, but there wasn’t time to do it all in a day. Next time for sure.
Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center
Magee Marsh & Wildlife Area and Crane Creek Wildlife Trail ( A great place to see birds during the first two weeks of May)
Black Swamp Bird Observatory Another place to see birds, especially during The Biggest Week In America Birding festival. Apparently, people come from all over the country to see this.
We finally did stop at the Port Clinton Lighthouse and the Lake Erie Sign. This was a great little beach to walk around with my dogs.
Next stop: East Harbor State Park. This is a beautiful park on the shores of Lake Erie with several walking trails and even a hidden dog-friendly beach (to find it- enter the park, drive towards the lake to the parking lot where the road ends, turn right inside the parking lot, go to the extreme right and you will see the trailhead in the corner. Follow it to the dog beach). This is a nice place to camp if you are extending your road trip.
My final stop was the Marble Head Light House which was especially beautiful at sunset. My day was over.
If you have time to continue traveling east along the shoreline, I have heard great things about the following stops for your Lake Erie Ohio Road Trip … (Click on the links to discover if the destination looks like a place you would like to check out.)
Famous Cedar Point amusement park (I will post more about this in May when it opens)
Sheldon Marsh State Nature Preserve
Nickel Plate Beach (Lots of activities near this beach)
Vermilion and Main Street Beach
Lakeview Park Beach/ Activities
Veterans’ Memorial Park (Avon Lake)
Huntington Reservation– Beach, Trails, Rocky River Nature Center, and Lake Erie Nature and Science Center
Bradstreet’s Landing Park– Swimming is not permitted — for people — but the beach area attracts plenty of dog owners and dogs.
Rocky River Park (15 min south is Rocky River Reservation)
Cleveland Script Sign – Edgewater Park/ Edgewater Beach (the westernmost portion of the beach is dog friendly)
Rock n Roll Hall of Fame and the Great Lakes Science Center
Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve
Euclid Beach Park and Wildwood Park
Headlands Beach State Park and Headlands Dunes State Nature Preserve This beach is huge!
Fairport Harbor Lakefront Park or Lake Erie Bluffs
Breakwater Beach– #1 of 4 things to do in Geneva-on-the-Lake
If you would like to explore more Lake Erie shores take a trip to Put-in-Bay or Kelley’s Island. I hope you enjoyed “A Day on the Lake Erie Ohio Road Trip” and now realize that you don’t have to live on the coast to have the experience of coastal living!
