Ohio Travel: Exploring Kelleys Island

Looking for a beach vacation but don’t want to travel outside of Ohio? A trip to Kelleys Island on Lake Erie is the perfect place to transport yourself to island life. Whether planning to spend the weekend or just take a day trip, Kelleys Island offers fun for the entire family.

Our Ohio Travel writer, Deb, randomly picks a new destination in Ohio to visit each month with her husband. Some of their trips are full weekend trips with overnight stays, while others are day trips. Their trips are always full of fun and unique stops that you’re going to want to check out.

 Getting to the Island

If you don’t have your own boat, there are two ways to get to Kelleys Island from shore. Foot passengers, including those bringing bicycles, can catch the Jet Express from Sandusky/Cedar Point.

For anyone wishing to take a motorized vehicle, the Kelleys Island Ferry departs from Marblehead. Foot passengers are also welcomed on the ferry.

For most day-trippers, it’s easiest to leave the vehicle behind. We planned to spend two nights on the island so decided to ferry from Marblehead with our vehicle in tow for the added convenience of driving to & from our lodging. It’s a long distance from the dock to many lodging/camping locations, so having a personal vehicle is highly recommended.

Getting Around the Island

Even with our own transportation, we decided to rent a golf cart for a day. After all, putting around the island in a golf cart is half of the fun! It’s also much easier to park since parking is very limited around the island.

We rented a 4-person golf cart from the General Store downtown (6-person carts are also available). This was the most economical choice at $100 for 12-hours (9a-9p).

Carts may also be rented at Caddy Shack Square across the street, and the Seaway Marina near the ferry landing. For day-trippers, the marina is the most convenient location, unless you’re up for a ½ mile walk into town.

Island Lodging

There are many options for lodging on the island, including camping at the state park, renting a vacation home, or booking a room at hotel or BnB.

We stayed both nights at the Venture Resort, which was fantastic! The resort offers a gorgeous outdoor pool area, private park with a large wooden play set, and a relaxing waterfront deck (across the road) with a grill, picnic tables and plenty of seating.

We stayed in the Marblehead Suite, a first floor, end-unit with a bedroom (2-queen beds), full living room, and a lovely view of the waterfront. It was spacious, well-appointed, and clean.

Exploring the Island

We were traveling as a couple, so chose to fill our day’s itinerary from start to finish.

We started with a light breakfast (brought from home) taking in the view from the waterfront deck provided by the hotel. Afterwards, we drove to the General Store to rent a golf cart as soon as they opened at 9am. It was a quick process, and we were back at the Venture Resort by 9:30am ready to start our day.

For those who prefer a more leisurely pace or are traveling with kids, these activities could easily be split into two full days.

North Shore

Glacial Grooves – This is the site of the largest easily accessible glacial grooves in the world. Much of the original grooves were quarried in years past, but a 400’ long trough still exists today. A walkway is available along both sides to allow viewing from all angles, with signs along the way to explain their formation and unique features.

Kelleys Island State Park – Just across from the Glacial Grooves is the campground and beach area. The campground offers primitive and full-hook up sites, as well as yurts and cabins. This is the best family-friendly, public swimming beach on the island. It is a sand beach with gradual water entry. Kayak & paddle board rentals are also available.

Unc’l Dik’s – No matter where we go, there is sure to be a stop, or two, for ice cream! Unc’l Dik’s is a general store located near the state park. In addition to the various camping supplies, outdoor gear, and souvenir t-shirts, they also serve hand dipped ice cream. There’s nothing like driving down the road in a golf cart, ice cream in hand, on the way to enjoy the nearby trails.

North Shore Loop & Alvar Preserve – The first portion of this 1-mile loop passes by the historical remnant of a rock crusher used during the old quarry days. Once the trail reaches the lake, there are several short footpaths down to the alvar, a unique limestone plain with very thin soil and vegetation. We followed many of the paths to discover some beautiful places along the lakefront.

 

Monarch Winery & Butterfly Box – Opened in 2020, this small winery offers a tasting area and gift shop. For a small fee, they also have a greenhouse with butterflies, turtles, koi pond, etc. We enjoyed a flight of wines but found the true winner to be the “adult” blueberry slushie. It was awesome and a perfect way to cool down in the summer heat!

Lunch on the Go

After a morning of exploration, it was time to refuel! We headed to the KI Cantina and the Kelleys Island Wine Co. They share a common parking area and are very family friendly with plenty of outdoor seating and space to roam.

KI Cantina is the island’s only Mexican restaurant and offers made to order burritos, nachos, and a full bar. Kelleys Island Wine Co is a family-owned winery and full-service restaurant. They offer indoor seating, wine tasting, and a nice selection of salads, sandwiches, flatbreads, and fantastic pizza!

Eastern Trails

The Eastern portion of the island is home to several trails, all of which are easy and flat but have some exposed roots. Some portions are well maintained and wide, others are narrow footpaths. None are ADA or stroller friendly.

Schneele Preserve – A short 1/2 mile out & back forested trail that leads to a beautiful, secluded beach area. In the beginning of the trail, we passed through a wildflower field where we enjoyed watching a variety of butterflies and birds.

East Quarry Trail – There are 5 miles of trails accessible from multiple starting points. We started with the 0.4-mile trail around horseshoe lake, which is an old quarry lake. The trail follows along the top of the quarry before connecting to the forested trails. The water is quite clear and the views in late afternoon were lovely.

North Pond Loop – A short 1-mile trail/boardwalk loop along a beautiful marsh area. It is designated as a Lake Erie birding trail. However, keep an eye out for water snakes here too. The floating boardwalk is only inches above the water. It’s the type of place where you need to take your time and stop occasionally to take in your surroundings. We found several sections to be underwater, due to recent rains.

Downtown

We ended the day in the downtown area near Caddy Shack Square, which offers several unique shops, a playground, putt-putt golf course, a small arcade, outdoor park, and a couple of bars. There are several good restaurant options here as well.

We enjoyed dinner at Dockers, located next to Portside Marina along the waterfront. There was ample outdoor seating to take in the gorgeous sunset views. The food was very good, especially the crab cakes. After returning the golf cart, just before 9pm, we enjoyed the 0.8-mile lakefront walk back to the hotel.

Soaking It All In

The next day, we spent a leisurely morning along the lakefront, exploring more downtown shops. On our way to the ferry landing, we made one final stop at Inscription Rock, a large limestone boulder located along the southern shore of the island, carved with many petroglyphs by Native American tribes that originally inhabited the island.

It was a fitting end to an active but relaxing weekend on Kelleys Island.

More FUN Things to Do

Want to take a guided hiking, biking or kayaking tour? Check out Kelleys Island Aventours. We had planned a sunset kayaking tour for our 1st evening on the island, but had to cancel due to a broken wrist just days before the trip.

How about a scavenger hunt? Kelleys Island Brewery is located on the South shore and offers scavenger hunt packets. It is open Thur-Sat and currently used as an event venue. However, if you contact them to let them know you’re coming, you can stop by and get a packet!

Check out the KI Chamber of Commerce for more ideas.

All photos are owned by, and published with permission from guest writer, Deb, on Columbus on the Cheap.

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