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Port Clinton Ohio
is a unique area that offers everything from wine tasting to island hopping. Most well known as the “Walleye Capital of the World,” Port Clinton offers exceptional fishing in surrounding Lake Erie. Both shore and pier fishing is available as well as charter boat fishing. Located at the junction of two migratory flyways, Port Clinton is also one of the best bird watching areas in the country. The town of Port Clinton is located in Ottawa County, which has more bald eagle nests than anywhere else in Ohio. Birding spots include the Magee Marsh Wildlife Area and the Ottawa National Wildlife Refuge. Other outdoor recreational activities include swimming and other beach activities, hiking, biking, canoeing, camping and horseback riding. City Beach is located in downtown Port Clinton across from the park and adjacent to State Route 163, also known as Perry Street. East Harbor State Park is another popular beach in the area, located in nearby Marblehead. This beach has seven miles of sandy beach, picnic shelters, hiking trails, fishing access, a full-service marina and the largest campground in the Ohio State Parks System.
The islands are another well-known attraction of Port Clinton. A half dozen islands are sprinkled in Lake Erie, just north of the city. You can choose from a high speed catamaran or a more leisurely ferry ride to two of the most popular of the islands, Put-in-Bay (or South Bass Island) and Kellys Island. Both offer a variety of activities such as shopping, bicycle and boat rentals, sightseeing on board a trolley and fine dining. Put-in-Bay is home to Perry’s Monument, a 357-foot cylindrical tower that is the third largest freestanding monument in the country. The Marblehead Lighthouse located on Marblehead Peninsula, just a few miles outside Port Clinton, is the oldest active lighthouse on the Great Lakes. Built in 1821, the lighthouse has guided mariners through dangerous waters along the southern shore of Lake Erie for centuries. There are several interesting facts about the lighthouse. Large amounts of limestone are found in the vicinity and were even used to build the Empire State Building. Also, tiny daisies found only in this part of the U.S. are sprinkled in the ground around the lighthouse. Marblehead Lighthouse overlooks the entrance to Sandusky Bay at Bay Point, Ohio. The Lake Erie islands and surrounding coastal towns were once the center of champagne production in the United States, and several wineries in the area still offer daily tours. Port Clinton is just a short drive to natural wonders like underground crystal caves, which offer daily tours, and limestone glacial grooves. Amusement park aficionados wont want to miss Cedar Point, one of Ohio's most popular parks located in the town of Sandusky, approximately 25 miles east of Port Clinton. A drive-through Africa Safari is also located just outside Port Clinton and includes pony & camel rides, a gift shop, educational programs and the Jungle Junction Playground.
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