|
Nature of the Area
East Harbor State Park is situated on
a peninsula of land stretching into the waters of Lake Erie--one of the
largest freshwater bodies in the world. The history of Lake Erie began
with the glacial period when massive sheets of ice gouged and scoured the
bedrock of Ohio. Evidence of the force of the ice is found throughout the
lake area. Small scratches in the rock surface known as glacial striations
are common while major grooves are rare but awesome. The deep depressions
left by the glaciers were filled with meltwater forming the series of
lakes we know as the Great Lakes.
East Harbor lies on the fringe of Ohio's prairie marsh zone. These
wetlands are remnants of the Great Black Swamp which once covered an area
120 miles long and 30 to 40 miles wide. After a period of intense
lumbering and draining in the late 1800s, the swamp was nearly destroyed.
Only ten percent of Ohio's original wetlands now remain. These wetlands
produce more wildlife than any other type of habitat in Ohio. Reptiles and
amphibians are numerous including the green frog, American toad, water
snake, fox snake and painted turtle. Large numbers of ducks, geese, gulls,
terns and other migratory waterfowl delight birdwatchers. Middle Harbor is
a game sanctuary where black-crowned night herons, egrets, great blue
herons and other shorebirds find refuge. Furbearers in the park include
muskrat and red fox. Hundreds of migrating songbirds rest here before
winging north across the lake.
Lake Erie Fishing Report
Ohio Department of
Natural Resources
Ohio State Parks
Marine Report for Lake Erie
Area Attractions
Mon Ami
Ferry Schedules:
Miller
Ferry
JetExpress
Island Rocket
Get more area information by visiting
the following Visitor's Bureau and Chamber of Commerce websites...
Ottawa County/Lake Erie
Islands Visitors Bureau
Sandusky/Erie County Visitors Bureau
Port Clinton
Area Chamber of Commerce
Marblehead
Peninsula Chamber of Commerce
|
