Micah was headed to a running camp this month and Nic and I decided it would be a great time to go on a mini adventure with Mason. He tends to like a chill pace and really appreciates just spending time together. He likes to see new sights though, and I thought that a visit to Kelleys Island, Ohio might fit the bill. Kelleys Island is just over 4 square miles in size and has a small year round population, but in the summer is a bustling tourist destination that seemed like it would be worth a visit. In particular, we were interested in the Glacial Grooves, a National Natural Landmark, which is apparently one of the best examples of this geological phenomenon anywhere in the world.
Of course to keep things low cost (which lets us go on more trips) I started looking for camping options. Not spending money on a hotel, cabin, or AirBnB frees up our funds for more experiences. Since I started looking at campsites fairly last-minute (per usual) there weren’t all that many options, but with just a one night stay on a weeknight I was still able to find an electric site just across the street from the lakefront sites at Kelleys Island State Park Campground. I had no idea how lucky we were to snag that site. The campground also offers a few basic waterfront cabins and yurts (which have kitchens and bathrooms!), and are worth a look for those who are planning ahead and seeking a less primitive experience.
The best way for us to get to the island was the Kelleys Island Ferry, which offers a quick 20 minute boat ride from Marblehead, Ohio. I had originally planned to treat this like a backpacking trip and bring only what we could carry, but when I learned that we could take the car on the ferry I knew that would make it a more enjoyable experience for Mase (backpacking isn’t really his vibe). Backpacking also would have required a 2 mile road walk, which I wouldn’t mind, but having the car would give us more freedom while we were there anyway and if we left the car behind we’d have to pay to park it. Another option for those interested would be to leave the car behind in Marblehead and rent a golf cart, which you can do immediately upon arrival at the island. Bringing the car over is a much cheaper option, especially if you’d like to have transportation for several days there.
Our round trip travel on the ferry for 2 adults, a child, and a car with a hitch luggage rack cost us around $100. The Seaway Marina offers golf cart rentals which are priced by the hour. Caddy Shack Rentals advertises overnight rates in addition to hourly rates, so that would be worth considering and is about a half mile from the marina. On the ferry with us were folks towing campers, boats, enclosed trailers, then also commercial vehicles. You can transport just about anything to the island on the Kelleys Island Ferry (at a cost). When you arrive at the ferry location in Marblehead, you drive up to a booth, pay the round trip fee, and pull into one of four lanes for vehicles preparing to load onto the ferry. There is a fenced in parking area at the ferry for $15, and many people took advantage of this and went to the island on foot. I noticed a public parking area that didn’t seem to have a fee just a little down the road for those interested in that option.
While you are on the ferry you can exit your car and go upstairs to a viewing platform. It’s a beautiful ride and we enjoyed looking at our surroundings and google maps and trying to identify which island was which. Much to his disappointment, Samson stayed in the car, but there was a lovely breeze and with the windows partially down he could keep an eye on us and stay cool and contained. We were wishing we had binoculars with us to get a better look at the sights along the way, so that’s something I’d definitely recommend bringing!
We arrived on the island around noon and made the short drive to the campground. Our site was open and the camp office was gracious enough to let us go ahead and set up several hours before the 3 pm reservation time. Nearly every site was booked for the night but many campers hadn’t arrived yet, so we had a pretty wide open view of Lake Erie.
After getting set up we took a walk to explore the area. We located the swimming beach and the nearby North Bay Quarry. From there we explored the Glacial Grooves and were pleased to see that it was ok to bring Samson with us. The rock formations are fascinating and massive, and the majority of the area is handicap accessible with many informative signs. When we arrived back at our site the campground was beginning to fill up and it was time for dinner. Nic made steak over the fire while Mason and I prepared the mac and cheese and salad. I always appreciate camping with a cooler.
On Friday Mason and I had a lazy morning at the campsite while Nic went to fish. We made steak and eggs for breakfast over the stick stove since we didn’t want to make a big fire. We had hoped to rent an additional paddle board from Kelleys Island Kayak Rental but found out that they were only open for limited weekend hours despite what their Facebook page says, and we were there on weekdays. We had realized that we hadn’t brought a suitable life jacket for Mason, so we went on a search at every store on the island for a life jacket so that he could go out on our paddle board. Sadly, the only place that sold life jackets was the Seaway Marina, and they only had the >50 lbs sizes in stock. We stopped in the camp office on the way back for any additional advice, and the gentleman who manages the campground said he could help. We also expressed our interest in staying another day if they had any availability. They were willing to let us use the group camp if we wanted it, but it was $50 per night. A few hours later the manager delivered a Mason-sized life jacket to our campsite. That’s customer service you don’t find many places! We were so grateful and enjoyed a paddle together on the board, and also took turns. There was hardly any wind and the water was flat so it was easy to explore all around the swimming beach and quarry.
We stopped back at the camp office and it turned out that there had been a cancellation – someone was leaving a day earlier than planned and if we were interested in staying we could move a few sites down and still have a lake view site. They had held the site for us since they knew we were looking (again, amazing customer service). It was a beautiful, shady spot and we were again able to set up early. Nic caught a few fish for dinner. We enjoyed some more paddling but the lake was much choppier that day, which resulted in a few wipe outs. Although it was surprising (and entertaining for the witnesses) it was easy enough to get back on the board, and not altogether bad to fall off on a hot day. We were pleased with the low humidity, and between that and the continuous breeze it was pleasant to be outside even though it was in the high 80’s.
We visited Crooked Tree Vineyard, had a little tasting, and picked up a lovely bottle of wine, then had a late fish fry at camp. As evening came to a close we stopped at Unc’l Dik’s across the street from the campground for ice cream (good and convenient but $6 for a single scoop) and went to the west side of the island to watch the sunset. We ended up across the street from the West Bay restaurant at a public area and were shortly joined by about 50 other people. Apparently watching the sunset there was not a unique idea we had, and in fact at sunset each day they fire off a cannon which will make you fall out of your seat when you don’t know it’s coming. We enjoyed a beautiful drive back to camp and sat around the fire for a little while. It had been a wonderful trip.
On Saturday we were anxious to get home around the same time as Micah, so we woke up with the birds, packed up and miraculously made it to the 9 am ferry, stopping to return the borrowed life jacket on the way. Again we had a smooth and beautiful ride. We’d made sure to keep our ferry tickets in the glove compartment for the return trip (you turn them in when you arrive back at Marblehead). We stopped at Panera in Sandusky for some breakfast sandwiches on the way home and made it back by mid afternoon. We had the absolute best time, and I highly recommend Kelleys Island as a destination for those who want to be near the water.
My top tips for a great trip to Kelleys Island:
- Reserve your accommodations well in advance if staying overnight, although a day trip is also a great option
- The island is easy to travel by car, golf cart, or bike – rentals are available at multiple locations
- Be sure to watch a sunset on the west side of the island
- Bring your own kayaks or paddle boards and life jackets if you can. Rental options are limited especially on weekdays.
- If you plan to cook, bring the majority of your groceries with you, although there are a few stores with basic food items.
- We traveled on the ferry at non-peak times, i.e. weekdays or early back to mainland on Saturday – at peak times you may need to wait.
- If you like tons of activities and places to visit on your trips, this may not be the place for you. It’s a great spot to have a laid back trip.