Kelleys Island’s rocky Lake Erie shoreline on the eastern side of the island. (Credit: Ken Drenten)

By Ken Drenten

Kelleys Island in the summer is a place like nowhere else in Ohio. There is another Lake Erie island that is undoubtedly more popular, but it’s worthwhile to give Kelleys Island a visit.

Where else can you be completely surrounded by water on all sides and yet be in a small, charming Ohio town?

Where else can you find ice cream, t-shirt shops, wineries, marinas, restaurants, nightspots, lovely homes and golf cart rentals – as well as interesting natural features and a state park with its own Lake Erie beach?

This paradise is known as Kelleys Island, and it’s one of my favorite places to be – when I can – in the summertime.

A long time ago, when I was a young reporter at the Sandusky Register, I received an ongoing reporting assignment that included Kelleys Island. At the time, I didn’t fully appreciate the enormous good fortune that had landed in my lap.

One memorable story I wrote back in those halcyon days was based on interviews with ferry captains as they plied the waters between the mainland and the island.

The captains regaled me with stories of ghostly apparitions, wayward boaters and water-skiers and sudden, angry storms. That resulted in a very satisfying feature story for a Sunday edition. Another article was the result of a personal tour of the island from the village’s mayor.

The Shirley Irene ferry arrives at the Kelleys Island dock with a load of visitors. (Credit: Ken Drenten)

All very well and good, but you don’t need to be a news hound to enjoy Kelleys Island. Unless you have your own boat, most folks’ tours of the island start with a roughly half-hour ferry ride from Marblehead on the Kelleys Island Ferry Boat Line.

Be sure to check the ferry schedule ahead of time; during the busy season until Labor Day, ferries run about every half-hour. You can ferry your vehicle or simply walk onto the ferry.

Once you’ve made the trip across the lake, the best and most enjoyable way to get around the island is to rent a golf cart, available just a few steps from the ferry dock.

The island is small enough to see in its entirety in one day, but there’s enough to do – and it’s so relaxing there — that you could easily spend several days to a week on the island exploring and soaking it all in.

Kelleys Island’s quaint downtown has shops and free parking for both cars and golf carts. (Credit: Ken Drenten)

I’d love to give you an all-inclusive rundown on what to do and see at Kelleys Island, but I’ll limit it to just a few of the places I’d recommend visiting, whether it’s for an afternoon or a longer stay.

• Kelleys Island State Park – This 677-acre park has 124 camping sites – 35 of them full hookup – restrooms with showers, picnic areas and a very nice, sandy beach.
• Glacial Grooves – This unique geological formation, a remnant of the last Ice Age, has been improved with disability-accessible walkways.
• The Village Pump – The Pump, at 103 W. Lakeshore Drive, has been serving excellent Lake Erie perch and Brandy Alexanders since 1983 in an 1890s-era storefront. But don’t stop there. There are two wineries and 10 or 12 other eateries and watering holes to explore on the island.
• Meander around downtown Kelleys Island, where you can find fudge, candy and ice cream, souvenir stores, funky shops, miniature golf, restaurants, a museum, and places to rent everything from bikes and golf carts to fishing charters.
• Don’t forget to drive your golf cart completely around the island to take in all the beautiful Lake Erie views, the magnificent Victorian houses and places to stop along the way.

Ken Drenten is creator and editor of Dusty-Tires.com, a travel blog for out-of-the-ordinary places in Ohio.

Subscribe to Dusty Tires and receive a weekly email with the latest blog article. It’s free and ad-free!

All rights reserved, copyright Dusty Tires (dusty-tires.com), 2024.