Kelleys Island State Park

Welcome back to another dimension of Kell-eez Island State Park. While our previous journey focused heavily on the deep geological time of the glaciers and the fragile coastal ecosystems along the northern shore, this expedition…

We begin our interior hike standing at the precipice of the North Bay Quarry. Peer over the edge of this sheer, vertical drop. …

We now descend slightly, following a wide, relatively flat path that curves deliberately through the rugged terrain. You are not walking on a natural trail; you are hiking directly atop the old railway bed that once connected the…

Our path leads us to the edge of an extraordinary body of water known as Horseshoe Lake, nestled deep within the East Quarry complex. This is not a natural lake, but rather a flooded excavation pit, taking its name from its…

We now navigate away from the interior quarries, making our way toward the southern perimeter of the state park lands to examine the rugged Limestone Ledges that interface directly with Lake Ear-ee. Here, the island's bedrock…

Following the shoreline westward, we arrive at a small, sheltered indentation in the coast, affectionately known by locals and guides as the Kayaker's Cove. This small, protected bay provides a rare, calm refuge from the dominant…

For the final segment of our interior exploration, we turn inland from the cove, ascending a gentle slope into a wide, sun-drenched meadow. This transitional zone bridges the gap between the rocky coastal ledges and the dense,…

We have completed our rugged circuit through the interior heart of Kell-eez Island State Park, emerging from the sunlit meadows back toward the main trailheads. Take a deep breath and let the sensory experiences of this hike…