A Guide to Traveling the Lake Erie Shores & Islands Cheers Trail in Ohio

When people ask me about my favorite part of my home state of Ohio, I never have to think about my answer. Our national park, I’ll say, or our evolving cities. Our Midwest friendliness and the fact that we get all four seasons in a year. And, of course, the 850 miles of shoreline along Lake Erie.

Lake Erie is one of the five Great Lakes that span the border between the US and Canada. Lake Erie is the shallowest of the lakes, but covers a surface area of 9,910 square miles, making it the 11th-largest lake in the world by surface area.

While you may have heard of Lake Erie, you might not know that local Ohioans treat our stretch of Lake Erie shoreline like a beach destination during the summer months. We plan island getaways (yes, Lake Erie has islands!),…