Kelleys Island vacation rentals

Off the coast of Ohio, Kelleys Island sits in the Western Basin of Lake Erie. The island has a comfortably navigable size, which allows you to hike in peaceful woodlands near the last remaining embayment ponds, and then visit the village boutique shops or restaurants serving the day’s catch just 20 minutes later. You’ll also find Kelleys Island Museum, a 19th-century church restored by the Historical Association and a unique place to learn about the island’s role in the War of 1812 and the Civil War.

The area is easily accessible to the natural beauty of Kelleys Island State Park, where you can travel back in geologic time to see the traces of the glaciers that formed the Great Lakes and their islands. The island’s north shore is home to the North Shore Alvar — a biological habitat and globally rare phenomenon due to its thin and seemingly barren limestone plain, which turns out to contain numerous lichens, grasses, and other plants. You may even spot the endangered Lake Erie watersnake or birds taking refuge in the island’s protected coves.

Your island experience can differ significantly depending on when you book your Kelleys Island house rental. The warm summer water keeps the island comfortable through the fall, while the lingering cold of winter keeps the island brisk and chilly in the spring. Though the island’s busy season slows down in the winter, the area hosts community events like ice fishing, art classes, and potlucks every Sunday. When the chill of winter starts to wear off, you can take a self-guided tour of the colorful and fragrant Lilac Trail in early to mid-May. Summer is the peak season, and for a good reason, because that’s when the temperature is warm, mild, and pleasant for exploring the trails and going out on the water.

The Glacial Grooves

Only a mile and a half north of downtown, you can find where the slow movements of the glaciers that created the Great Lakes and the Lake Erie islands left massive indentations in the soft bedrock of Kelleys Island. The 400-foot long glacial grooves are visible near several other must-see locations, such as the North Shore Loop Trail, the North Pond Boardwalk Trail, and the East Quarry Trails.

Shipwrecks in Lake Erie

Roughly 1,700 shipwrecks sit at the bottom of Lake Erie — and 50 of them are in the waters around Kelleys Island. If you rent some scuba gear or snorkeling equipment (or bring your own), you can see the wreckage of these well-preserved ships, something that’s only possible thanks to the fresh lake water of Lake Erie.

North Shore Loop Trail

Less than half a mile from downtown is a gentle and easily accessible one-mile trail through the woodlands of Kelleys Island. On this trail, you’ll pass ruins from the island’s quarrying history while heading towards the rare Alvar habitat on the north shore of the island. This rare biological environment occurs in few other places globally, and you’ll be able to observe the plants and animals that have found home in the safety of this island paradise.