State Parks and National Parks

Presque Isle State Park

Jutting seven miles into Lake Erie, Presque Isle State Park is an oasis of wild beauty just outside the city of Erie. The plant life of the 3,200-acre sandy peninsula changes rapidly, as terrain changes from sand shore to forest.

The park is one of the country's best spots to view bird migrations, with peak migrations during March, May and September.

There are 11 miles of trails for hiking and bird watching. There is also a 14-mile, multi-purpose black top loop trail for walkers, bicycles and inline skaters. The park has a "share the road" policy for bikes.

During the winter, five miles of trails are groomed for cross-country skiers and snowshoeing. The park has many ponds and there is excellent fishing for perch, walleye, steelhead bass and panfish in the lake.

The park is open year-round, but there is no overnight camping in the park.

The Tom Ridge Environmental Center offers 7,000 square feet of interactive and whimsical exhibits, a moving orientation film about Presque Isle, a big screen movie theatre, Nature Shop and convenient cafe.

The center also houses classrooms for hands-on learning, eight state-of-the-art research laboratories operated by the Regional Science Consortium (a group of 27 colleges, universities and conservation groups), and the offices of eight conservation agencies and groups.

Photo credits in order: Courtesy of Pennsylvania Bureau of