Lake Erie Coastal Ohio Trail
Lake Erie Coastal Ohio Trail is a National Scenic Byway in Ohio. Within Ohio it covers roughly 290 miles. The map below shows its route. Use “Plan a drive” to open it in the Road Sorties route planner — already routing along Lake Erie Coastal Ohio Trail with scenic roads turned on, ready to add your own stops.
Lake Erie Coastal Ohio Trail runs 293 miles along the entirety of Ohio's Lake Erie shoreline. It stretches from Conneaut in the northeast corner to the Michigan border near Toledo, and is one of only five roads in Ohio carrying the federal National Scenic Byway designation. The route strings together sandy beaches, state parks and nature preserves, historic lighthouses, ferry access to Lake Erie's vacation islands, and lakefront villages alongside larger cities like Cleveland and Toledo, touching more than 12,000 years of human history around the lake. Driving it start to finish takes roughly eight hours without stops, but most travelers break it into a multi-day trip. Fall migration birding, Lake Erie wine country, and small-town harbor life are recurring themes along the way.
- 293 miles, entire Ohio Lake Erie shore
- National Scenic Byway
- Conneaut to the Michigan border
- lighthouses & vacation islands
- 12,000+ years of lake history
Designated for its historic qualities
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Places to stop along Lake Erie Coastal Ohio Trail
Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve
Lagoons, a beach, and trails on the Lake Erie shore east of Cleveland, good for birding and paddling.
West Side Market
Cleveland's public market since 1912, more than 100 vendors under a vaulted tile hall with a clock tower.
WebsiteRock and Roll Hall of Fame
I. M. Pei's glass pyramid on Cleveland's lakefront, with exhibits on rock's history from its roots onward.
WebsiteMarblehead Lighthouse
The oldest lighthouse in continuous use on the Great Lakes, built in 1821 at the tip of the Marblehead Peninsula.
Cedar Point
A peninsula amusement park on Lake Erie known as the Roller Coaster Capital of the World.
WebsiteFirelands Winery
A Sandusky winery on a site where wine has been made since 1880, in the lakeshore's long grape-growing belt.
Website
Where to Stay along Lake Erie Coastal Ohio Trail
6 campgrounds and RV parks sit within about 5 miles of Lake Erie Coastal Ohio Trail.
Campsite, lodging, RV rental and membership links are affiliate links — booking through them may earn Road Sorties a small commission, at no extra cost to you. Recreation.gov links are not affiliate links.
Photos of Lake Erie Coastal Ohio Trail
What is a National Scenic Byway?
National Scenic Byways are roads recognized at the federal level for at least one outstanding quality — scenic, natural, historic, cultural, archaeological or recreational — that gives travelers a reason to seek them out rather than just pass through.