Lake View Cemetery

Lake View Cemetery (Cleveland Loop)

The heavily wooded 265-acre cemetery can be fantastic for songbirds in spring and fall migration. Clevelanders have been birding the cemetery heavily for decades and the total species list is impressive. Nearly 200 species have been documented, which includes at least 32 species of warblers and all of the expected songbird migrants.

Key Species by Season

Spring

• Bay-Breasted Warbler
• Gray-Cheeked Thrush
• Yellow-Billed Cuckoo

Summer

• White-Breasted Nuthatch
• Tufted Titmouse
• Red-Bellied Woodpecker

Fall

• White-Crowned Sparrow
• Hermit Thrush
• Black-Throated Blue Warbler

Winter

• Dark-Eyed Junco
• Pine Siskin
• Red-Breasted Nuthatch

At-a-Glance

22 - Lake View Cemetery
The cemetery is located just east of Cleveland, in Euclid. There are two entrances: 12316 Euclid Avenue on the cemetery’s north side, and there is also a gate on the south side, at the intersection of Mayfield and Kenilworth roads.

Public Access
Gates are open daily from 7:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Amenities
Restrooms, hiking trails, roadways

Driving Directions
From the East: Take I-90 W to Eddy Road/Exit 178. Turn left on to Eddy Road. Turn right on to Euclid Avenue. The entrance at 12316 Euclid Avenue is on the left.

Another option is to take I-271 N to Mayfield Road/Exit 34. Drive west on Mayfield Road/US-322 for approximately seven miles. Immediately before Mayfield Road goes down into Little Italy, at the intersection of Mayfield and Kenilworth Roads, is Lake View’s Mayfield Gate. Turn right into the Cemetery.

From the West: Take I-90 East to Chester Avenue/Exit 173B. Turn right on to Chester Avenue/US-322 E. Turn left on to Euclid Avenue/US-20. The entrance at 12316 Euclid Avenue is on the right.

From the South: Take I-77 N to I-490 W/Exit 161B, toward I-71/Toledo/E. 55th Street. Turn left on to E. 55th Street. Turn right on to Chester Avenue/US-322 E. Turn left on to Euclid Avenue/US-20. Our entrance at 12316 Euclid Avenue is on the right.

A second option is to take I-71 N, which merges into I- 90 E. Take I-90 E to Chester Avenue/US-322 E. Turn left on to Euclid Avenue/US-20. Our entrance at 12316 Euclid Avenue is on the right.

What to Look For

Lake View Cemetery, which covers 285 acres, is one of the most famous cemeteries in Ohio. Notable people interred in the cemetery include President James A. Garfield, John D. Rockefeller, and Elliot Ness. The cemetery is also considered an arboretum and the grounds are cloaked with mature trees of many species. Lake Erie is only five miles to the north and can easily be seen from the summit of the 180 foot tall Garfield Monument. The cemetery’s proximity to Lake Erie makes it an excellent locale to find great numbers and diversity of migrant songbirds, both spring and fall. About 190 species have been thus far recorded, including 32 species of warblers. Two ponds provide water features that lure a surprising number of waterfowl – 19 species have been found. The cemetery’s location on high ground makes it an excellent spot to watch for migrant raptors, especially in spring, and good numbers of Broad-winged, Red-tailed, and Red-shouldered hawks can be seen as well as other species.

Noteworthy Rarities

American and Least bitterns have turned up, as has Red Phalarope.

Natural Features

Lake View is much more than a cemetery. Its 285 acres are a forested oasis in a very urban area, and some of the region’s largest and oldest trees can be found in the cemetery. There are two state champion trees – the largest of their species known in Ohio. The human history is also fascinating. There is about 104,000 people interred in Lake View Cemetery, including many individuals who played major roles in the founding of Cleveland. A tour of James A. Garfield’s massive monument is a must. Nearby is the 65-foot tall Rockefeller Monument; this stone obelisk is a single piece of granite weighing 357,680 lbs.

Local Resources

Lake View Cemetery
Positively Cleveland  
Western Cuyahoga Audubon Society  

About the Cleveland Loop

The Cleveland region—Cuyahoga and Lake counties—is by far the most populous area along Ohio's Lake Erie shoreline. It also harbors the most birders, and as a consequence the bird life of the Cleveland vicinity is better known than probably anywhere else in Ohio. Birding is good at all seasons, and records of exciting rarities abound.

This loop is the most populous region on the trail, as the city of Cleveland and neighboring areas are the most developed locales on Ohio’s Lake Erie shoreline. There are more sites on the Cleveland Area Loop – 28 – than any other loop. Every type of habitat found along the lake occurs on this loop, and some of the sites are among the most famous birding hotspots in the Midwest. The total species list for this loop is 356, and a remarkable 12 of those have only been recorded in this region.

What to Look For

The centerpiece of this loop is the city of Cleveland. The Greater Cleveland area is the largest metropolitan region in Ohio, with a population over two million. There are probably more active birders here than anywhere else in the state and as a consequence this loop's bird list is large and spectacular.

Many of the sites along this loop offer outstanding birding opportunities during spring migration, and a number of these same sites support a great diversity of breeding birds. Headlands Dunes State Nature Preserve is a standout among migratory hotspots, and boasts one of the largest bird lists of any single site in Ohio.

The greatest sheer numbers of birds occur in fall migration. Lakeside spots such as Cleveland Lakefront Nature Preserve draw in scads of songbirds: warblers, thrushes, sparrows, and many others. As fall merges into winter, tremendous numbers of Bonaparte's Gulls and Red-breasted Mergansers build up, especially along the downtown Cleveland lakefront.

Even winter has its charms. Eighteen species of gulls have been found, which puts the Cleveland region near the forefront of North America's best gull-watching locales. Joining the gulls are a wide variety of hardy waterfowl, including scoters, Long-tailed Duck, and the occasional King Eider.

Noteworthy Rarities

At least nine species of birds have been found in the Cleveland region, but nowhere else in Ohio. Some of the mega-rarities include: Common Eider, Ivory Gull, Ross's Gull, Black Guillemot, Common Ground-Dove, Smooth-billed Ani, Boreal Owl, Rock Wren, and Painted Redstart. Some of the sites on this loop are great places to look for rare species such as Purple Sandpiper and Red Phalarope.

Natural Features

Ohio's best remaining natural beach community is found at Headland's Dunes State Nature Preserve. Many rare plants occur there, such as Beach Pea (Lathyrus japonicus), American Beach Grass (Ammophila breviligulata), and Seaside Spurge (Chamaesyce polygonifolia). Fantastic concentrations of Monarch butterflies can gather at lakefront sites in fall migration. Cuyahoga Valley National Park and The Holden Arboretum, in particular, support a staggering array of botanical diversity across a broad range of habitats.