North Shore Alvar State Nature Preserve (Lake Erie Islands Loop)
Although the preserve is less than four acres, it is a must-see for anyone interested in nature. An alvar is an area of barren limestone that supports specialized plant life.
Key Species by Season
Spring
- Lesser Scaup
- Peregrine Falcon
- Ruddy Turnstone
Summer
- Herring Gull
- Common Tern
- Purple Martin
Fall
- Cliff Swallow
- Cedar Waxwing
- Snow Bunting
Winter
- Rough-Legged Hawk
- Harlequin Duck
- Horned Grebe
At-a-Glance
65 - North Shore Alvar State Nature Preserve
Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Natural Areas and Preserves
Just north of the junction of Division Street and Titus Road
Kelleys Island, OH 43438
Public Access
Open from one-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset
Amenities
Hiking Trails
Driving Directions
Park at the boater’s parking lot at Kelleys Island State Park at the northern terminus of Division Street. This is the northernmost parking lot. Directly west of this lot is a sign for the North Shore Loop Trail. This path leads to the alvar, which is the rocky northern shoreline of the island.
What to Look For
Although the preserve is less than four acres, it is a must-see for anyone interested in nature. An alvar is an area of barren limestone that supports specialized plant life. North Shore Alvar is located on the shore of the island, and its limestone pavement is subject to the actions of wind and waves, which maintain the highly adapted plant community. Great views of Lake Erie can be had from the preserve. Located at the north end of Kelleys Island State Park near the junction of Division Street and Titus Road. Take the North Shore Loop Trail for access to the preserve.
Local Resources
Kelleys Islands
Lake Erie Shores & Islands
Ohio Division of Natural Areas and Preserves
About the Lake Erie Islands Loop
The East Sandusky Bay Metropark is an assemblage of four contiguous but separately named parks that collectively total about 1,200 acres. Huge numbers of waterfowl use the area in migration, including counts of Tundra Swans that can number into the thousands.
There are 28 islands in Lake Erie, 16 of which are in Ohio. Of those, three are readily accessible, at least in season, by ferry or airplane: Kelleys, Middle Bass, and South Bass islands. Unlike some of the other islands, which are uninhabited and inaccessible rocks, these three offer a diversity of habitats and an infrastructure by which the islands can be explored.
Ohio’s Lake Erie islands are part of a limestone archipelago and feature seventeen islands, not all of which are accessible. Three of the readily accessible islands are featured in this loop; each of them is serviced by a ferry. Visiting the islands is a very different type of adventure than birding the other loops on this trail and one should set aside at least a full day to explore them. The total species list for this loop is 294, and two of them – Great Gray Owl and Baird’s Sparrow – have only been found in this region.
What To Look For
On a great day in May, migrant songbirds can fill the trees. Every regularly occurring species of warbler, flycatcher, vireo, thrush, etc. can be expected, and nearly all can be recorded in a single morning. September—the peak month for fall songbird migrants—can bring even greater numbers and diversity, but many species are in muted basic plumage and not singing.
While many raptors skirt around Lake Erie, a significant number of Broad-winged, Cooper's, and Sharp-shinned hawks, along with lesser numbers of other species, "island hop" across the lake. Rocky island shorelines can be good for resting shorebirds and gulls and terns. Near shore waters are also frequented by large numbers of Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, and both Common and Red-breasted Mergansers in late fall into winter.
Noteworthy Rarities
While the potential for rarities is probably as great on the islands as anywhere along Ohio's Lake Erie shorline, birding coverage is considerably less than at mainland hotspots. After all, it requires either a boat or airplane trip to reach the islands and that cuts down on visitation. Nonetheless, many great finds have been found over the years. These include King Eider, Northern Gannet, Purple Sandpiper, Sabine's Gull, Parasitic Jaeger, Great Gray Owl, Boreal Chickadee, Kirtland's Warbler, and Baird's Sparrow.
Natural Features
The Lake Erie islands are an interesting destination in their own right. The best way to reach them is by boat, and such a trip offers and interesting perspective of the lake, and the opportunity to find unusual waterbirds. The scenery in transit and on the islands is always spectacular, and the overall feel is quite unlike mainland sites. South Bass Island boasts the 352-foot tall Perry's Monument, a landmark visible for miles. Visitors can ascend to the 317-foot level, which offers an unrivaled vista of Lake Erie and its islands.
Kelleys Island has the greatest diversity of habitats of any of the islands: woods, marsh, sand beach, open quarries, and rocky wave-washed outcrops known as alvars. Nearly one-third of the island's 3,000 acres is protected by a conservation organization. A number of rare plant species occur on the island. The total bird list is in excess of 250 species, including many unusual finds.
Just north of the junction of Division Street and Titus Road, Kelleys Island, OH 43438
