There are many great ways to explore Presque Isle State Park in Erie and one of my favorites is by boat.
Presque Isle Boat Tours offers cruises from Mid-May through September that give visitors the chance to take to the waters around the park, enjoy its beauty, and learn about the area’s rich history.
During a recent visit to Erie, I was invited aboard the Lady Kate for a 90-minute sightseeing tour of Presque Isle.
The Lady Kate leaves from the heart of Presque Isle State Park near the Commodore Perry Monument on Misery Bay. Presque Isle Boat Tours also has another, slightly smaller sightseeing boat, the Canadian Sailor, that does a similar route and leaves from Dobbins Landing near the Bicentennial Tower, and a pirate boat that does a fun adventure cruise.
The Lady Kate is a 65-foot boat and features half-a-dozen rows of covered benches in the rear half of the boat, as well as some seating at the bow and stern of the boat.
Since the boat leaves and returns along the same route, there isn’t one side of the boat that is significantly better. However, if you have a choice, sit on the right side (when facing the front). This side will provide slightly better views of Erie Land Light and the beaches on the return trip.
In addition to simply enjoying the beautiful scenery, probably my favorite part of my Presque Isle boat tour was the narration. Since we started in Misery Bay, it started off with an overview of the War of 1812 and the Battle of Lake Erie.
As we moved into Presque Isle Bay, the discussion turned to the history of Erie and then the region around Lake Erie as we crossed onto the lake itself.
Along the way, we passed spots like the Commodore Perry Monument, North Point Light, and even took a bit of a detour to see the Erie Land Light. In fact, this boat tour allows you to see all three of Erie’s Lighthouses.
The 14-mile journey travels around the far edge of Presque Isle State Park and along many of its beaches. When the Lady Kate reached Presque Isle Lighthouse, we turned around, which offered some fantastic views of this beautiful spot.
While the journey back covers roughly the same route as the first half of the ride, it’s just as enjoyable as the cool breezes of Lake Erie whip through the air.
Guides take a brief break from narration on the way back but do provide some great additional information once the boat gets closer to the dock.
While there are other options for getting out onto the waters of Lake Erie, including kayak rentals and even a free pontoon boat tour, Presque Isle Boat Tours are the only option that leaves from the park and takes you out onto Lake Erie.
If you are looking for a relaxing boat ride and the chance to learn more about this beautiful area, I definitely recommend taking a ride on the Lady Kate.
Note: My trip with Presque Isle Boat Tours was hosted by the company. However, the opinions expressed are my own.
Looking for more spots to visit in the Great Lakes Region? Check out the Tom Ridge Environmental Center, the Erie Maritime Museum, and the Lake Shore Railway Museum.
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