|
|
|
Natural Areas:
| Glacial
Grooves | North Shore Loop |
The
Alvar | East Quarry |
| Scheele
Preserve | North Pond Nature Preserve
| Inscription Rock | Home
|
North Shore Loop Trail
|
|
.
|
|
|
|
Photo by Pat Hayes
|
|
|
This approximately, one-mile hiking trail provides a pleasant and informative look at a diverse mix of Kelleys Island’s flowers, trees, shoreline, glacial markings and architectural history. Located on the northwest end of the island and part of the Kelleys Island State Park, the North Shore Loop Trail entrance is just to the west of the state park boat and trailer parking lot.
This area at the northern end of Division Street was once a thriving community associated with the Kelleys Island Lime and Transport Company North Bay quarry. It consisted of company housing , a company store, rooming houses and the quarry industrial complex. One of the first sites on the trail is the remains of the Kelleys Island Lime and Transport Company’s loader. The structure, built in 1888, was used to load crushed limestone into rail cars to be taken to the dock and limekilns.
As the trail reaches the shoreline hikers can view Canada’s Middle Island to the north, and just beyond it is Pelee Island, the largest island in Lake Erie and the southern-most inhabited area of Canada. Eight miles to the west are the Bass Islands—North Bass, Middle Bass and South Bass (Put-In-Bay).
Depending on the lake’s water level, hikers can choose to walk along the path in the woods or also attempt a walk along the rocky shoreline. This area’s limestone shoreline, known as an Alvar or limestone prairie is part of the State of Ohio’s Natural Areas and
Preserves.
Along the wooded trail are eastern cottonwood, eastern red cedar, green and white ash, and maple trees, as well as a beautiful variety of seasonal wildflowers and poison ivy. Our state tree the Ohio buckeye, as well as yellow buckeye trees, can also be seen on the North Shore Loop Trail.
|
|
.
|
|
|
Photo by Delores Cole
|
|
.
|
|
The
stone foundations aside or near the trail are from buildings that were used by
the KIL&T Co. workers or its operations. The quarry workers were usually
immigrants from Italy, Germany and other European and Slavic nations.
Natural Areas:
| Glacial
Grooves | North Shore Loop |
The
Alvar | East Quarry |
| Scheele
Preserve | North Pond Nature Preserve
| Inscription Rock | Home
|
Last updated on
July 31, 2006
|
|
|
|
