Lake Erie Coastal Ohio Trail

The Lake Erie Coastal Trail Scenic Byway (LECT) stretches from Conneaut to Toledo, encompassing 293 miles. The route allows travelers to experience coastal resources and over 160 cultural, historic and natural attractions along Lake Erie’s shoreline area, including lighthouses, museums, local, state, and national parks, public beaches, nature preserves, and much more.

Lake Erie is full of contrasts, some more obvious than others. Exciting big‐city ports and tranquil historic harbors. Rolling farmlands and vineyards, and acres of marshes and swamps producing nature’s bounty. Sun‐kissed waves, and spectacular spikes of ice pushed against the shore in a fortress of staggering proportions. Massive Great Lakes freighters carrying goods to the world, and tiny songbirds, weighing less than a nickel, who’ve traveled from the rainforests of South America.

The Lake Erie Coastal Ohio Trail journeys along Ohio’s greatest natural resource. Part of the largest freshwater system in the world, Lake Erie was – and continues to be – shaped by glacial history, ecological processes, and human influence. These forces play out in many different ways within the trail corridor, creating diverse landscapes to support rare and unusual flora and fauna, scenic beauty, and opportunities for recreation, relaxation, and discovery. These landscapes set the stage for the dynamic cultural and industrial history that contributes to who we are today.

The Lake Erie Coastal Trail Scenic Byway (LECT) stretches from Conneaut to Toledo, encompassing 293 miles. The route is typically within 3-5 miles along the southern edge of the Lake Erie Shore, with many segments adjacent to it. It traverses through rural areas, small towns, and through urban and suburban parts of Cleveland and Toledo. Most of the route is on US or State Routes, with a minor portion along local roads.