Our Return to Lake Erie Bluffs

A late-fall return to Lake Erie Bluffs reveals a dramatically different side of this beloved coastal trail. Explore winter views from the overlook tower, eerie shoreline scenery, and wildlife encounters along the windswept trails.

Lake Erie Bluffs Revisited: A Winter Lens on One of Our Favorite Adventures

If you’ve been following this blog since the beginning, then you already know one of our earliest adventures took place at the Lake Erie Bluffs just outside the peaceful little lakeside town of Fairport Harbor. It quickly became a place that Maggie and I absolutely fell in love with.

This past Thanksgiving, after leaving family dinner, the wife and I packed up in Columbus and headed north once again toward the Lake Erie coastline. Instead of staying in Fairport Harbor, this time we went about forty minutes farther east to the small town of Conneaut (you can read about that adventure in our previous post). After checking out of our Airbnb on Sunday morning, we decided to explore a handful of parks and trails on our drive west along I-90—and we were more than excited to return to one of our favorite spots: Lake Erie Bluffs.

Returning to a Favorite Trail

We wanted to revisit Lake Erie Bluffs for two reasons. First, the overlook tower offers some of the best views of Lake Erie we’ve ever seen. Second, we were curious to experience the park through a late-fall—borderline early-winter—lens.

Still, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little nervous. The entire northeastern portion of Ohio was under a winter weather advisory, and by the time we arrived, the coastline was getting battered by gale-force winds. Not exactly ideal conditions for climbing a 50-foot tower, but climb it we did. And though it looked nothing like our summer visit, the views were equally stunning. Gone was the sparkling blue lake and cotton-white clouds. In their place: howling winds, dark skies, and Lake Erie thrashing in massive gray waves. Honestly, the scene felt appropriately dramatic for a lake named Erie.

A Beach with a Winter Personality

After nearly freezing at the top of the tower, we headed down to the beach to experience the waves up close. Like before, the beach was littered with washed-up logs and stones. But instead of giving off tropical castaway vibes like it did in summer, the shoreline now had a decidedly eerie aesthetic.

And we loved it.

The beach was still stunningly beautiful—just in a more haunting, atmospheric way than the sunlit version we’d explored a few months earlier.

Shelter in the Woods (Sort Of)

Once we had soaked up enough cold spray from the crashing waves, we ducked into the woods for a break from the wind. The towering trees swayed under the gale, and the dark sky above gave the whole trail an eerie mood that matched the lake behind us.

We were even surprised by a large family of deer that bounded across the trail right in front of us. With hunting season underway (something we learned during our Erie Bluffs Pennsylvania adventure), you’d think they would have been a little more cautious. But this group lingered for a while, watching us as we made our way down the shadowy path.

We continued along the trail, snapping plenty of photos of the lake whenever it peeked through the trees, before eventually looping back to the parking lot—and the warmth of the car.

Final Thoughts

Although this was a quicker adventure, and technically a repeat, it felt surprisingly fresh. The dark weather transformed everything we thought we already knew about this park. Comparing the bright blues of summer to the moody grays of early winter was strangely satisfying and a reminder of how dramatically the seasons can reshape a landscape.

Maggie and I loved revisiting the sights we remembered from warmer days and seeing how different—and equally beautiful—they looked through winter’s lens.

Quick Tips for Visiting Lake Erie Bluffs in Late Fall / Early Winter

Check the wind advisory: Lake Erie winds can get intense—especially if you plan on climbing the overlook tower.
Bundle up: It may look like fall, but it feels like winter. Hats and gloves recommended.
Watch your footing: Trails and the beach can be slick from moisture and drifting sand.
Don’t skip the beach: The winter waves are incredible (just keep a safe distance).
Keep your camera ready: Lake Erie’s mood swings make for fantastic photos.
Wildlife still wanders: Keep an eye out for deer—even during hunting season.