Erie Pa

The North Pier Light

The North Pier Light is one of three lighthouses located in Erie, Pa, and can be found at the east end of the channel that leads into Presque Isle Bay

The original wooden beacon, built in 1830, was swept away by a schooner in 1857.  A cast-iron tower was built in 1858 as a replacement and was moved in 1882 and then again in 1940.

The beacon emitted a fixed red beam until 1995, when the U.S. Coast Guard removed the fourth order Fresnel lens and replaced it with a solar powered red flashing light.  The Fresnel lens is on display at the Erie Maritime Museum.

The tower is not open to the public, but visitors can walk along the pier to the North Pier Light. 

Directions:  To get to the North Pier Light, you’ll need to go deep into Presque Isle.  Once you reach the 1873 Presque Isle Light House, you’ll continue on the northern part of the loop until you reach Coast Guard Road.  Take that, and continue on until you reach the Coast Guard entrance.  There will be a gravel road on the left which ends at the pier.  From there you can walk your way to the end of the pier and reach the lighthouse.

Presque Isle Lighthouse

Beach #9 at Presque Isle

Map

Construction began on the Presque Isle Lighthouse in 1872, and was first list on July 12th 1873, making it only the second lighthouse constructed on Lake Erie.  The tower is made of brick and an attached dwelling was home to nine U.S. Lighthouse service keepers and their families until 1944.

Before electric bulbs were used, the keeper climbed to the top of the tower every four hours to check the whale oil used for burning in the lamp.  Through a fourth order Fresnel lens mounted in the top of the tower, a single oil lamp would project a warning light that was visible for thirteen nautical miles.  Two red flashes followed by four white flashes let the boaters know they were headed towards Erie, Pa.  Today the light is automated and the and the characteristic has been changed to a 3 second-on, 3 second-off white light.  The dwelling is currently a private residence for park staff. 

Visitors can view the lighthouse from the beach and take a walk on the Sidewalk Trail to Misery bay to see where the keeper crossed the bay to get supplies.

Tom Ridge Environmental Center

301 Peninsula Dr., Ste. 1
Erie, PA 16505
Map

814-833-7424

Official Website

Tom Ridge Environmental Center is located near the entrance to Presque Isle, and is an environmental education center overlooking the waters of Lake Erie.  The Center features an exhibit hall with interactive exhibits, a 75-foot observation tower, an orientation theater, a large format theater, Sunset Cafe and Nature Shop. It is a “green” building and will receive a silver LEEDS rating. Green features are indicated throughout the building. There is an administration wing, research wing and educational classrooms. Individuals as well as motor coach tours and school groups are welcome. It is a wonderful place to learn about nature, the environment and what makes Presque Isle a National Natural Wonder. National Audubon ranks Presque Isle in the top 10 birding areas in the nation.

The Perry Monument is a 101 foot structure located at the eastern end of Presque Isle.  Standing next to Misery Bay, named by the men of Perry’s naval squadron, who wintered here 1813-1814 after the crucial Battle of Lake Erie in September 1813, the Monument draws attentions from visitors all around.  

The Monument is dedicated to Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry, who was a prominent naval squadron leader during the War of 1812.  Oliver Hazard Perry, along with Presque Isle, played a vital role in the victory over the British in the War.  Perry strategically used the peninsula’s bay as a natural protection for his men, and a place to construct 6 of the 9 ships in his fleet.  Using this location would force the enemy to travel all the way around the peninsula, leaving the enemy vulnerable. 

Misery bay is a great place to drop off any hikers in your party. Look for the head of the Sidewalk Trail and arrange to meet them in 40–50 minutes at Lighthouse Beach. This trail treats hikers to an easy 1.25-mile walk through an environmentally sensitive wetland on a concrete-surfaced trail that skirts Ridge Pond, a beach or sandpit pond created by a former shoreline and which once lay very close to the lake.

information provided from presqueisle.org

BEACH 1 (guarded):

• Popular beach…first beach you come to
• Used by many families and singles
• Bath house
• Adequate room for sandy shores
• Protection from any east winds
• More than enough parking

BARRACKS BEACH (guarded):

• Popular beach
• Limited Parking (Do not park in the Stull Interpretive Center lot…save that for those visiting the Center.)

BEACH 2 (unguarded):

• Limited Parking along main road

BEACH 6 (guarded):

• Most popular site for teens and precollege
• 8 volleyball courts
• Concession stand
• Reasonable parking on most days.

BEACH 7 (Waterworks Beach) (guarded):

• In much demand for picnics, reunions, family groups
• Ideal as alternate site for kids who don´t especially like the water
• Playground adjacent to beach
• Rest rooms
• Fishing available in two large groups
• Parking more limited

BEACH 8 (Pettinato Beach) (guarded):

• Concession stand
• Bath house
• More than enough parking
• Ideal for families

MILL ROAD BEACHES (guarded):

• Parking is only along the road but very close to beach
• One restroom

BEACH 9 (guarded):

• Bathhouse
• Very wide beach
• Adequate parking

SUNSET POINT (unguarded):

• Popular with wind surfers, boaters and kite flyers
• Limited parking
• No facilities

BEACH 10 (guarded):

• More than enough parking
• Actual beach has been diminished because of erosion
• Popular with boaters and all age groups
• Concession stand
• Bathhouse

BEACH 11 (guarded):

• Undergoing change because of sand spit formation. Use may change, but in past has been popular as protected and shallow area during high westerly winds
• Adequate parking
• Concession stand
• Bathhouse
• Ideal for little kids because of shallow water
• Parking area has playground

Presque Isle State Park

Foot of Peninsula Drive
Erie, PA 16505
Map

Presque Isle State Park
814-833-7424
814-833-0266 (fax)
presqueislesp@state.pa.us

Stull Interpretive Center
(814) 833-0351

Lifeguard Headquarters (seasonal)
(814) 833-0526

Marina Office (seasonal)
(814) 833-0176

Official Website

Presque Isle State Park is located 4 miles west of downtown Erie Pa, and consists of 3,000 acres of a long, arching sandy peninsula that juts out into Lake Erie.  Sweeping eastward for 13 miles, the peninsula is serviced by paved roads and 21 miles of recreation trails.  The park brings in over 4 million visitors each year, many who come for recreational activities such as swimming, hiking, biking, in-line skating, and bird watching. 

Attractions:

13 Beaches - Presque Isle has 13 beaches that are open for swimming. The beaches open during Memorial Day weekend and close after Labor Day weekend. Lifeguards are on duty 10:00 a.m. until 7:30pm and there are extensive picnic facilities at many of the beaches.

Perry Monument - The Perry Monument, in honor of Commodore William Hazard Perry, is a 101 foot high monument located by a Misery Bay, a small bay near the tip of the peninsula. 

Presque Isle Lighthouse - Constructed in 1872 and lit on July 12 1873, the lighthouse became only the 2nd lighthouse constructed on Lake Erie.  The 74 foot high structure flashes a white light to warn oncoming ships of the peninsula that juts out into Lake Erie.

Tom Ridge Environmental Center - Located at the entrance to Presque Isle, the Tom Ridge Environmental Center features a 75-foot observation tower, an exhibit hall with interactive exhibits, an orientation theater, a large format theater, Sunset Cafe and Nature Shop.