Presque Isle State Park

{{short description|Pennsylvania state park on Lake Erie}} {{for|the Michigan park|Presque Isle Park}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2025}} {{Featured article}}  {{Infobox park | name = Presque Isle State Park | image = Presque Isle Pennsylvania aerial view.jpg | image_caption = Aerial view of Presque Isle toward the east-northeast | image_alt = Aerial view | image_size = 280 | location = [[Millcreek Township, Erie County, Pennsylvania]], United States | coordinates = {{coord|42.10964|-80.15384|format=dms|display=inline,title}} | coords_ref = <ref name="dcnr"/> | area = {{convert|3,112.29|acre|abbr=on}} | elevation = {{convert|576|ft}} | established = 1921 | administrator = [[Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources]] | free_label = | free_data = | visitation_num = | visitation_year = | visitation_ref = | website = {{Official website}} | module = {{Infobox protected area | map = USA Pennsylvania#USA | label = Presque Isle State Park | label_position = | map_caption = Location in Pennsylvania | relief = 1 | module = [[List of Pennsylvania state parks|Pennsylvania State Parks]] }} {{designation list |embed=yes |designation1=NNL |designation1_date=1967}} }} '''Presque Isle State Park''' ({{IPAc-en|p|r|ɛ|s|k}} {{respell|PRESK}}) is a {{Convert|3112|acre|ha|0|adj=on}} [[List of Pennsylvania state parks|Pennsylvania State Park]] on an arching, sandy [[peninsula]] jutting into [[Lake Erie]], {{Convert|4|mi|km|0}} west of the city of [[Erie, Pennsylvania|Erie]], in [[Millcreek Township, Erie County, Pennsylvania]], in the United States. The peninsula sweeps northeastward, surrounding [[Presque Isle Bay]] along the park's southern coast. It has {{Convert|13|mi|km|0}} of roads, {{convert|21|mi|km|0}} of recreational trails, 13 beaches for swimming, and a marina. Popular activities at the park include [[human swimming|swimming]], [[boating]], [[hiking]], [[biking]], and [[birdwatching]].<ref name="dcnr">{{cite web |url=https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/where-to-go/state-parks/find-a-park/presque-isle-state-park |title=Presque Isle State Park |publisher=Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources |access-date=January 15, 2026}}</ref>

The [[recorded history]] of Presque Isle begins with the [[Erie (tribe)|Erielhonan]], a [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] tribe who gave their name to Lake Erie, and includes French, British, and American forts, as well as serving as a base for [[Commodore (United States)|Commodore]] [[Oliver Hazard Perry]]'s fleet in the [[War of 1812]]. With the growing importance of [[ship transport|shipping]] on Lake Erie in the 19th century, Presque Isle became home to several [[lighthouse]]s and what later became a [[United States Coast Guard]] station. In 1921, it became a state park, and as of 2007, it hosts over 4 million visitors per year, the most of any Pennsylvania state park.<ref name="dcnr"/>

The Presque Isle peninsula formed on a [[moraine]] from the end of the [[Wisconsin glaciation]] and is constantly being reshaped by waves and wind. This pattern leads to seven ecological zones within the park, which provides a classic example of [[ecological succession]]. A [[National Natural Landmark]] since 1967, the park has been named one of the best places in the United States for watching birds, particularly in the Gull Point Natural Area. The [[Tom Ridge Environmental Center]] at the entrance to the park allows visitors to learn more about the park and its ecology. The Pennsylvania Bureau of Parks has chosen Presque Isle State Park for its list of "25 Must-See Pennsylvania State Parks".<ref name= "mustsee"/>

The park was one of five Pennsylvania State Parks in the path of totality for the [[Solar eclipse of April 8, 2024|2024 solar eclipse]], with 3 minutes and 45 seconds of [[Totality (eclipse)|totality]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=R |first=Mike |date=September 8, 2021 |title=Pennsylvania 2024 Solar Eclipse State Parks |url=http://cosmospnw.com/pennsylvania-2024-solar-eclipse-state-parks/ |access-date=October 3, 2022 |website=CosmosPNW |language=en-US}}</ref>

== History == {{Main|History of Presque Isle}}

=== Early inhabitants === Presque Isle was formed at the end of the [[Wisconsin glaciation]] about 11,000 years ago.<ref name="Origin of Presque Isle">{{cite web |url=http://www.pserie.psu.edu/seagrant/rediscoveries/curriculum/PresqueIsle.pdf |title=Presque Isle – Origin of Presque Isle |access-date=October 31, 2007 |publisher=[[Pennsylvania State University]] |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071127080116/http://www.pserie.psu.edu/seagrant/rediscoveries/curriculum/PresqueIsle.pdf |archive-date=November 27, 2007}}</ref> The earliest known inhabitants of the southern Lake Erie coast were the [[Erie (tribe)|Erielhonan]], also known as the "Eriez", an [[Iroquoian languages|Iroquoian]] speaking tribe of [[Native Americans in the United States|Native Americans]]. Erielhonan referred to the "Cat" or "Raccoon" people, and the name "Erie" is a corruption of Erielhonan. This name became the name of the lake and county in which Presque Isle Park is located, as well as the name of the city nearest the park.<ref name="Native">{{cite book |last=Smith |first=Marvin T. |title=Archaeology of Aboriginal Cultural Change in the Interior Southeast: Depopulation During the Early Historic Period |publisher=University Press of Florida |year=1987 |location=Gainesville}}</ref><ref name ="donehoo">{{cite book |last=Donehoo |first=Dr. George P. |title=A History of the Indian Villages and Place Names in Pennsylvania |orig-year=1928 |url=http://www.srbc.net/pubinfo/techdocs/Publication_229/Native%20American%20Report.pdf |access-date=November 16, 2007 |edition=Second Reprint |year=1999 |publisher=Wennawoods Publishing |location=[[Lewisburg, Pennsylvania]] |isbn=1-889037-11-7 |quote=ISBN refers to a 1999 reprint edition. The URL is for the [[Susquehanna River Basin Commission]]'s webpage on Native American Place names, quoting and citing the book. |page=290 |archive-date=July 11, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120711043209/http://www.srbc.net/pubinfo/techdocs/Publication_229/Native%20American%20Report.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref>

An Erielhonan legend taught that the [[Great Spirit]] led them to Presque Isle because of the wealth of [[game (food)|game]], the abundance of clean fresh water, and the cool breezes "coming from the land of snow and ice" (i.e., Canada). Another legend explains how the Erielhonan ventured into Lake Erie in search of the land where the sun set, but the spirit of the lake blew a fierce storm to keep them from finding it.<ref name="dcnr"/> To protect the Erielhonan from the storm, their god laid his outstretched arm into the lake, giving them safety during the storm. The god's arm remained in the lake, protecting the tribe's future generations.<ref name="Native"/>

The Erielhonan are believed to have lived and farmed on the peninsula.<ref name="Origin of Presque Isle"/> They fought several wars, the last starting in 1653 with the Five Nations of the [[Iroquois]]. Despite initial victories over the [[Seneca tribe|Senecas]], in 1654 the Erielhonans' largest village, Rique (at the modern city of Erie), was destroyed by 1,800 Iroquois warriors. By 1656, the Erielhonan had been largely destroyed as a distinct people, although some survivors were adopted by the Iroquois, who primarily absorbed them into the Seneca community.<ref name="Native"/><ref name ="donehoo"/>

=== Forts, settlers, and the War of 1812 === The French first named the peninsula in the 1720s; ''[[presque-isle]]'' means peninsula ({{lit|almost an island}}) in French. They built [[Fort Presque Isle]] at the modern city of Erie in the summer of 1753, naming it for the peninsula that protected the fort. The French also built two "military outposts" on Presque Isle itself. The first outpost was situated at the entrance to the peninsula, and the second was constructed at the easternmost point.<ref name="Origin of Presque Isle"/> During the [[French and Indian War]], the French abandoned their outposts and burned their fort in 1759.{{Sfn|Bates|Brown|Russell|Weakley|1884|p=503}} The British constructed a new fort of the same name that year, which later fell to Native American forces on June 19, 1763, during [[Pontiac's Rebellion]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Dowd |first=Gregory Evans |title=War under Heaven: Pontiac, the Indian Nations, & the British Empire |year=2002 |publisher=Johns Hopkins University Press |location=[[Baltimore, Maryland|Baltimore]] |isbn=0-8018-7079-8 |page=[https://archive.org/details/warunderheavenpo00dowd/page/128 128] |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/warunderheavenpo00dowd/page/128}}</ref>

[[File:Perry Monument - Presque Isle, PA.jpg|thumb|left|upright|The Perry Monument on Presque Isle commemorates the U.S. naval victory on Lake Erie in the War of 1812.|alt=A tall, stone column at the end of a sidewalk, with trees on either side of the sidewalk.]] Presque Isle passed from British to American control after the [[American Revolutionary War]], and the Iroquois sold their rights to the land containing the peninsula to the United States at the second [[Treaty of Fort Stanwix (1784)|Treaty of Fort Stanwix]] in 1784. Pennsylvania did not acquire an undisputed title to the land until it purchased the [[Erie Triangle]] from the federal government on April 3, 1792. In 1795 General [[Anthony Wayne]] built a new, American "Fort Presque Isle", and on April 18 of that year the town of "Presqu' Ile", since renamed Erie, was laid out near it. Wayne died at the fort on December 15, 1796, and was originally buried there.<ref>{{cite book |last=Albert |first=George Dallas |title=Report of the Commission to Locate the Site of the Frontier Forts of Pennsylvania. Volume Two: The Frontier Forts of Western Pennsylvania |year=1896 |publisher=Clarence M. Busch, State Printer of Pennsylvania |location=[[Harrisburg, Pennsylvania]] |pages=537–566 |url=http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/pa/1pa/1picts/frontierforts/ff37.html |access-date=November 16, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080226054417/http://www.rootsweb.com/~usgenweb/pa/1pa/1picts/frontierforts/ff37.html |archive-date=February 26, 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[Erie County, Pennsylvania|Erie County]] was formed from [[Allegheny County, Pennsylvania|Allegheny County]] on March 12, 1800. [[Millcreek Township, Erie County, Pennsylvania|Millcreek Township]], which initially contained both the Presque Isle peninsula and the village of Erie, was one of the original townships. Erie was named the [[county seat]] in 1803, incorporated as a borough in 1805, and became a city in 1851.<ref name="godcharles">{{cite book |last=Godcharles |first=Frederic A. |author-link=Frederic A. Godcharles |title=Pennsylvania: Political, Governmental, Military and Civil: Political and Civil History Volume |edition=First |year=1933 |publisher=The American Historical Society |location=New York, New York}}</ref>

During the [[War of 1812]], Presque Isle played a part in the victory over the British in the [[Battle of Lake Erie]].<ref name="Frank">{{cite web |publisher=Flagship Niagara League |url=http://www.brigniagara.org/battle.htm |title=Niagara History–Battle of Lake Erie |access-date=May 30, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070529035739/http://www.brigniagara.org/battle.htm |archive-date=May 29, 2007}}</ref> Oliver Hazard Perry, commander of the American fleet, made strategic use of the bay as a place to construct six of the nine ships in his fleet. Using this location protected the men by creating an obstacle, forcing potential attackers to circumnavigate the peninsula to reach them.<ref name="Origin of Presque Isle"/><ref name="Frank"/>

The "Little Bay" near the tip of the peninsula where the ships sheltered, next to the current Perry's Monument, was later named "Misery Bay" because of the hardships during the winter of 1813–1814, after the men returned there from battle.<ref name="dcnr"/> Many men suffered from [[smallpox]] and were kept in [[quarantine]] near the bay. Many infected men died and were buried in what is now called Graveyard Pond.<ref name="dcnr"/><ref name="Origin of Presque Isle"/><ref name="Frank"/>

After the Battle of Lake Erie on September 10, 1813, Perry's two largest ships were severely damaged, and the [[USS Lawrence (1813)|US Brig ''Lawrence'']] was intentionally sunk in Misery Bay. The ''Lawrence'' was raised in 1875 but was burned while on display at the 1876 [[Centennial Exposition]]. The [[USS Niagara (1813)|US Brig ''Niagara'']] was initially repaired, then sunk for preservation in 1820 and raised in 1913, and parts of it were eventually used in the current ''Niagara'', based across Presque Isle Bay in Erie.<ref name="dcnr"/><ref name="Frank"/>

=== Lighthouses and Coast Guard === [[File:Presque Isle Lighthouse 2.jpg|thumb|The Presque Isle Light began operation in 1873 and is still in service today.|alt=A brick house with a white, square lighthouse tower attached to the house.]] The Presque Isle peninsula forms Presque Isle Bay, which serves as a natural harbor for Erie. During the 19th century, as navigation on Lake Erie grew increasingly critical, shipping aids were constructed on Presque Isle. As of 2007, two main [[lighthouses]] can be found in the park. The [[Erie Harbor North Pier Light]] began as a wooden tower, erected in 1830. In 1858, a stronger steel structure was imported from France and installed at Erie to replace the wooden beacon, which a schooner had damaged. This light still stands at the far eastern side of the park, near the inlet between the lake and the bay.<ref name="dcnr"/>

The [[Presque Isle Light]] was constructed in 1872 on the north side of Presque Isle and was lit on July 12, 1873. This light is {{Convert|74|ft|m|adj=mid|-tall|0}}, with a red brick house that was used as a lighthouse keeper residence, and later a park residence. Today, the lighthouse is maintained by the United States Coast Guard and flashes a white light to warn ships of the sandy peninsula that juts into Lake Erie. The light station is open to public tours from Memorial Day through Labor Day on weekends, weather permitting (see presqueislelighthouse.org).<ref name="dcnr"/><ref>Board of Directors, Presque Isle Light Station website</ref> A third, more miniature lighthouse was built in 1906 by the [[Erie Waterworks]] on the Presque Isle Bay side of the peninsula. Today it stands in the ferry landing for the [[Presque Isle Water Taxi]] service, south of the former waterworks along the state park's multi-purpose trail on the southeast side of Presque Isle.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=290 |title=Presque Isle Lighthouse, Pennsylvania |publisher=Lighthousefriends.com |access-date=November 17, 2007}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |publisher=The Port of Erie |url=http://www.porterie.org/transit_map_lg.gif |title=Bayfront Transportation Systems |access-date=November 17, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071127080116/http://www.porterie.org/transit_map_lg.gif |archive-date=November 27, 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[United States Life-Saving Service]] District 9 opened a life-saving station at Presque Isle in 1876. William Clark was the keeper from 1877 until he drowned in 1891. He was succeeded by Andrew Jansen, who was the keeper until 1914. When the Life-Saving Service and the [[Revenue Cutter Service]] merged in 1915 to become the [[United States Coast Guard]], LSS Presque Isle, also called the Erie life-saving station, became Coast Guard Station #236. The station, still in operation, is assigned to the Ninth District of the United States Coast Guard.<ref name="coastguard">{{cite web |url=http://www.uscg.mil/d9/ |title=Ninth Coast Guard District |access-date=November 1, 2007 |publisher=[[United States Department of Homeland Security]]}}</ref>

=== Modern era and state park === In 1908, Erie started building a [[waterworks]] on Presque Isle to provide [[fresh water]] for the city. Water from Lake Erie was pumped into two [[reservoir]]s on the peninsula, where particulates in the water were allowed to settle, removing them from the lake water. After treatment, the water flowed into the city's water supply lines. In 1917, a pumphouse powered by a steam engine was built, which pumped water from one basin into the other, then across Presque Isle Bay to Erie. This system of supplying drinking water for Erie operated until 1949. The pumphouse is now used for [[zebra mussel]] control and as a concession stand for bicycle and [[quadracycle]] rentals within the state park.<ref name="dcnr"/>

[[File:Presque Isle Waterworks Lighthouse.jpg|thumb|left|The small lighthouse along the multipurpose trail in the state park, near the former waterworks|alt=A small off-white lighthouse with a red roof and the trunks of two trees overlooking a bay with a city in the background.]] As Pennsylvania's only surf beach, the Presque Isle beaches were already a popular attraction when the state legislature authorized the creation of the "Pennsylvania State Park at Erie" in May 1921.{{Sfn|Cupper|1993|p=17}} Oversight was given to the new "State Park and Harbor Commission of Erie", including local representation, instead of to the state Department of Forests and Waters. Presque Isle quickly became the most popular state park in Pennsylvania. Presque Isle was an early example of locating state parks near cities, a trend that would become prevalent statewide only in the 1960s.{{Sfn|Cupper|1993|p=35}}

The first paved road was built in the park in 1924,<ref name="Origin of Presque Isle"/> and today {{Convert|13|mi|km|0}} of roads run through the park.<ref name="dcnr"/> [[Pennsylvania Route 832]] is the main road into the park, and is subsequently known as Peninsula Drive.<ref>{{Cite map |publisher=[[Pennsylvania Department of Transportation]] |title=General Highway Map, Erie County, Pennsylvania |year=2017 |scale=1:65,000 |url=http://www.dot7.state.pa.us/BPR_pdf_files/Maps/GHS/Roadnames/erie_GHSN.PDF |access-date=September 30, 2017}} ''Note: shows Presque Isle State Park ''</ref> Presque Isle has been referred to as "Peninsula State Park".<ref>{{cite book |title=Pennsylvania: A Guide To The Keystone State |author=Writers' Program of the Work Progress Administration in the State of Pennsylvania |author-link=Federal Writers' Project |author2=Pennsylvania State Department of Public Instruction |url=https://collection1.libraries.psu.edu/cdm/singleitem/collection/digitalbks2/id/91012/rec/1 |date=December 1940 |publisher=[[Oxford University Press|Oxford UP]] |location=[[New York, NY]] |access-date=September 30, 2017 |series=American Guide Series |page=xxviii |no-pp=true}}</ref> The Perry Monument in the park was constructed in 1926 near Misery Bay and the burials in Graveyard Pond.<ref name="dcnr"/>

By 1937, official state publications were referring to the park as "Presque Isle State Park", and that same year, it led the state park system with 1.4 million visitors.<ref>{{cite news |title=Pennsylvania has everything! |url=http://www.libraries.psu.edu/do/digitalbookshelf/28559645/28559645_part_1.pdf |work=Brochure |publisher=Pennsylvania State Publicity Commission |year=1937 |access-date=November 11, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071127080116/http://www.libraries.psu.edu/do/digitalbookshelf/28559645/28559645_part_1.pdf |archive-date=November 27, 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref>{{Sfn|Cupper|1993|p=29}} In the 1950s the peninsula was enlarged to accommodate new roads and parking, using {{Convert|3|e6yd2|m2|-5}} of sand dredged from the interior of the peninsula. The resulting basin became the current marina. Other new facilities included three modern bath houses built in 1957.<ref name="Origin of Presque Isle"/> That same year, Gull Point (at the eastern end of the peninsula) was named a nature preserve by the state.<ref name="times gull point">{{cite news |last=Guerriero |first=John |title=Presque Isle: Toward an Uncertain Future |date=May 26, 2007 |work=[[Erie Times-News]] |url=http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070526/TOURISM01/705260384/-1/TOURISM |access-date=November 19, 2007 |archive-date=April 29, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090429071433/http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070526/TOURISM01/705260384/-1/TOURISM |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref name="gullpoint">{{cite web |url=http://www.presqueisle.org/gull_point.html |title=Gull Point: A fragile ecosystem |access-date=November 15, 2007 |publisher=CyberInk, LP |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071025050339/http://www.presqueisle.org/gull_point.html |archive-date=October 25, 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Presque Isle was named a [[National Natural Landmark]] by the [[National Park Service]] in 1967.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nnlandmarks/site.htm?Site=PRIS-PA |title=Presque Isle |work=National Natural Landmarks Program |publisher=[[National Park Service]] |access-date=February 21, 2016}}</ref> A recommendation was made to abolish the independent board as early as 1930, although this did not come about until January 19, 1971, with the creation of the state Department of Environmental Resources (which later became the DCNR).{{Sfn|Cupper|1993|p=25}}<ref name="forrey">{{cite book |title=History of Pennsylvania's State Parks |last=Forrey |first=William C. |year=1984 |publisher=Bureau of State Parks, Office of Reseources Management, Department of Environmental Resources, Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |location=Harrisburg, Pennsylvania |oclc=17824084}}</ref> From 1989 to 1992, over 50 [[breakwater (structure)|breakwaters]] were built along the western and northern shore of the peninsula to help control erosion.<ref name="times gull point"/> In 1997 the park's [[Important Bird Area]] (IBA) was one of the first 73 IBAs established in Pennsylvania.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/news/resource/res1997/97-0107-res.aspx#Aud |title=Audubon names 73 important bird areas in state |publisher=Resource: [[Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources]] |date=January 7, 1997 |volume=1 |issue=3 |access-date=January 5, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121114044717/http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/news/resource/res1997/97-0107-res.aspx |archive-date=November 14, 2012}}</ref> As part of the ''State Parks 2000'' strategic plan of the [[Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources]] (DCNR), Gull Point was named a "State Park Natural Area for rare and migratory shorebirds to rest, feed and possibly nest".<ref name="dcnr"/><ref name="natural areas">{{cite web |url=http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/natural/naturalareas.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040202113337/http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/natural/naturalareas.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 2, 2004 |title=Natural Areas |access-date=November 19, 2007 |publisher=[[Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources]]}}</ref>

The [[Tom Ridge Environmental Center]] at the entrance to the park opened in May 2006. As of 2007, the Pennsylvania DCNR Bureau of Parks, which administers all 120 Pennsylvania state parks, had chosen Presque Isle for its "25 Must-See Pennsylvania State Parks" list, citing its status as Pennsylvania's only surf beach, its status as a National Natural Landmark, and its "geological and biological diversity and its historic significance".<ref name=mustsee>{{cite web |url=https://maps.dcnr.pa.gov/storymaps/mustseeparks/# |title=25 Must-see Parks |publisher=Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources |access-date=2026-01-15}}</ref> Scenes for the film [[The Road (2009 film)|''The Road'']] were shot at Presque Isle in April 2008, with Beach 10 used as a seashore.<ref>{{Cite news |date=April 21, 2008 |title=Stars follow 'The Road' to Presque Isle |first=Gerry |last=Weiss |newspaper=Erie Times-News |url=http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080421/NEWS02/804210359/-1/NEWS02 |access-date=May 13, 2015 |archive-date=June 7, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607022047/http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080421/NEWS02/804210359/-1/NEWS02 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

A weak [[tornado]] touched down in the state park on June 27, 2010. Rated EF0 on the [[Enhanced Fujita Scale]], it downed power lines and trees near the Stull Interpretive Center, and also damaged a nearby observation platform. Presque Isle was closed on June 28 to facilitate the clean-up of the debris and reopened the next morning.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Maciag |first=Mike |title=Tornado confirmed as cause of damage at Presque Isle |work=Erie Times-News |date=June 29, 2010 |url=http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100629/NEWS02/306289925 |access-date=June 29, 2010 |archive-date=April 1, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120401031817/http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100629/NEWS02/306289925 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

During [[Hurricane Sandy]] in October 2012, parts and remnants of the storm reached Presque Isle. The park was closed in preparation for the storm, with waves expected to reach 14–18 feet and high winds anticipated. The storm was expected to be severe, but it was not. Only 8-foot waves were recorded, and not as high winds either. The park emerged with only minor flooding, a few downed trees, and the loss of power at the park marina.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Adams |first=Lisa |title=Sandy Spares Presque Isle |work=WSEE/WICU News |date=October 30, 2012 |url=http://www.erietvnews.com/story/19954977/sandy-spares-presque-isle |access-date=December 3, 2012}}</ref>

== Geology and climate == [[File:Migration of PresqueIsle.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Migration of Presque Isle from 1790 to 1971|alt=A set of seven drawn outlines of a peninsula depicting how it changed through its history.]] Presque Isle is a recurved sand [[Spit (landform)|spit]] formed during the [[last glacial period]], or ice age, when the [[Laurentide Ice Sheet]] advanced into the basin now occupied by [[Lake Erie]], and, when it retreated to the north between 12,370 BC and 12,790 BC, left behind a [[moraine]] consisting of clay, sand, and gravel which initially formed the peninsula. The deposits are constantly being reworked by wave action and gradually migrating to the northeast due to [[longshore drift]].{{sfn|Gorecki|Pope|1993|p=18}}<ref name="trail of geology">{{cite web |url=http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/topogeo/parkguides/Pg21.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040630100009/http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/topogeo/ParkGuides/pg21.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=June 30, 2004 |title=Pennsylvania Trail of Geology – Presque Isle State Park, Erie County: A Dynamic Interface of Water and Land |access-date=December 11, 2007 |author=John G. Kuchinski |publisher=Pennsylvania Bureau of Topographic and Geologic Survey, Pennsylvania Bureau of State Parks |year=1991}}</ref>

The French term ''presqu'île'', the origin of the park's name, means "peninsula", or, literally, "almost an island". Despite its name, Presque Isle has been an island for brief periods, cut off from the mainland several times since 1819—the longest stretch was from 1832 to 1864.<ref name="wildlife">{{Cite web |url=http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/presqueisle/presqueisle_wildlife.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080724023705/http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/presqueisle/presqueisle_wildlife.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 24, 2008 |title=The Nature of Presque Isle |access-date=November 7, 2010 |publisher=Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources}}</ref> In the 1950s, to combat erosion, the state and federal governments built sets of concrete [[seawall]]s and perpendicular [[groyne|groins]].<ref name="times gull point"/> In 1992, a series of 58 [[breakwater (structure)|breakwater]]s were also constructed to help capture sand and significantly slow its movement eastward. Even with the substantial engineering projects, sand must be relocated from [[tombolo]]s which form behind the breakwaters, and new sand must be trucked in annually to [[beach nourishment|replenish the beaches]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Massing |first=Dana |title=Officials evaluate condition of Presque Isle's beaches |date=October 23, 2015 |newspaper=Erie Times-News |url=http://www.goerie.com/article/20151023/NEWS02/310229782/officials-evaluate-condition-of-presque-isles-beaches |access-date=February 21, 2016}}</ref>

Presque Isle protects the natural Presque Isle Bay, which creates a deep and wide harbor for the city of Erie. The bay is often filled with [[pleasure craft]] as well as cargo ships from all over the world that use the [[Great Lakes]] shipping port.<ref name="dcnr"/> Erie became an international port after the opening of the [[Saint Lawrence Seaway]] in 1959.

[[File:Presque Isle State Park in the Winter.jpg|thumb|left|A winter day at Presque Isle State Park]]Owing to the park's location relative to Erie, its climate is similar to that of the city. Erie and the peninsula are located in a [[snow belt]] that stretches from [[Cleveland]] to [[Syracuse, New York|Syracuse]] and [[Watertown (city), New York|Watertown]]; accordingly, its winters are typically cold, with heavy [[lake-effect snow]], but also with occasional stretches of mild weather that cause accumulated snow to melt. The Erie region lies in the [[Humid continental climate|humid continental zone]] ([[Köppen climate classification|Köppen]] ''Dfa'').<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Kottek |first1=Marcus |last2=Greiser |first2=Jürgen |last3=Beck |first3=Christoph |last4=Rudolf |first4=Bruno |last5=Rubel |first5=Franz |display-authors=2 |title=World Map of Köppen−Geiger Climate Classification |date=Jun 2006 |journal=[[Meteorologische Zeitschrift]] |volume=15 |issue=3 |page=261 |doi=10.1127/0941-2948/2006/0130 |url=https://opus.bibliothek.uni-augsburg.de/opus4/files/40083/metz_Vol_15_No_3_p259-263_World_Map_of_the_Koppen_Geiger_climate_classification_updated_55034.pdf}}</ref> Presque Isle's lakeside location helps to temper summer heat, with an average of only 3.8 days of {{convert|90|°F|0}}+ highs annually, and the highest temperature ever recorded was {{convert|100|°F|0}} on June 25, 1988; there is an average of 2.5 days with lows of {{convert|0|°F|0}} or colder annually, and the lowest temperature ever recorded was {{convert|−18|°F|0}} on January 19, 1994, and February 16, 2015.<ref name = NOAA/> [[Ice dune]]s typically form along the beaches in the winter from snowfall and frozen [[spray (liquid drop)|spray]], and usually reach a height over {{Convert|6|ft|m|1}}.<ref name="dune">{{Cite news |last=Spitzer |first=Cody |title=Inside ice dunes |date=January 24, 2009 |newspaper=Erie Times-News |url=http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090124/NEWS02/301249961/-1/RSS |access-date=February 21, 2016 |archive-date=June 7, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607010807/http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20090124/NEWS02/301249961/-1/RSS |url-status=dead }}</ref> The dunes protect the beaches from erosion during winter storms, and continue growing until the surface of Lake Erie freezes in the winter.<ref name="dune"/>

{{Weather box |open = |location = Erie, Pennsylvania ([[Erie International Airport]]), 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1873–present |single line = Y |collapsed = Y |Jan record high F = 73 |Feb record high F = 75 |Mar record high F = 82 |Apr record high F = 89 |May record high F = 91 |Jun record high F = 100 |Jul record high F = 99 |Aug record high F = 96 |Sep record high F = 99 |Oct record high F = 89 |Nov record high F = 82 |Dec record high F = 75 |year record high F = 100 |Jan high F = 33.7 |Feb high F = 35.5 |Mar high F = 43.8 |Apr high F = 56.1 |May high F = 66.6 |Jun high F = 75.7 |Jul high F = 79.8 |Aug high F = 78.6 |Sep high F = 71.9 |Oct high F = 60.8 |Nov high F = 49.9 |Dec high F = 38.1 |year high F = 57.7 |Jan mean F = 27.2 |Feb mean F = 28.3 |Mar mean F = 35.7 |Apr mean F = 47.1 |May mean F = 57.4 |Jun mean F = 67.1 |Jul mean F = 71.7 |Aug mean F = 70.5 |Sep mean F = 63.8 |Oct mean F = 53.0 |Nov mean F = 43.3 |Dec mean F = 32.4 |year mean F = 49.9 |Jan low F = 20.8 |Feb low F = 21.1 |Mar low F = 27.5 |Apr low F = 38.1 |May low F = 48.2 |Jun low F = 58.4 |Jul low F = 63.5 |Aug low F = 62.5 |Sep low F = 55.8 |Oct low F = 45.3 |Nov low F = 36.6 |Dec low F = 26.6 |year low F = 42.1 |Jan record low F = −18 |Feb record low F = −18 |Mar record low F = −9 |Apr record low F = 7 |May record low F = 26 |Jun record low F = 32 |Jul record low F = 44 |Aug record low F = 37 |Sep record low F = 33 |Oct record low F = 23 |Nov record low F = 6 |Dec record low F = −11 |year record low F = −18  |precipitation colour = green |Jan precipitation inch = 2.95 |Feb precipitation inch = 2.39 |Mar precipitation inch = 2.95 |Apr precipitation inch = 3.33 |May precipitation inch = 3.44 |Jun precipitation inch = 3.76 |Jul precipitation inch = 3.54 |Aug precipitation inch = 3.47 |Sep precipitation inch = 4.61 |Oct precipitation inch = 4.05 |Nov precipitation inch = 3.93 |Dec precipitation inch = 3.74 |year precipitation inch = 42.16  |Jan snow inch = 29.6 |Feb snow inch = 18.2 |Mar snow inch = 13.7 |Apr snow inch = 3.2 |May snow inch = Trace |Jun snow inch = 0.0 |Jul snow inch = 0.0 |Aug snow inch = 0.0 |Sep snow inch = 0.0 |Oct snow inch = 0.2 |Nov snow inch = 8.5 |Dec snow inch = 27.5 |year snow inch = 100.9 |unit precipitation days = 0.01 in |Jan precipitation days = 19.6 |Feb precipitation days = 15.0 |Mar precipitation days = 14.3 |Apr precipitation days = 13.9 |May precipitation days = 12.8 |Jun precipitation days = 11.1 |Jul precipitation days = 10.2 |Aug precipitation days = 10.3 |Sep precipitation days = 11.1 |Oct precipitation days = 13.4 |Nov precipitation days = 15.5 |Dec precipitation days = 19.2 |year precipitation days = 166.4 |unit snow days = 0.1 in |Jan snow days = 16.5 |Feb snow days = 11.7 |Mar snow days = 8.0 |Apr snow days = 2.7 |May snow days = 0.0 |Jun snow days = 0.0 |Jul snow days = 0.0 |Aug snow days = 0.0 |Sep snow days = 0.0 |Oct snow days = 0.2 |Nov snow days = 4.4 |Dec snow days = 13.6 |year snow days = 57.1 |Jan humidity = 74.5 |Feb humidity = 75.4 |Mar humidity = 71.9 |Apr humidity = 67.9 |May humidity = 68.9 |Jun humidity = 71.3 |Jul humidity = 71.7 |Aug humidity = 74.0 |Sep humidity = 74.5 |Oct humidity = 71.1 |Nov humidity = 72.3 |Dec humidity = 75.0 |year humidity = 72.4 |source 1 = NOAA (relative humidity 1961–1990)<ref name = NOAA >{{cite web |url=http://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=cle |title=NOWData – NOAA Online Weather Data |publisher=[[National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]] |access-date=September 28, 2015}}</ref><ref name=NOAAtxt>{{cite web |url=ftp://ftp.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/1981-2010/products/station/USW00014860.normals.txt |title=PA Erie INTL AP |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230709034611/ftp://ftp.ncdc.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/1981-2010/products/station/USW00014860.normals.txt |archive-date=2023-07-09 |url-status=dead |access-date=September 28, 2015}}</ref><ref name=NOAAsun>{{cite web |url=ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_IV/US/GROUP3/72526.TXT |title=WMO Climate Normals for Erie/INT'L ARPT, PA 1961–1990 |publisher=National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230709034610/ftp://ftp.atdd.noaa.gov/pub/GCOS/WMO-Normals/TABLES/REG_IV/US/GROUP3/72526.TXT |archive-date=2023-07-09 |url-status=dead |access-date=September 28, 2015}}</ref> |date = March 2012 }}

== Flora, fauna, and habitat == [[File:PresqueIsleBay-lookingN.JPG|thumb|left|The shore on the bay side, looking north|alt=A shoreline from the water with a thin beach and flanked by green trees.]]

=== Ecological zones and succession === According to the DCNR, because it has so "many unique habitats, Presque Isle contains a greater number of the state's endangered, threatened and rare species than any other area of comparable size in Pennsylvania".<ref name="dcnr"/> The DCNR recognizes seven different ecological zones within Presque Isle State Park, each with a different plant and animal community. These zones are: Lake Erie; the beaches and shoreline; sandy plain and ponds; dunes and ridges; [[marsh]]es and old ponds; [[heath]] and sub-climax forest; and the [[climax vegetation|climax forest]].<ref name="wildlife"/> Lake Erie, which surrounds the park, is the first zone and is home to 80 species of fish and at least six species of crustaceans.<ref name="wildlife2">{{cite web |url=http://www.presqueisle.org/nature_of_pi.html |title=Nature of Presque Isle |access-date=November 15, 2007 |publisher=CyberInk, LP |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071025050410/http://www.presqueisle.org/nature_of_pi.html |archive-date=October 25, 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="birds">{{cite web |url=http://www.innvista.com/science/ecology/parks/presque.htm |title=Presque Isle State Park |access-date=November 17, 2007 |publisher=Inn Vista |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071025220042/http://www.innvista.com//science/ecology/parks/presque.htm |archive-date=October 25, 2007}} ''Note'': the information on flora and fauna here is provided by "David Rutkowski, Assistant Park Manager, Presque Isle State Park".</ref>

The remaining ecological zones, with their progression from shoreline to climax forest, are a classic illustration of the concept of [[ecological succession]]. Much of this progression is due to the changing nature of Presque Isle and its shifting shoreline and dunes. The shoreline, the second zone, is formed by wave action and is in equilibrium between erosion and deposition, with the initial plants stabilizing the sand of the new shoreline. The newly formed sandy plain and the ponds that have formed within it comprise the third zone. The ponds start as trapped pockets of lake water and can erode or be filled by wind-blown sand or drifting dunes.{{Sfn|Jennings|1909|pp=313–314}} The new ponds provide habitat for plants and animals: for example, the state park is home to 89 species of [[Odonata]] (dragonflies and damselflies) and [[Lepidoptera]], including 35 different butterflies, as well as 84 different sorts of spiders.<ref name="Origin of Presque Isle"/><ref name="wildlife2"/>

[[File:Dendroica-cerulea-002.jpg|thumb|The cerulean warbler is a rare species found in the park.|alt=A blue and white bird perched on stick.]] Dunes and ridges are the fourth zone, formed when beach sand transported by wind and waves becomes trapped by vegetation. Dunes grow and are stabilized by grasses, followed by other types of vegetation. This process offers habitat for amphibians, birds, mammals, and reptiles. Old dunes can become more permanent ridges, which shelter ponds. These dunes, ridges, and ponds are often remnants of previous shorelines. At Presque Isle State Park, "Long Pond", just east of the marina, dunes and ridges mark the eastern shoreline as it existed in 1862.<ref name="Origin of Presque Isle"/> The fifth ecological zone consists of old ponds and marshes. Ponds protected by dunes and ridges are more stable; these old ponds support a greater variety of plant and animal life, and as they fill with vegetation, they become marshes. Old ponds and marshes have high [[biodiversity]].<ref name="Origin of Presque Isle"/> Nearly 400 species of terrestrial vertebrates live on Presque Isle, including 318 different birds, 48 kinds of mammals, 13 types of amphibians, and 19 reptile species.<ref name="wildlife2"/> [[File:Presque Isle Lake Erie.jpeg|thumb|Colors of Autumn]] The sixth and seventh ecological zones are characterized by their shrub and tree species. Presque Isle State Park is home to 633 plant species (195 [[monocotyledon]]s, 410 [[dicotyledon]]s, 5 [[gymnosperm]]s, 5 [[horsetail]]s, 13 [[fern]]s, and 5 [[moss]]es).<ref name="wildlife2"/> The sixth zone, thicket and sub-climax forest, forms when shrubs grow on dying marshes, followed by small trees. The trees shade and thin out the thickets of shrubs, leading to a sub-climax forest. The seventh and final stage is climax forest, where many large trees form a [[Canopy (forest)|canopy]]. If left undisturbed, this ecological succession is believed to take between 500 and 600 years, although visitors to parts of Presque Isle State Park can walk through all of these zones in {{convert|5|mi|km|0}}.{{Sfn|Jennings|1909|p=307}}

The Pennsylvania [[Audubon Society]] has listed the park as Pennsylvania [[Important Bird Area]] (IBA) #1, and it considered one of the best birdwatching sites in Pennsylvania.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Pennsylvania's 100 Best Birding Locations |publisher=[[Pennsylvania Game Commission]] |url=http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt?open=514&objID=1860431&mode=2 |access-date=February 21, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://pa.audubon.org/Sites/Site1.pdf |title=Pennsylvania Important Bird Areas: Site Name Presque Isle State Park |publisher=Pennsylvania Audubon Society |access-date=May 3, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050827000310/http://pa.audubon.org/Sites/Site1.pdf |archive-date=August 27, 2005 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The diversity of [[habitat (ecology)|habitats]] on the peninsula makes it an ideal home for over 320 species of birds. (For comparison, the United States has about 925 bird species.) Forty-five of the bird species found in the park are listed as "[[endangered]]" or "threatened", including the [[piping plover]], [[cerulean warbler]], [[rusty blackbird]] and [[saltmarsh sharp-tailed sparrow]].<ref name="times gull point"/><ref name="wildlife2"/> [[Waterfowl]] and [[wader|wading birds]] live at Presque Isle year round. Four species of [[gull]] and three species of [[tern]] can be seen at Gull Point during the summer months. The majority of the collection during the annual [[Christmas Bird Count]], which has been held in Erie County since 1956, is garnered from observations made by volunteers within the park.<ref>{{cite news |last=Martin |first=Matt |title=Annual Christmas Bird Count starts Wednesday |newspaper=Erie Times-News |url=http://blogs.goerie.com/outdoors/2011/12/13/annual-christmas-bird-count-starts-wednesday/ |date=December 13, 2011 |access-date=February 21, 2016}}{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Many different [[species]] of plants and animals can also be found at Presque Isle State Park due to the wide variety of ecological zones.<ref name="gullpoint"/>

=== Gull Point Natural Area === Human beings have played a role in the ecology of Presque Isle since at least the time of the Erielhonan. The natural drift of sand is hindered or stopped by breakwaters, permanent structures, and roads. Roads also fail to absorb rainwater, leading to erosion and disruption of natural habitats. Excavations, such as those for the waterworks basins or the marina, have destroyed habitats; however, yearly artificial replenishment with sand helps create new ones. One area within the park is closed to all public use from April to November to minimize the impact of humans: it is the easternmost part of the park, Gull Point.<ref name="dcnr"/><ref name="Origin of Presque Isle"/>

[[File:PresqueIsleStatePark.JPG|thumb|left|Aerial view of Gull Point and Presque Isle State Park from the east|alt=An aerial view of the green and sandy end of a peninsula.]] Gull Point at Presque Isle State Park has been designated as a Pennsylvania "State Park Natural Area". These areas provide locations for scientific observation of natural systems, protecting examples of natural interest and beauty, as well as unique and typical habitats for animals and plants.<ref name="gullpoint"/><ref name="natural areas"/>

Gull Point covers {{convert|319|acre|ha|0}}, of which {{convert|67|acre}} form the Natural Area and are closed to park visitors during the height of the bird migrations. The natural area is a haven and resting spot for migrating and nesting birds. Many of the species of birds that rest at Gull Point are not seen anywhere else in Pennsylvania.<ref name="gullpoint"/> Presque Isle lies on the [[Atlantic Flyway]], a primary migratory path, and some of these birds migrate from as far north as the [[Arctic Circle]] to South America. They pass through in November on their long flights south and return in April on their flights north.<ref name="gullpoint"/>

Erosion and deposition of sand, which have formed Gull Point, continue to change it. From May 1991 to October 2006, Gull Point lost a total of {{convert|4.6|acre|ha|1}}, and if this trend continues, it may become an island. After the breakwaters were constructed in 1992, less sand was added to replenish the beaches. Federal funding for sand replenishment has been cut off since 2005, leading to a further reduction in the amount of sand added to the peninsula. Without new sand, erosion has reduced the northern beaches of Gull Point, even as regions to the east and south have continued to grow at a slower rate, resulting in a net yearly loss of {{convert|0.4|acre|ha|1}}.<ref name="times gull point"/>

== Tom Ridge Environmental Center == [[File:TREC.jpg|thumb|The Tom Ridge Environmental Center is a "green" building.|alt=Across a parking lot is a two-story building with a circular tower that is offset from the center of the building.]] {{Main|Tom Ridge Environmental Center}} The Tom Ridge Environmental Center (TREC) is the gateway to, and administrative center for, Presque Isle State Park, as well as housing interactive educational exhibits, a "Discovery Center", classrooms, and research laboratories. The center, which officially opened on May 26, 2006, is situated on {{convert|12|acre|ha|0}} acres, just off Route 832 on a bluff overlooking Lake Erie. TREC is named for former Pennsylvania Governor [[Tom Ridge]], "who grew up in Erie, worked at the park as a young man and provided funding for the center and numerous Presque Isle projects during his administration".<ref name="trec opens">{{cite web |publisher=Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources |title=Tom Ridge Environmental Center now open at Presque Isle in Erie |url=http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/news/resource/res2006/06-0607-trecpi.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110524015351/http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/news/resource/res2006/06%2D0607%2Dtrecpi.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 24, 2011 |access-date=September 18, 2007}}</ref><ref name="gateway">{{cite web |publisher=Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources |title=Tom Ridge Environmental Center: Gateway to Presque Isle |url=http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/tomridgecenter.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060206113118/http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/tomridgecenter.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 6, 2006 |access-date=November 19, 2007}}</ref>

Construction on the center began in 2002, although the idea for such a center at Presque Isle was some 50 years old.<ref name="trec opens"/><ref name="gateway"/> The Presque Isle State Park headquarters began operating from TREC in 2005, and it is also home to offices for the [[Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection]]'s Great Lakes and Coastal Zone Management programs, the DCNR Recreation and Conservation program, as well as Presque Isle [[National Audubon Society|Audubon]], Lake-Erie [[Allegheny River|Allegheny]] Earth Force, Pennsylvania Sea Grant, Presque Isle Partnership, and the [[purple martin|Purple Martin]] Conservation Association.<ref name="gateway"/> The Regional Science Consortium, "a collaborative, non-profit organization that focuses on and coordinates educational and research projects for Lake Erie and the upper Ohio River Basin", was organized in 2002 and is based at TREC.<ref name="rsc">{{cite web |publisher=Regional Science Consortium |title=Regional Science Consortium at the Tom Ridge Environmental Center at Presque Isle |url=https://www.regsciconsort.com/ |access-date=November 20, 2007}}</ref> Its 32 member organizations include schools, school districts, colleges, universities, museums, state agencies, conservation groups, and private corporations from Pennsylvania, [[Ohio]], and [[Ontario]].<ref name="rsc"/>

Facilities at the {{convert|65000|ft2|m2|adj=on|-2}} Tom Ridge Environmental Center include eight research laboratories (including several large aquariums) for the RSC, several classrooms, a "Discovery Center" for younger students to explore science hands-on, interpretive exhibits highlighting local and regional [[flora]] and [[fauna]], as well as the human history and culture of the area. The center also offers a [[large-format]] movie theater, a smaller theater, a gift shop, a cafeteria, and a {{convert|75|ft|m|adj=on|0}} tall observation tower that overlooks Lake Erie. The center was constructed as a "green" building and has received a [[Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design]] (LEED) rating from the [[United States Green Building Council]]. Besides supporting environmental research and education, the center is meant to "increase off-season use" of the state park.<ref name="trec opens"/><ref name="gateway"/><ref name="official trec">{{cite web |publisher=Tom Ridge Environmental Center, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources |title=Tom Ridge Environmental Center at Presque Isle |url=http://www.trecpi.org/ |access-date=November 19, 2007 |archive-date=December 2, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071202121416/http://www.trecpi.org/ |url-status=dead }}</ref>

== Recreation == [[File:Npierlight.jpg|thumb|left|A pleasure craft near the North Pier Light|alt=A pier with a square, black and white-striped lighthouse at the end. A small motorboat is paralleling the pier, heading away from the lighthouse.]] In addition to the facilities at TREC, Presque Isle State Park provides opportunities for daytime recreational activity along the Lake Erie and Presque Isle Bay coastlines, as well as on its inland trails and lagoons. Boating, canoeing, fishing, and water skiing are common summer activities, while hiking, biking, inline skating, and bird watching are some of the popular inland activities. Ice fishing, ice boating, ice skating, and cross-country skiing are popular activities for winter visitors. Two of the beaches feature volleyball courts; Beach 6 has six courts and Beach 11 has one. No admission fee is charged for the park or TREC.<ref name="pisprecreation">{{cite web |url=http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/STATEPARKS/parks/presqueisle.aspx#recreation |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040212224040/http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/presqueisle.aspx#recreation |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 12, 2004 |title=Presque Isle State Park – Recreational Opportunities |access-date=November 1, 2007 |publisher=Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources}}</ref>

Boats of nearly any variety are permitted on Lake Erie at Presque Isle State Park. Boats with [[internal combustion engine]]s are prohibited in the interior [[lagoon]]s, except for Graveyard Pond, where a concession rents motor and pontoon boats, canoes, and kayaks for recreational use. The park also has a 500-slip [[marina]], open to boats up to {{Convert|42|ft|m|adj=mid|-long|0}}, and five [[boat ramp|boat launches]].<ref name="pfbc">{{cite web |author=[[Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission]] (PFBC) |url=http://www.fish.state.pa.us/water/county/pfbcmaps/erie.htm |title=2007 PFBC County Maps – Erie County |access-date=November 21, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080109173257/http://www.fish.state.pa.us/water/county/pfbcmaps/erie.htm |archive-date=January 9, 2008}}</ref> Boat tours provide views of the park, lake, bay, and Erie skyline. All boats must have a current registration from any state or country. Water conditions on Lake Erie can change with little notice, so boaters are advised to exercise caution.<ref name="pisprecreation"/>

[[File:Preque Isle Sunset.jpg|thumb|A sunset at one of the beaches facing Lake Erie on Presque Isle|alt=The sun setting over a darkened beach and breakwater.]] [[Water skiing]] and [[scuba diving]] are permitted at Presque Isle State Park in designated waters of Lake Erie.<ref name="pisprecreation"/> Water skiing must take place in Presque Isle Bay or out on Lake Erie and is prohibited within {{convert|500|ft|m|-1}} of the shore. Scuba divers must be certified and are required to register at the park office to obtain information on the waters that are open to diving.<ref name="pisprecreation"/>

Presque Isle State Park has two distinct [[fishing]] zones. Lake Erie is home to [[perch]], [[trout]], [[walleye]], [[bass (fish)|bass]], and [[Rainbow trout|steelhead]]. Presque Isle Bay is the home of [[muskellunge]], [[northern pike]], [[crappie]], [[smelt (fish)|smelt]], as well as other fish that swim in from the lake.<ref name="pisprecreation"/> Trout fishing is also allowed in the two waterworks basins, which are [[fish stocking|stocked]] by the [[Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission]].<ref name="pfbc"/> Hunting is prohibited at Presque Isle State Park except for controlled [[duck]] and [[goose]] hunting seasons in designated [[hunting blind|blinds]].<ref name="pisprecreation"/>

Presque Isle State Park, which has 13 beaches, is home to the only surf swimming in Pennsylvania.<ref name="pisprecreation"/> Beaches are open from [[Memorial Day]] to [[Labor Day]] with swimming permitted when [[lifeguard]]s are on duty from 10:00 [[Eastern Time Zone|EDT]] to 20:00 EDT.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Swimming |publisher=Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources |url=http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/recreation/swimming/index.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930030435/http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/recreation/swimming/index.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 30, 2011 |access-date=May 13, 2015}}</ref> Extensive [[picnic]] facilities are available at most of the swimming areas.<ref name="pisprecreation"/>

==See also== * [[List of National Natural Landmarks in Pennsylvania]] * [[Presqu'ile Provincial Park]] in Ontario

{{panorama | image = File:Presque Isle Beach Panorama.jpg | height = 300 | caption = Panoramic view of Beach 6 from Lake Erie in Presque Isle State Park | alt = A view of a sunlit beach, that is flanked by green trees, from the water under a mostly clear, blue sky with several vacationers. }}

== References == {{Reflist|30em}}

== Sources == {{Refbegin}} * {{Cite book |last1=Bates |first1=Samuel P. |author-link=Samuel Penniman Bates |last5=Whitman |first5=Benjamin |last3=Russell |first3=N. W |last2=Brown |first2=R. C. |last4=Weakley |first4=F. E |title=History of Erie County, Pennsylvania |publisher=Warner, Beers & Co |location=[[Chicago]] |year=1884 |oclc=8622308}} * {{Cite report |last1=Gorecki |first1=Richard J. |last2=Pope |first2=Joan |title=Coastal Geologic and Engineering History of Presque Isle Peninsula, Pennsylvania |date=Aug 1993 |publisher=[[United States Army Corps of Engineers]], Waterways Experiment Station |location=[[Vicksburg, Mississippi]] |url=http://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a270183.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303061241/http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a270183.pdf |url-status=live |archive-date=March 3, 2016 |access-date=February 21, 2016}} * {{Cite journal |last=Jennings |first=Otto Emory |title=A Botanical Survey of Presque Isle, Erie County, Pennsylvania |year=1909 |journal=Annals of the Carnegie Museum |publisher=[[Carnegie Museum of Natural History]] |location=[[Pittsburgh]] |pages=289–421 |volume=5 |issue=2–3|doi=10.5962/p.331029 |s2cid=251479889 |hdl=2027/hvd.32044103107710 |hdl-access=free }} * {{Cite book |last=Cupper |first=Dan |title=Our Priceless Heritage: Pennsylvania's State Parks 1893–1993 |year=1993 |publisher=[[Pennsylvania|Commonwealth of Pennsylvania]], [[Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission]] for [[Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources|Department of Natural Resources]], Bureau of State Parks |location=[[Harrisburg, Pennsylvania]] |isbn=0-89271-056-X}} {{Refend}}

== External links == {{commons category|Presque Isle State Park}} {{portal|Pennsylvania}} *[https://www.pa.gov/agencies/dcnr/recreation/where-to-go/state-parks/find-a-park/presque-isle-state-park Presque Isle State Park] Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources ** {{cite web |url=http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/cs/groups/public/documents/document/dcnr_003286.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130903094032/http://dcnr.state.pa.us/cs/groups/public/documents/document/dcnr_003286.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 3, 2013 |title=State park map}} {{small|(459 KB)}} * [https://www.discoverpi.com/ Presque Isle Partnership]

[[Category:State parks of Pennsylvania]] [[Category:Headlands of the United States]] [[Category:National Natural Landmarks in Pennsylvania]] [[Category:Peninsulas of Pennsylvania]] [[Category:Protected areas established in 1921]] [[Category:Spits of the United States]] [[Category:Parks in Erie County, Pennsylvania]] [[Category:Superfund sites in Pennsylvania]] [[Category:Landforms of Erie County, Pennsylvania]] [[Category:Beaches of Pennsylvania]] [[Category:1921 establishments in Pennsylvania]] [[Category:Important Bird Areas of Pennsylvania]] [[Category:Protected areas of Erie County, Pennsylvania]]