Don’t let the secret get too big but this place is great. Stayed there at the state park for a week tent camping and it’s wonderful. It’s clean and quiet. The facilities are close and clean. The whole island is fun with plenty of hikes and hidden beaches. Make sure to stop by the local restaurants and get some unique drinks and food. The Brandy Alexander is a must have drink,
I’ve been taking my son to camp at Kelley’s Island State Park for the past six years and it’s always a great experience. The campground is clean and well maintained with plenty of amenities. Other campers are respectful and quiet: a lot of families. Bikes, scooters, skateboards, etc are welcome and tons of fun on all the paved roads thoughout the camp. There are lots of fun things to do on the island, including mini golf, kayaking, and tooling around on a golf cart. You have to take a ferry to get onto the island, which is also a lot of fun but be prepared to pay upwards of $60 round trip for two people in a car. But it’s totally worth it!!
Lakefront, mature trees, spacious sites and clean shower houses, what more could you ask for? The campground is a close walk to the beach, but having a golf cart makes exploring the island much more enjoyable. The general store has great carts and daily/overnight rates.
We brought out 29 ft TT over on the KI Ferry. Note, some sites have electric (30&50 amp), but not really suited for a camper. We are at site 120 and learned this the hard way after a 10 hour overnight drive. Call first to confirm. While not ideal, we made it work.
Been going here my entire life. Amazing small town feel with cute shops, family activities, world's largest glacier groves, shallow beach and fun history. The park is always clean and we'll kept. A lot of shaded sites and waterfront sites that are right on the water. No city lights and being in the middle of the lake means lots of stars, the sounds of water and being so dark you can barely see. Awesome place to explore. Wifey says the bathrooms were above average (most important for her). HIGHLY recommend going at least once.
6/12/20: Camp store closed for covid. Some stores have early hours but most of the stores in town have normal hours. During the week only one shower house was open, they opened them all in the weekend. Got stuck due to rough waters so we got a free night on the island 😁. Always plan ahead and be flexible when going to an island.
First notes… you have to take a ferry to the camp ground. Kelley’s Island Ferry in Marblehead. It is a few miles to camp ground so if you are renting and don’t bring a vehicle you will want to rent a golf cart. You can bring a car to the island.
The camp ground is away from the downtown(think small) a few restaurants and a general store and market.
Now for the campground. It is great right on Lake Erie. Most space have at least one tree. The tent only area has lots of shade. The bathrooms are relatively clean. The folks who oversee are actively there working on things. Cleaning marking reserved spots. You can reserve a spot ahead and I would absolutely do that during season. The island has space to launch kayaks a boat dock. Plenty of hiking bring your bike to see the whole thing via peddle power. There is a brewery and winery.
Beautiful scenery. Located right on the water, with beautiful views of Lake Erie. Well maintained campground, although the bathrooms had limited number of toilets. I usually had to wait to get a stall. You can rent a golf cart, but I took my bicycle and everything was a short ride away. It’s a very quiet island; especially during the week, which is when I went. If you want more shopping and nightlife, consider Put-in-Bay. But Kelley’s Island is a perfect quiet getaway.
Lots to do on an island for 2 nights. Beach with kayaks at campground. Trails, cute downtown with KeyWest island vibe.
If you like boating, camping and drinking, this is the place for you. Never a doll moment on Kelly's island. Nice facilities and great people.
- it is only about 20 years old and in good repair, clean, well kept, friendly, and close.
- it has its own beach,
- it has a boat ramp
- fishing is great
- shipwreck diving right around the corner
- in town bakery is very good