Local Area Attractions to Our Lake Erie Retreat

Resthaven Wildlife Area

The Resthaven Wildlife Area is at the northern edge of Castalia on the west side of State Route 269. Totaling 2,272 acres, the area includes 444 acres of water. Most of the land is in woodland and shrubby cover. Approximately 90 acres is in crop rotation. Sixteen percent of the land is grassland. More than half the area had been strip mined for marl (a deposit of calcium carbonate or dolomite) prior to purchase by the Division of Wildlife. This mining left a very rough surface which has reverted to woody vegetation and cattails.

Distance From Our Retreat = Only Minutes Away

Click HERE to be directed to their website.

Castalia State Fish Hatchery

The Castalia State Fish Hatchery is located on 90 acres in western Erie County, just southwest of Sandusky, Ohio. This facility is the newest of the six state fish hatcheries and came on-line in the fall of 1997, after it was purchased from private interests. The hatchery production facilities consist of 70 indoor rearing troughs, one covered outdoor raceway building and three outdoor raceways. The indoor troughs and covered raceways are supplied with water from one of the area’s many blue-hole aquifers (2,500 gallons per minute capacity). Because the water from the blue hole has no oxygen and high levels of nitrogen, it is treated before being used by the hatchery. The remaining outdoor raceways are supplied with water diverted from Cold Creek (10,000 gallons per minute capacity). This cold water supply allows the hatchery to raise steelhead and rainbow trout. All of the state’s steelhead production occurs at this hatchery. Rainbow trout are raised to catchable size before being stocked in Ohio lakes and Cold Creek. The facility offers great wildlife viewing opportunities and also offers a limited lottery-style fishing program on the portion of Cold Creek that runs through the hatchery grounds. To get to the hatchery, take SR 269 south off of US 6 and then go two miles. Turn left on Heywood Road, after one mile turn right on Homegardner Road, and the hatchery entrance is 200 feet on the right.

Distance From Our Retreat = Only Minutes Away

Click HERE to be directed to their website.

African Safari Wildlife Park

Drive-Through Safari

Drive through the park and meet & feed the animals! Have you ever fed a Camel? Been up close with a Giraffe? If not, you will in this Drive-Thru Safari. Deer, Bison, Alpaca, Bongo, Zebra, and more await your arrival.

Walk-Through Safari

Visit the animals in their Walk-Thru Safari and Education Programs! The Walk-Thru Safari is like that of a zoo setting, which features a new walk through exhibit, Aviary Adventure! Feed and meet over 400+ budgies in this interactive aviary. Don't forget to take a spin on a Camel - open to adults and children!

Distance From Our Retreat = 13 Minutes

Click HERE to be directed to their website.

The Watering Hole Safari & Water Park
The Watering Hole is the only water park located in Port Clinton! Family owned, locally operated, and dedicated to giving every guest the best possible experience. Their goal to give every family a fun and affordable adventure starting with our Water Park and ending with the unique experience of feeding the many animals in the Petting Zoo with animals from all around the world including giraffes, zebras, camels and more.

Distance From Our Retreat = 10 Minutes

Click HERE to be directed to their website.

Sports Force Parks - Tournament Facilities
Baseball tournaments, soccer tournaments, softball tournaments, lacrosse tournaments and more on the shores of Lake Erie in Ohio, just minutes from Cedar Point.

At Sports Force Parks, the focus is on SPORTS. FAMILY. FUN. That's why they also offer programming beyond their traditional tournaments, which focuses on children with developmental, mental and physical disabilities. The park also has a themed ADA-accessible playground for kids to enjoy.

Distance From Our Retreat = 22 Minutes

Click HERE to be directed to their website.

Cedar Point
Cedar Point is a 364-acre amusement park located on a Lake Erie peninsula in Sandusky, Ohio. Opened in the late-1800s, Cedar Point is owned and operated by Cedar Fair and is considered the flagship of the amusement park chain. Known as "America's Roller Coast", the park features a world-record 72 rides, including 17 roller coasters – the second-most in the world behind Six Flags Magic Mountain. Its newest roller coaster, Steel Vengeance, opened to the public on May 5, 2018.

Cedar Point's normal operating season runs from early May until Labor Day in September. The park then reopens only on weekends until the end of October or early November. Other attractions near the park include a one-mile-long white-sand beach, an outdoor water park called Cedar Point Shores, an indoor water park called Castaway Bay, two marinas, an outdoor sports complex called Cedar Point Sports Center, and several nearby resorts.

The park has reached several milestones. It is the only amusement park in the world with six roller coasters taller than 199 feet – Magnum XL-200, Millennium Force, Wicked Twister, Top Thrill Dragster, Valravn, and Steel Vengeance – and is the only park with roller coasters in all four height classifications. Cedar Point also received the Golden Ticket Award for "Best Amusement Park in the World" from Amusement Today for 16 consecutive years from 1997–2013. The park is the most visited seasonal amusement park in the United States with an estimated 3.6 million visitors in 2017.

Distance From Our Retreat = 31 Minutes

Click HERE to be directed to their website.