Walk a short path to the banks of the Grand River and enjoy great steelhead fishing access.
Blair Landing is a large area of floodplain with little rise until the valley wall. It is relatively open floodplain with the characteristic vegetation make-up typical of the Grand River floodplain terrace. A number of uncommon plants can be found here including hairy-fruited sedge, hairy agrimony, white hellebore, nodding rattlesnake root and sweet-scented Indian plantain.
The park is also home to a number of state-listed and uncommon wildlife including the following birds: cerulean warbler, dark-eyed junco and least flycatcher. Green-faced clubtail dragonfly has also been found here. Bald eagles are a common site along this stretch of the river.
In 1825, Henry Thorndike of Portage County and Luther Drury of Boston built a furnace at Blair Hill, the current Blair Landing site. The furnace was located just west of the present roadway. Thorndike and Drury sold the furnace in 1828 to Seeley, Morley and Company. From that time on, the furnace was referred to as the Blair Furnace, also referred to as the “Railroad Furnace.” This name was derived from the way materials were delivered. An incline trestle with two sets of narrow gauge tracks extended from the dock to the furnace. Materials were either taken down or brought up using this trestle.
Blair Landing was also the site of the last covered bridge in Lake County. The bridge was built in 1865 to replace an older bridge that was located further up river. The covered bridge was torn down in 1952.
To protect the health of anyone who eats Ohio-caught fish, an annual advisory for how often these fish can be safely eaten is prepared by the Ohio Department of Health in cooperation with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. Click here for more information.