Lakeshore Reservation

ALERT: DUE TO SHORELINE EROSION, THE EASTERN STAIRS (AND ACCESS) TO THE LAKE ARE CLOSED INDEFINITELY.

The park district received assistance to purchase the lakeshore properties from the U.S. Bureau of Outdoor Recreation through the Land and Water Conservation Fund. The parcels of land were acquired between 1967 and 1973.

Donald Strock Memorial

A memorial was dedicated on October 29, 1978 to Luanna Strock, wife of the park system’s first naturalist Don Strock. The memorial includes a sculpted sundial designed by nationally-known sculptor Carl Floyd of Madison. The Lake County Unit of the American Cancer Society dedicated a memorial sanctuary of plantings in the field north of the parking lot.

Park History

This property was once owned by ten individuals who had summer or permanent residences along Lake Erie. Several property boundaries are still visible because of treelines that remain. The largest piece of property was owned by Charles Irish, a well-known arborist. He planted various non-native ornamental trees and shrubs amidst the native trees, including a large number of rhododendrons near the east boundary of the park.

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.