Stream Signs and Watersheds
This tour takes you through three different watersheds in Lake County. Along the drive, you may notice signs at stream crossings. These are a Lake SWCD project to help people become more familiar with their watershed. Each set of signs gives the stream name and identifies the watershed it belongs to. The West Side tour features the Chagrin River, which starts near Aurora in Portage County and works its way northward through various landscapes before meeting Lake Erie in Eastlake. Portions of both the main branch and East Branch are State-designated Scenic Rivers. On the East Side tour, you will start out where the Grand River empties into Lake Erie. The mouth of the Grand River is still a working port. The rest of the tour will take you upstream into the State-designated Wild River portion of the Grand River. The last stop is the mouth of the Arcola Creek watershed. This is a small watershed that is a functioning estuary. Not only does water flow down the stream, but depending on lake conditions, it also flows back up the stream channel. This influx
of nutrients from the lake makes the marsh an important habitat for young aquatic animals.

Nurseries
Lake County is known for its nursery land. Unique local soil types are well-suited to these crops, and it is not unusual to see a field of arborvitae or small maple trees. There are over 100 licensed nurseries in the county, and they are concentrated in a belt that runs from Willoughby to Madison. These operations produce field-grown and container stock that is then shipped throughout Greater Cleveland and much of the country. Even though Lake County is the smallest county in the state, and much of it is urbanized, it always one of the highest-ranked counties in terms of total income from agriculture. Many of these nurseries are open to the public, and are worth a visit.

Wineries
Northeast Ohio has more wineries per square mile than any other region of the state. Over half of the wine grape acreage is clustered in the Grand River Valley near the shores of Lake Erie. This unique microclimate, tempered by lake breezes, allows local families to grow some of the best grapes in the nation. Look for fields of vines turning yellow in the autumn weather. Many of the wineries are open to the public and several also host small restaurants. An entire weekend could easily be spent just visiting the local wineries. You can continue your winery adventures throughout the year by participating in Lake Erie Wine and Vine Wine Trail events. For more information, go to www.ohiowines.org

Produce
Roadside produce stands abound throughout the county. This is the best way to get fresh, local products, from produce to apple cider to honey to preserves. Many of the farms are also open to tours, hayrides, and fall festivals, or you can pick your own produce.

Tour Instructions & Map Here (pdf)
Too much to see in a day? Make a weekend of it!
Hotels and Bed and Breakfasts are throughout Lake County.
County Soil and Water Conservation District and
Lake County Visitor’s Bureau.