There’s something about summer that stokes the appetite for adventure — especially on the water. While paddling down a river is my personal summertime recreation of choice, the Lake Erie Islands of Northern Ohio open up a whole new world of wonder — possibility. Paddling, boating, swimming… Ohio has over a dozen natural islands in Lake Erie’s Western Basin, but none capture the curiosity quite like Gibraltar Island. Remote and cloaked in mystery, here’s what awaits when you book a summertime tour of this Ohio island.

At just 6.5 acres in size, Gibraltar Island is by no means large. But what it lacks in stature it more than makes up for in mystery. See it looming there, up ahead?
Ohio Sea Grant/Flickr
Hailed as the Gem of Lake Erie, Gibraltar Island gets its name for its resemblance to the famous British fortress. Ohio's Gibraltar is no less captivating; the island was once a retreat for Sandusky native (and Civil War financier) Jay Cooke and his family.
James St. John/Flickr
In 1925, Cooke's daughter, Laura Barney, sold the island to Julius Stone, who later gave it to Ohio State University.
Miller Ferry to Put-in-Bay and Middle Bass Island/Facebook
Today, the island is still owned by OSU; its Franz Theodore Stone Laboratory named after Julius Stone's father, who was a naturalist.
Ohio Sea Grant/Flickr

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Gibraltar Island is actually closed to the public for most of the year... but not during the summer. During the summer, science and history tours of Gibraltar Island are offered Thursdays at 10 a.m.-12 p.m. and 1 p.m.-3 p.m. (or by appointment) June 16 through August 18.
Stone Labratory/Facebook
These tours provide explorers with the rare opportunity to explore this remote and resplendent Ohio island, its glacial grooves and natural features as well as its historic homes and the iconic Cooke Castle.
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Stone Labratory/Facebook
Don't forget the binoculars... and sunscreen!
While naturally beautiful and teeming with history, there's something a bit foreboding and ominous about Gibraltar Island... a place quite literally isolated from the rest of the world.
Miller Ferry to Put-in-Bay and Middle Bass Island/Facebook
This summer, don't miss your chance to explore Gibraltar Island -- it's a place sure to get your your imagination running wild... in all the best ways!
Corey Balazowich/Flickr

Did you know about this remote Ohio island? Gibraltar Island is a real-life treasure that brings to mind Peter Pan and Neverland… and it’s just waiting to be explored! For more information on booking a summer tour of Gibraltar Island, visit the Ohio Sea Grant and Stone Laboratory website.

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Gibraltar Island, Put-In-Bay Township, OH 43456, USA