Huron River Boat Ramp

Huron River Boat Ramp

41 Cleveland Road East Huron, Ohio 44839

Official Website

Also, see all the hotspots at:
Huron River Birding Drive

About this Location

Completed in 2010, the Huron River Boat Access is a four-lane boat launch facility affording access to the Huron River and Lake Erie.

The site along 577 feet of the east bank of the Huron River is north of the bridge that carries Cleveland Road/US-6.

The four-lane launch features handicapped-accessible docks, restrooms, and parking for 135 vehicles with trailers. A courtesy dock parallel to the river bank allows for loading, unloading, and temporary tie-ups. There are no launch fees or parking fees.

The site was acquired and developed by the ODNR Divisions of Watercraft and Wildlife. It is maintained by the city of Huron.

Amenities: Drinking Water, Paved Trail, Fishing, Wildlife Viewing, Benches, Restroom, Boat Launch, Parking, Handicap, Courtesy Dock

Huron River
The 14-mile-long main branch of the Huron River begins at the confluence of the East Branch Huron and West Branch Huron rivers just west of Milan. The river empties into Lake Erie in the city of Huron. Headwaters for the branches are in Fitchville Township (Huron County) and Blooming Grove Township (Richland County), respectively, and are 30 miles and 50 miles long, respectively.

The word “Huron” refers to a Native American tribe that was prevalent in the Great Lakes region prior to European settlement. Variant names have included Bald Eagle Creek, Notowacy Thepy, and Pettquotting River, among others. Much of the river system flows through Huron and Erie counties which together comprise a large amount of “the Firelands,” the westernmost portion of the Connecticut Western Reserve. Established in 1792, the Firelands had been reserved for Connecticut residents whose homes were burned during the British raids of the late 1700s during the Revolutionary War. In the early 1800s, settlers began populating the area.

In 1839 the Milan Canal opened. The canal paralleled the east bank of the Huron River and connected the village of Milan to Lake Erie. During the canal’s prime, Milan thrived as Lake Erie’s largest inland port and as one of the busiest Great Lakes ports. Inventor Thomas Alva Edison’s birth home overlooked the canal in downtown Milan. The Milan Canal era ended in 1868, due to flooding as a result of a feeder dam failure.

The lower Huron River near the city so named is an estuarine environment as water and habitat within the channel and adjacent marsh are influenced by Lake Erie water levels. Catfish (channel and flatheads), smallmouth bass, perch, and walleye are popular fishing catches near the lake while northern pike and smallmouth bass are found farther upriver. The river offers recreational boaters many commercial and publicly-available ramps and marinas.

Features

  • Restrooms on site

  • Wheelchair accessible trail