The Glacial Grooves On Kelleys Island Near Cleveland Look Like Something From A Different World
By Nikki Rhoades|Published March 31, 2020
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Nikki Rhoades
Author
Nikki is a lifelong Ohioan with a love for literature. She holds a Bachelor's Degree from the University of Akron and has enjoyed publishing her written work since 2007. She has a love of travel and does so frequently, though she believes that home is where the heart is — she continues to work in and around Cleveland as a digital content specialist to this day, working on everything from commercial scripts and social media posts to grassroots marketing initiatives.
If you have ever wanted to road trip to see something totally strange, Kelleys Island is the best place to go. It’s an island up on Lake Erie that hosts a village of the very same name, and it’s only about two hours away from Cleveland. To get there, you’ll have to drive up to Lakeside Marblehead and then hop on a ferry. It’s worth it, though, because the island hides the best glacial grooves in Ohio… and arguably, in the world.
Kelleys Island, originally nicknamed Sandusky Island, got its name in 1840 when Datus and Irad Kelley purchased nearly the whole landmass.
This island, visitors will find, has a rich history. Indigenous tribes once populated it, and as early settlers arrived in Ohio, it was used by military patrolling Lake Erie. Its first European American resident was said to be a Canadian man by the name of Cunningham.
As pretty as this island is, most of its buildings aren't even its oldest attraction.
This area is home to some incredible landmarks, including a Civil War-era winery that formerly burnt to the ground, leaving ruins in its wake. However, many visitors come for something that's not man-made.
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The island's glacial grooves are arguably its biggest draw.
Glaciers, believe it or not, can flow like a river... albeit much, much slower. As glaciers move and flow, they pick up debris like rocks, trees, and anything else that stands in their way.
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As the debris caught in the glacier is bumped into or pulled over the earth, it creates deep and dramatic striations.
This phenomenon can occur on any glaciated landscape, but glacial grooves are not super common in the grand scheme of things. In fact, they're a bit of an oddity, and these carvings on Kelleys Island are particularly unusual.
And, at 35 feet wide, this natural landmark is almost indescribably massive. It has since been named the Glacial Grooves State Memorial, and it is managed by the Ohio Historical Society.
The grooves on Kelleys Island were created during the Pleistocene, the last ice age.
When the Pleistocene ended here in Ohio circa 12,000 years ago, the glaciers began to melt. That water had to go somewhere! We did have the Erigans River flowing between Ohio and Canada at that time, but that wasn't enough to handle such a massive amount of water. A lake began to form in the Erie basin near the river. As the glacier continued on a northern path, it continued to melt and fill that lake. That lake, as you know, is Lake Erie.
Believe it or not, the grooves (found at the intersection of Titus Road and Division Street) were buried in the many centuries following the ice age.
Of course they were! Think about it; how often do you spot fossils of giant animals at the surface of the earth? As time marches on, organic matter builds up the earth bit by bit. In 1972, scientists set out to excavate these glacial striations.
Visitors have known about these glacial grooves for around 150 years, and they've mesmerized visitors ever since.
These beauties really do look like something from another world. Formed between 10,000 and 20,000 years ago, the glacial grooves are one of Ohio's coolest landmarks. If you are lucky, you might also spot fossils on the island during your visit. Ohio was once an ancient ocean and fossils from this era can be found to this very day.
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As the glaciers retreated over the Devonian limestone of this island, they drew out a masterpiece that would awe visitors for thousands of years.
This incredible landmark is like any other near Cleveland.
Who knew the best glacial grooves in Ohio were just a day trip away from Cleveland?! These incredible structures are truly worth keeping in mind for a future visit.
