Why landlocked Appalachians keep coming back to Erie

Long before the farthest-left corner of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania began welcoming millions of sunbathers, Presque Isle State Park served as a critical shield for a young nation.

But in the mid-20th century, Presque Isle became the premier “oceanlike” vacation spot for blue-collar families originating from the steel, coal and manufacturing hubs of Western Pennsylvania, Eastern Ohio and West Virginia. The park's endless horizon and seven miles of sandy coastlines provided an affordable alternative to costly Atlantic coast travel for landlocked Appalachian communities.

Entire generations of working-class families established traditions here, loading up station wagons for a taste of fresh, sweetwater surf without ever leaving the region.

This deeply rooted cultural draw eventually solidified into a massive economic engine for Northwest Pennsylvania. Today, the park acts as the financial heartbeat of Erie County tourism.

Last Sunday, I made a trip to Presque Isle, something that I have been doing with my family since the 1960s. I don't think there has been a year since 1960 that I have not made the two-hour drive with some combination of my family in tow. Mostly, it has been the same experience. We pick a beach (there are 11), make sure it has restrooms and changing areas, park, then drag everything to the beach.

I started at Beach 11, and to my utter shock, it was packed. I've never experienced a packed Erie beach, at least not to this level. It was the same at 10, then 9; in fact, the closer I drove toward Beach 1, the more crowded it was. People were parked on the grass, in areas that have hundreds of sandy parking spaces.

And families of all shapes, ages and sizes were everywhere. The city of Erie has one of the largest refugee communities in the state, and hundreds of families — many of them women from their large Bhutanese population dressed in modest colorful wraps — were schlepping children, coolers, chairs, blankets and a ton of anticipation for a day at the beach.

So what is going on? Pre-pandemic, Presque Isle was doing well but had flatlined under 4 million visitors per year. Notably, visitors enjoy not just the beach but also the 17-mile bike and walking trail along the back side of the beaches, as well as boating, ski-dos, world-class angling and, in the winter, ice fishing and snowshoeing.

Americans have found that they enjoy vacationing in their own backyard, with the average visitor traveling for the day or the week, driving anywhere from 25 to 120 miles.

Presque Isle is a place for both the not-so-famous and the famous to enjoy. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, along with both the state's U.S. senators, David McCormick and John Fetterman, are big fans, both personally and professionally. They've campaigned heavily here and spent the day at the beach or walking the trails. Fetterman recently announced $1.5 million in federal funding for the Presque Isle through his personal effort with Assistant Secretary of the Army-Civil Works Adam Telle to identify available funds for the park's shore protection.

Fetterman, ever gracious, said he was grateful that Telle took his call to get the funding secured, and he thanked McCormick, local Rep. Mike Kelly and the local and state legislators for their advocacy for the project.

“Presque Isle is an iconic Pennsylvania destination that my family and I have the pleasure of visiting often. It's one of our favorite spots and everyone should be able to enjoy it. We should be doing everything we can to ensure places like Presque Isle continue to thrive environmentally and economically,” he said.

© 2026, Creators