Presque Isle State Park occupies a sandy peninsula in Lake Erie west of Erie, enclosing Presque Isle Bay and combining open beaches with a sheltered harbor. Formed by glacial action about 11,000 years ago, the shifting land has created seven ecological zones and made the area a classic example of ecological succession. Long important to Native inhabitants, French and British military interests, and Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry during the War of 1812, it later became a center for navigation and rescue services. Since its creation as a state park in 1921, it has grown into Pennsylvania’s best-known lakeshore destination and a nationally recognized natural and birdwatching site.