French for "nearly an island," Presque Isle is a seven-mile strip of land thrusting itself into Lake Erie. The Eriez Indians held that the sweeping curve of Presque Isle was the left arm of the Great Spirit extending across the waters to protect them.

Today, the peninsula, as it's known locally, is home to Presque Isle State Park and a remarkable array of plant, animal, bird and aquatic life. More than four million people visit the park each year to swim, fish, hike, bike, bird watch and more.

Presque Isle is also a National Natural Landmark. Because of its many unique habitats, Presque Isle contains a greater number of the state's endangered, threatened and rare species than any other area of comparable size in Pennsylvania. Herons fish in still marshes. Turtles sun themselves in beautiful lagoons. Whitetail deer and coyote slip soundlessly through old-growth forests. Waves crash on sandy beaches, constantly changing the shoreline.

Exciting things happen here on this compact spit of land.