A new steel observation tower rising roughly 101 feet above Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve is set to open this fall, giving visitors a bird's-eye view of Mentor Marsh, its surrounding uplands and Lake Erie. The structure includes two platforms connected by stairs, with railings throughout and one platform built to be ADA accessible, while the second requires steps to reach the top.
The tower's arrival was first reported by News 5 Cleveland, which noted that Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve draws roughly 220,000 visitors each year for boating, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, and its network of walking and biking trails. Christopher Anderson, a Lake County resident and regular visitor, described the preserve as a favorite destination, while Wayne and Connie Dustman, Northeast Ohio natives living in neighboring Geauga County, said they were drawn to visit the Mentor Lagoons area for the first time by the opportunity to canoe through the marsh.
The project's roots stretch back to a May 2025 municipal election, when Mentor voters approved Issue 4, authorizing construction of the tower under a provision in the city's own governing document. Section 3.09(A)(6) of Mentor's City Charter requires resident referendum approval for any capital improvements within the nature preserve, according to the City of Mentor. That charter requirement made the ballot measure a mandatory step rather than a courtesy, and the city has said state grant funding tied to the project would have been rescinded had voters rejected it.
How the Tower Got Built and Paid For
In January, the Mentor City Council awarded a $1,837,159 construction contract to Willowick-based Great Lakes Crushing Ltd., accepting a base bid plus an alternate for hot-dipped galvanizing and a painted steel finish, the News-Herald reported. That figure landed close to the city engineer's earlier estimate of $1.85 million for the project.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources allocated $450,000 in state capital funds from House Bill 2 to offset construction costs, releasing $441,000 net after administrative fees in April. That state support was contingent on the local referendum's passage, underscoring how closely the project's financing was tied to the outcome of Issue 4.
Physically, the tower sits on the marsh rim roughly 1,000 feet north of the main trailhead and features a 25-by-25-foot top viewing deck designed to offer 360-degree views of the marsh, surrounding uplands, and Lake Erie, per city specifications. To get it built, construction crews temporarily closed the preserve's main trail from July 31 through August 16 this year while heavy equipment hoisted and bolted the tower's steel superstructure into place, safeguarding hikers as crews assembled beams, stairs, and railings near the trailhead.
A Preserve With Deep Civic and Ecological Roots
The 450-acre Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve & Marina includes 1.5 miles of wild, undeveloped Lake Erie shoreline, more than 3 miles of hiking trails, and a 500-boat marina, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Swimming remains prohibited along the preserve's beach to keep its primitive coastal conditions intact.
Mentor acquired the preserve after a 1996 referendum in which residents approved an eminent domain action to prevent commercial development, the first time in Ohio history voters authorized eminent domain for open space preservation, according to a historical marker documented by the Ohio Historical Society. The site was originally platted in 1797 as the “Marsh Settlement,” the earliest European settlement in Lake County.
The adjacent Mentor Marsh, visible from the new tower, was dedicated in 1971 as Ohio's very first State Nature Preserve and was designated a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service in 1966, according to the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. The marsh formed more than 1,000 years ago in an ancient, abandoned channel of the Grand River.
Restoring a Marsh Once Devastated by Salt Pollution
Long-term ecological restoration led by the Cleveland Museum of Natural History has removed invasive Phragmites reeds and remediated pollution left behind by 1960s salt mine dumping, restoring habitat for more than 260 documented bird species. Dumping of salt mine tailings in Blackbrook Creek in the late 1960s destroyed native trees and plants before major restoration work began in 2012, the museum notes.
The observation tower is the third phase of a public access plan that began in 2022 with a $466,806 project constructing a 442-foot ADA-accessible boardwalk and viewing platform connected to the main trailhead, according to the City of Mentor. That earlier boardwalk phase was supported by $233,403 in NOAA Coastal Management Assistance Grants distributed through the state, laying groundwork for the larger tower project now nearing completion.
Hoodline previously covered the ballot measure behind the tower ahead of the May 2025 vote, as well as the broader preservation and shoreline efforts underway at the marina. With construction now largely complete and the trail reopened, visitors like Anderson and the Dustmans will soon be able to trade their canoe-level view of the marsh for one 101 feet in the air.
-4.webp?w=160&h=400&fit=crop&crop=edges)
