Field Notes Ohio

Ohio's parks, forests and wildlife areas with camping, the ancient mounds beside them, and the Buckeye Trail that links them. Stories, trails, wildlife, and where to eat and fuel up nearby. Book campsites on ReserveOhio.
Try:
The Buckeye TrailA 1,444-mile blue-blazed loop around Ohio, with all 26 sections.
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Mounds & Earthworks43 ancient sites, including the Great Serpent Mound and the Newark Earthworks.
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Historic Sites39 places, from Fort Steuben and Zoar to Camp Chase and the Rankin House, from the frontier to the Civil War.
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Road Trips33 drives, from the Lincoln Highway to the Morgan Heritage Trail.
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Lake Erie Beaches20 public beaches from Conneaut to Toledo and the islands, with a map.
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Oddities & Roadside Attractions19 giants, ghosts and folk-art stops, plus a Mothman just over the line.
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Caves & Caverns12 show caverns, recess caves and rock shelters, with a map.
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Waterfalls34 falls from the Cuyahoga Valley to the Hocking Hills, with trail notes and a map.
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Explore Ohio

One map for every park, mound, historic site, beach, cave, waterfall and oddity in the app.

Lake ErieWest Virginia27 places277 places77 places73 places35 places519 places1913 places1319 places1916 places168 places810 places1010 places109 places98 places820 places204 places43 places3Barkcamp State Park4 places47 places77 places76 places69 places917 places173 places3Harrison Lake State Park2 places2Forked Run State Park3 places32 places26 places610 places103 places32 places2

Tap a symbol for a preview, or search for a place. Open the key to show or hide categories.

117 parks in 7 regions

Lake Erie Beaches

20 public beaches along Ohio's north coast
Swimming, sunsets and beach glass on about 312 miles of shoreline

Ohio has about 312 miles of Lake Erie shoreline, and public beaches from the Pennsylvania line to Toledo and out on the islands. These are the ones with facilities and details, from the state's longest natural beach at Headlands to city beaches in Cleveland, small-town beaches on the central coast and a beach on Kelleys Island.

Lake Erie beaches are generally safe to swim, but algal blooms or bacteria can make the water unsafe at times, and the Ohio Department of Health posts public advisories for Ohio beaches. Some beaches have lifeguards and others do not, so swim within designated areas and never alone.

Map of the beaches →
20 beaches

Conneaut Township Park Beach

Conneaut · Ashtabula County
A quarter-mile Lake Erie beach at Ohio's eastern end, with a boardwalk, food stands and the annual D-Day Ohio reenactment.
Township parkAbout a quarter mile
Lifeguards: Check with the township

Walnut Beach Park

Ashtabula · Ashtabula County
A 28-acre city park with a wide sand beach, a bird trail and a view of the Ashtabula Harbor lighthouse.
City parkAn extensive sand beach on 28 acres
Lifeguards: Summer daytime hours, posted on site

Geneva State Park Beach

Geneva-on-the-Lake · Ashtabula County
A 600-foot natural beach at Geneva State Park, joined to the resort town of Geneva-on-the-Lake by a two-mile paved trail.
State parkAbout 600 feet
Lifeguards: Not confirmed; check with the park

Headlands Beach State Park

Mentor · Lake County
Ohio's longest natural sand beach, 35 acres and about a mile long, with dunes, beach glass and the Buckeye Trail's northern terminus.
State parkAbout a mile
Lifeguards: Sources differ: some list summer lifeguards, one county tourism page says none

Fairport Harbor Lakefront Park Beach

Fairport Harbor · Lake County
A village beach with a boardwalk and a view of the Fairport Harbor lighthouse, open year-round with summer lifeguards.
Village parkNot confirmed
Lifeguards: On duty Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day

Euclid Beach Park

Cleveland · Cuyahoga County
A Cleveland Metroparks beach on the site of an old amusement park, with a 315-foot pier and picnic shelters.
MetroparkAbout 650 feet
Lifeguards: During the summer months

Edgewater Beach

Cleveland · Cuyahoga County
A 2,400-foot city beach in Cleveland Metroparks' Lakefront Reservation with a skyline view and a dog beach.
MetroparkAbout 2,400 feet
Lifeguards: In the summer season

Huntington Beach

Bay Village · Cuyahoga County
A Cleveland Metroparks beach in Bay Village with a covered pavilion, paddling access and summer lifeguards.
MetroparkNot confirmed
Lifeguards: During the summer months

Lakeview Park Beach, Lorain

Lorain · Lorain County
A sandy beach in Lorain's Lakeview Park, with a view of the Lorain Lighthouse and a historic rose garden.
City parkNot confirmed
Lifeguards: Check with the city

Main Street Beach, Vermilion

Vermilion · Erie County
A small-town beach in Vermilion with a kayak launch, a concession stand and a mobility mat for wheelchair access.
City beachNot confirmed
Lifeguards: Check with the city

Nickel Plate Beach

Huron · Erie County
A big Huron beach with volleyball nets and a playground, described as the largest public swimming beach in Ohio.
City beachA large beach
Lifeguards: Check with the city

Cedar Point Beach

Sandusky · Erie County
A mile-long beach on the Cedar Point peninsula, included with amusement park admission.
Amusement parkAbout a mile
Lifeguards: Yes, at the resort beach

East Harbor State Park Beach

Lakeside-Marblehead · Ottawa County
A 1,500-foot sand beach with a view of Cedar Point, changing rooms, showers and a picnic area.
State parkAbout 1,500 feet
Lifeguards: Weekends only, by one account

Lakeside Beach

Lakeside · Ottawa County
A small beach in the historic gated community of Lakeside, with lifeguards and a daily gate pass.
Gated resortSmall
Lifeguards: During posted hours

Catawba Island State Park Beach

Port Clinton · Ottawa County
A small stone beach at Catawba Island State Park, with a fishing pier, picnic shelter and boat ramp.
State parkA small stone beach
Lifeguards: None listed

Port Clinton City Beach

Port Clinton · Ottawa County
A free 2,180-foot city beach with views of South Bass Island, across the street from Lakeview Park.
City beachAbout 2,180 feet
Lifeguards: Check with the city

South Bass Island State Park Beach

Put-in-Bay · Ottawa County
A small stone beach on South Bass Island's cliffs, a few miles from the village of Put-in-Bay, reached by ferry.
State parkA small stone beach
Lifeguards: None listed; swim at your own risk

Middle Bass Island State Park Beaches

Middle Bass · Ottawa County
Small pebbly beaches on quiet Middle Bass Island, a 10-minute ferry ride from Put-in-Bay, where the old Lonz Winery is now a state park.
State parkSmall beaches of pebbles, sand and stones
Lifeguards: None listed

Kelleys Island State Park Beach

Kelleys Island · Erie County
A small, kid-friendly swimming beach on Kelleys Island, a short walk from the campground.
State park100 to 150 feet
Lifeguards: None

Maumee Bay State Park Beach

Oregon · Lucas County
A state park with two beaches, one on Lake Erie and one on an inland lake, plus a two-mile boardwalk through the marsh.
State parkNot confirmed
Lifeguards: Check with the park

Take the stops with you

Load the beaches into your maps app to drive along the coast.

Google Maps: stops 1 to 10Google Maps: stops 10 to 19Google Maps: stops 19 to 20

The file holds 20 waypoints and a stop-by-stop route line. Locations are approximate, often a town center, so use the stop notes to find the exact spot. Your maps app chooses the roads between stops, usually the fastest, so follow the byway signs where they differ. The GPX arrives in a zip file; unzip it and open the .gpx in a GPS or hiking app. The CSV imports into Google My Maps.