Field NotesOhio
Upper Falls in the Old Man's Cave gorge, Hocking Hills, with visitors on the rocks

An independent field guide · 365 places

The field guide to outdoor Ohio

Parks and forests, ancient mounds, caves, waterfalls and back roads, with the story behind each place and where to eat and fuel up nearby.
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  • 117parks & forests
  • 64ancient mounds
  • 34waterfalls
  • 40historic sites
  • 33road trips

Old Man's Cave, Hocking Hills · Photo: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0

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

Lake ErieWest Virginia36 places368 places813 places135 places523 places2321 places2124 places2416 places1613 places134 places418 places182 places217 places1710 places1014 places142 places27 places76 places613 places133 places34 places414 places143 places3Harrison Lake State Park2 places22 places22 places26 places64 places4

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Parks, forests & wildlife areas

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117 parks in 7 regions
Sunset over Lake Erie from Headlands Beach

Lake Erie Beaches

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

Headlands Beach State Park · Photo: Erik Drost, CC BY 2.0

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.

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.

Every beach in the guide (20)

Every place on Field Notes Ohio

Know a place that belongs here, or spotted something out of date? Email hello@fieldnotesohio.com.