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.
Popular:
  • 117parks & forests
  • 64ancient mounds
  • 34waterfalls
  • 40historic sites
  • 33road trips

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

Explore by type

What are you in the mood for?

See every place →

Plan a trip

Explore Ohio

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

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

Parks, forests & wildlife areas

Find a park

117 parks in 7 regions

Middle Bass Island State Park Beaches

Middle Bass · Ottawa County · Lake Erie
State park
Small beaches of pebbles, sand and stonesbeach
Free entrycost

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.

Beaches
Two beaches, one on the east side and one on the west; one review says the east beach is private, so check before you go
Surface
A mix of pebbles, sand and stones; water shoes help
Setting
An 805-acre island shaped like the Big Dipper, with the Lonz Winery property, reopened in 2017 as part of the state park
Getting there
By ferry from Catawba or Put-in-Bay

The island is quiet, with few services, and the state park office keeps limited hours.

Before you swim

Check for algal bloom and bacteria advisories before you go; the Ohio Department of Health posts them for Ohio beaches. Swim in designated areas, and stay out of the water when the surf is rough.

Visiting information you can trust

Primary official source
ODNR park finder (search this park)
Location confidence
Verified property location
Within 1.5 miles of the park's verified entrance
Check current conditions
Official conditions or closures
Beach advisory
Ohio EPA BeachGuard — current water-quality advisories

Prices, hours, closures, campsite availability and trail conditions shown elsewhere on this page are not live — always confirm with the official source before you go.

Visiting

Lifeguards
None listed
Cost
Free entry
DirectionsShow on the map

The park

Middle Bass Island State Park
The state park this beach is part of, with camping and trails.
Open

More on this stretch of coast

Details last checked 2026-09-22. Confirm hours and prices before you go.

Know a place that belongs here, or spotted something out of date?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