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.
›
Mounds & Earthworks43 ancient sites, including the Great Serpent Mound and the Newark Earthworks.
›
Historic Sites39 places, from Fort Steuben and Zoar to Camp Chase and the Rankin House, from the frontier to the Civil War.
›
Road Trips33 drives, from the Lincoln Highway to the Morgan Heritage Trail.
›
Lake Erie Beaches20 public beaches from Conneaut to Toledo and the islands, with a map.
›
Oddities & Roadside Attractions19 giants, ghosts and folk-art stops, plus a Mothman just over the line.
›
Caves & Caverns12 show caverns, recess caves and rock shelters, with a map.
›
Waterfalls34 falls from the Cuyahoga Valley to the Hocking Hills, with trail notes and a map.
›

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

Nickel Plate Beach

Huron · Erie County · Lake Erie
City beach
A large beachbeach
See the citycost

Visiting information you can trust

Primary official source
Ohio EPA BeachGuard (this beach's current status)
Location confidence
Approximate — boundary or exact point not confirmed
Approximate location, verify with the beach's directions
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.

A big Huron beach with volleyball nets and a playground, described as the largest public swimming beach in Ohio.

Size
Described as Ohio's largest public swimming beach, though Headlands is longer
Facilities
Beach volleyball nets and a playground

Headlands Beach State Park is also called the state's largest beach; sources use different measures.

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

Lifeguards
Check with the city
Cost
See the city
DirectionsShow on the map

More on this stretch of coast

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