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

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117 parks in 7 regions

South Bass Island State Park Beach

Put-in-Bay · Ottawa County · Lake Erie
State park
A small stone beachbeach
Free entrycost

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.

A small stone beach on South Bass Island's cliffs, a few miles from the village of Put-in-Bay, reached by ferry.

Beach
A small stone beach; swimming is permitted in designated areas at your own risk
Facilities
A picnic shelter, playground, launch ramp, fishing pier, camping and showers
Season
About April to mid-October
Getting there
By ferry or boat; the park is a few miles from Put-in-Bay

Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial is in the village of Put-in-Bay.

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
None listed; swim at your own risk
Cost
Free entry; camping fees apply
Address
1523 Catawba Ave, Put-in-Bay, OH 43456
DirectionsShow on the map

The park

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

Nearby history

Perry's Victory and International Peace Memorial
A 352-foot column for the Battle of Lake Erie
Open

More on this stretch of coast

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