The 10 best beaches on Ohio's Lake Erie shore (2024)

Beating the summer heat at Headlands Beach State Park in Mentor.

Marvin Fong

Please note, we have updated our Lake Erie Beach Guide for 2017: Where to find the best stretches of sand on Ohio's North Coast

Welcome, summer. We’ve missed you.

To honor your return, we've put together a list of 10 of our favorite Lake Erie beaches, perfect for late-afternoon swims or early-morning strolls. (Or check outthis interactive map of all 37 swimming beaches on Ohio's Lake Erie shore, with locations and select amenities.)

Visit one, or check out them all.

Just don’t delay: Summer, which officially begins Sunday, never seems quite long enough in Northern Ohio.

A storm is brewing to the west of Maumee Bay State Park near Toledo.

Susan Glaser, The Plain Dealer

Maumee Bay State Park, Oregon

Lake Erie's westernmost beach is the centerpiece of one of Ohio's premier parks, Maumee Bay. The beach here is nearly a half-mile long, with plenty of space to spread your towel.

The park also maintains a beach on a small inland lake, a short walk from the Lake Erie shore, with lifeguards (the Lake Erie beach is not guarded).

JOSHUA GUNTER

When you’re tired of the sand, there are plenty of alternative activities here, including an 18-hole Scottish-links style golf course, nature center, bike rentals and hiking trails.

Unfortunately, the private operator that rented Jet Skis, kayaks and other watercraft hasn’t returned to Maumee Bay this year.

The beach at East Harbor State Park in Ottawa County: accessible by car or boat.

Lake Erie Shores & Islands

East Harbor State Park, Marblehead

This 1,500-foot stretch of sand is ideally located for some extended summer fun, a short walk from the state’s largest campground and within easy reach of the Lake Erie Islands and Cedar Point.

Or forget about those other attractions and just come for the sand. East Harbor's main swimming beach here is almost always calm and kid-friendly, with a gentle slope into the water.

Young swimmers love the beach East Harbor because of its gentle slope.

JOSHUA GUNTER

Dogs aren’t allowed on the main swimming strand, but four-legged visitors are welcome at East Harbor’s South Beach.

The park also offers hiking and biking trails, a marina and nature center.

Small but lovely: the beach at Kelleys Island State Park.

John Kuntz

Kelleys Island State Park

Whatthis beach lacks in size it makes up for in atmosphere. Tucked away on the north side of Kelleys Island, this small sandy beach – about 100 feet long -- is not the place for endless strolls. But young beachgoers will love its gentle slope and lack of surf.

The beach is a perfect stop for day-trippers to the island, easily accessible via bicycle or golf cart from the ferry dock.

Fun in the water at Kelleys Island State Park.

John Kuntz

After a dip in the water, rent a kayak for an hour of lake paddling or check out the park’s famous Glacial Grooves, carved into rock tens of thousands of years ago.

Or stay the night at the park’s campground, with some of the most scenic waterfront sites in all of Ohio.

Staking out a stretch of sand at Erie Ccounty's Nickel Plate Beach.

Susan Glaser, The Plain Dealer

Nickel Plate Beach, Huron

At 12 acres,Nickel Plate is Erie County's largest public beach, with soft sand that's easy on the toes. (Cedar Point's terrific private beach, about 10 miles west, is open to overnight and park guests.)

Beach ball at Nickel Plate Beach in Huron.

Susan Glaser, The Plain Dealer

Nickel Plate, managed by Huron’s parks department, includes a playground and volleyball nets. There is no bathhouse nor permanent restrooms, though portable toilets are available.

There is a $5 parking fee at the beach, which is funneled back into the park for capital improvements.

Susan Glaser, The Plain Dealer

Lakeview Park, Lorain

Lorain County'spremier lakefront space features soft, groomed sand, a knockout waterfront playground, beach volleyball courts, plus the Rose Café, open daily 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., with outdoor seating offering terrific views of the beach below.

Lynn Ischay

And when you get tired of the sand? Try your hand at lawn bowling or take a stroll through Lakeview’s historic, gorgeous rose garden.

Thomas Ondrey

Huntington Beach, Bay Village

Summer in the suburbs doesn’t get much sweeter than this: an afternoon spent lounging on scenic Huntington Beach capped by a double scoop of Mitchell’s mint chocolate chunk served at the park’s concession stand.

See Also

9 Amazing Beaches near Sandusky, OH

JOSHUA GUNTER

Huntington, part of the Cleveland Metroparks, features a 2,342-foot long beach, accessible via several sets of stairs from the shaded bluffs above (there is a handicap-accessible pathway, as well).

Huntington Reservation is also home to the Lake Erie Nature & Science Center and Huntington Playhouse.

MARVIN FONG

Edgewater Park, Cleveland

If you haven't been toEdgewater lately, you haven't been to Edgewater.

The Cleveland Metroparks have transformed this stretch of sand, just west of downtown, in the two years since the state ceded control of this and other lakefront land. Among the improvements: cleaner, groomed sand; renovations to the restrooms; and the addition of several popular events, including Edgewater Live and Cinema at Sunset, which are bringing big crowds back to the beach.

Lonnie Timmons III

And more improvements are coming: In early June, park officials announced plans for a new Beach House, which will include a restaurant and other concessions, plus new restrooms, showers and a park store. It is expected to open in 2016.

Marvin Fong

Headlands Beach State Park, Mentor

Ohio’s largest stretch of sand, a mile long and a football-field deep in some spots, is in Lake County about 30 miles east of downtown Cleveland.

Though the day-useHeadlands Beach is one of the state's most popular parks, you shouldn't have much trouble finding a stretch of sand here on a hot day: There's room enough for all.

Marvin Fong

A breakwall offers opportunities for fishing. If you get tired of walking on the sand, head south from the northern terminus of the 1,440-mile Buckeye Trail, located within the park.

Also nearby: Headlands Dunes State Nature Preserve and the Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve.

JOHN KUNTZ

Fairport Harbor Lakefront Park Beach

Yes, of course, you can sit all day on the sand at Fairport Harbor. But why would you want to?

This strand – just across the Grand River from Headlands Beach – has a ton of options for the active beachgoer: kayak and stand-up paddleboard rentals, Jet Ski and sailboat lessons, plus special events spread throughout the summer (including Fairport Mardi Gras in early July).

JOHN KUNTZ

This is also a favorite beach for Fido – there’s a special stretch of sand set aside for four-legged lake lovers.

Note: There is a parking fee here of $2 for Lake County residents, $3 for others.

Susan Glaser, The Plain Dealer

Conneaut Township Park

The bluffs overlooking this beach in far northeastern Ohio remind some of the landscape of Normandy, France – which is why, every August, a huge group of World War II buffs gather here for an elaborate re-enactment of D-Day.

A network of boardwalks winds through Conneaut Township Park in Ashtabula County.

Susan Glaser, The Plain Dealer

Come toConneaut Beach any other time and you'll find a large, peaceful stretch of sand, with a network of wood boardwalks for those who prefer a harder surface than sand.

Amenities here include volleyball, bocce and shuffleboard courts, plus a concession stand.

Susan Glaser, The Plain Dealer

Honorable mention: Euclid Beach/Villa Angela

Euclid Beach and adjacent Villa Angela, also turned over to the Cleveland Metroparks in 2013, have undergone a similar transformation to Edgewater. Thanks to regular beach grooming, landscaping and capital improvements, it's a much more pleasant place to spend a summer afternoon than it was a couple of years ago.

There’s one hitch, though: You can’t swim here yet.

Lonnie Timmons III

The Metroparks were hoping to open the park to swimming early this month, but debris found on the lake floor has delayed the swimming season. Metroparks spokeswoman Sanaa Julien said she couldn’t speculate about how long the cleanup would take.

In the meantime, the beach is open for strolling, castle-building and sunset viewing.

JOHN KUNTZ

Across the state line: Presque Isle State Park

Lake Erie’s loveliest stretch of sand isn’t in Ohio – it’s across the state line in Erie, Pennsylvania.

Presque Isle State Park, a peninsula that stretches about 7 miles into the water, offers 13 sandy beaches – some calm and serene, others more rugged and wild. Most have lifeguards; some have food concessions; others offer volleyball courts and playground equipment.

Susan Glaser

The park also offers boat tours; canoe, kayak and pontoon rentals; bike and hiking trails. In addition, the Tom Ridge Environmental Center, at the park entrance, offers interactive exhibits and an observation tower.

Susan Glaser, The Plain Dealer

Before you go: Is the water safe to swim in?

Before loading the car with beach toys, make sure the beach is safe: Click here to find out which Lake Erie beaches, if any, have water quality issues.