Main Street Beach in Vermilion is a great place to spend a summer day. (Credit: Ken Drenten)

By Ken Drenten

Looking for a beach vacation, a day or two away from the usual scenery, or a cool break from the heat? You can find fun at the beach without leaving Ohio. And you won’t have to worry about sharks, jellyfish or hurricanes, either.

Most people think about Lake Erie when they think about beaches in Ohio, and with 312 miles of shoreline, there are many public beaches to choose from on Lake Erie.

There is something relaxing, calming and peaceful about being near water — the sound of the waves coming into shore, the coolness and feel of the water itself, and the view of looking at an expanse of water that seems to go on forever.

Here are some of the best public beaches at Ohio’s Great Lake.

Find more public beaches in Ohio in Dusty Tires.

• Catawba Island State Park has a cobblestone beach with four fishing ramps, picnic areas and restrooms. 4049 E. Moore’s Dock Road, Port Clinton.

• Conneaut Township Park has a quarter-mile long Lake Erie beach with boardwalk, food concessions, recreational activities, restrooms and more. The park hosts D-Day Ohio, an annual World War II D-Day reenactment each August. 480 Lake Road, Conneaut.

• East Harbor State Park has a 1,500-foot sand beach on Lake Erie where you can view Cedar Point. 1169 N. Buck Road, Lakeside-Marblehead.

• Edgewater Beach, part of Lakefront Reservation, has a 2,400-foot beach on Lake Erie with great views of the city’s skyline. Located between Memorial Shoreway (SR 2) and Lake Erie, Cleveland.

• Euclid Beach Park has a 650-foot sandy beach with shaded picnic areas, a scenic observation pier and a reservable pavilion. 16301 Lakeshore Blvd., Cleveland.

• Fairport Harbor Lakefront Park has a charming, scenic beach on Lake Erie including a boardwalk and views of Fairport Harbor Lighthouse. 301 Huntington Beach Drive, Fairport.

• Geneva State Park’s beach on Lake Erie is a 600-foot natural beach that’s convenient for state park campers and visitors to nearby Geneva-on-the-Lake. A two-mile paved trail connects the state park and beach to the resort town. 4499 Padanarum Road, Geneva-on-the-Lake.

• Headlands Beach State Park is among the most picturesque beaches on Lake Erie. It has a 35-acre sandy beach that stretches for a mile long on Lake Erie and is the longest beach on Lake Erie in Ohio; sand dunes and a lighthouse. 9601 Headlands Road, Mentor.

• Huntington Beach is a Cleveland Metropark that features a picnic plaza, changing rooms, grills, food concessions, picnic areas and restrooms. Huntington Reservation, Bay Village.

• Kelleys Island State Park has a gorgeous beach that is only a short walk from campsites in the park. 920 Division St., Kelleys Island.

• Lake Erie Bluffs has more than 9,000 feet of sandy and cobble beach and 40-foot-high beach bluffs. A 50-foot-tall coastal wildlife observation tower is located there. 3301 Lane Road, Perry.

• Lakeview Park offers a sandy beach, views of the Lorain Lighthouse and an historic rose garden. 1800 W. Erie Ave., Lorain.

• Main Street Beach is an excellent 300-foot Lake Erie beach adjacent to the Vermilion Lighthouse and the inlet of the Vermilion River. This beach features ADA compliant access and concessions. 479 Main St., Vermilion.

• Maumee Bay State Park has two beaches — a beach on Lake Erie that stretches for a half-mile of lakefront, and one on an inland lake. Restrooms and outdoor showers are located between the two beaches. Other features include an amphitheater, water slide, beach volleyball and boat rentals. 1400 State Park Road, Oregon.

• Nickle Plate Beach has beach volleyball nets, playground equipment, picnic shelter, grills and a great view of Lake Erie and the Huron Lighthouse. Fee for parking. 1 Nickle Plate Road, Huron.

• Walnut Beach features a view of the nearby Ashtabula Lighthouse, playground, concessions and recreational activities. Walnut Blvd. and Lake Ave., Ashtabula.

Ken Drenten is creator and editor of Dusty-Tires.com, a travel blog for out-of-the-ordinary places in Ohio.

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