Cleveland's skyline across Lake Erie from Lakewood Park.

Great Lakes state

Ohio

Lake Erie islands, beaches and port towns.

Photo: Erik Drost · CC BY 2.0

Cleveland skyline from Lakewood Park, June 2024.jpg by Erik Drost · CC BY 2.0. Resized and converted to WebP; display crops vary.

Meet the coast

About the Ohio Great Lakes coast

Ohio follows Lake Erie's southern shore, with island destinations and a chain of waterfront cities.

CountryUnited States
Great Lakes shoreline Lake Erie
In this guide5 places to explore

Live · Ohio

What's going on right now.

Weather, alerts, the water, the sky and local headlines, gathered from official sources as you read.

Gathering the latest conditions…

National Weather Service Environment Canada NOAA buoy observations Aurora forecast

Live data from the U.S. National Weather Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, NOAA's National Data Buoy Center and Space Weather Prediction Center; headlines link to the publishers. Sun and moon times are calculated. Conditions change quickly—check official forecasts before going on the water. Not for navigation.

Highlights

Lake Erie islands, beaches and a lively North Coast.

Plan your time

Settle in, eat well, travel smart.

A taste of the region.

  • Lake Erie walleye and yellow perch
  • Island wineries
  • Cleveland's pierogi and corned beef

Know before you go.

  • Ohio state parks do not charge an entrance fee.
  • Ferries to the Lake Erie islands run on reduced schedules outside summer — confirm return times before you go.
  • Western-basin beaches can be affected by late-summer algal blooms; check advisories.
Ohio. Find It Here. Ohio state parks

Get your bearings

Explore this coast.

Loading the map. The links and itinerary below are always available.

Towns Lighthouses Parks Grouped pins expand when selected.

2 of 5 places mapped. 3 remain in the list without a map pin. Unverified locations and precise shipwreck sites are not plotted. Pins are representative locations, not verified entrances.

Black-and-white basemap by OpenStreetMap. Great Lakes highlighted in color. Hold Ctrl (or Command) while scrolling to zoom. Use two fingers on touch screens.

Lake outlines: Natural Earth (public domain). Town centers: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Not for navigation.

Along the shore

Places to visit in Ohio.

All places
Coastal town Ohio · Lake Erie Cleveland A Lake Erie city linking waterfront museums, neighborhoods and urban beaches. Explore place
Photo: Erik Drost · CC BY 2.0

Cleveland skyline from Lakewood Park, June 2024.jpg by Erik Drost · CC BY 2.0. Resized and converted to WebP; display crops vary.

State Park Ohio · Lake Erie Headlands Beach State Park A broad Ohio Lake Erie beach beside a protected dune landscape. Explore place
Photo: Erik Drost · CC BY 2.0

Mentor Headlands Beach Sunrise (12697691344).jpg by Erik Drost · CC BY 2.0. Resized and converted to WebP; display crops vary.

Lighthouse Ohio · Lake Erie Marblehead Lighthouse A stone Lake Erie beacon on Ohio's Marblehead Peninsula. Explore place
Photo: Bobport10 · CC BY-SA 4.0

Marblehead Lighthouse.jpg by Bobport10 · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and converted to WebP; display crops vary.

Coastal town Ohio · Lake Erie Put-in-Bay South Bass Island's harbor village, with a national memorial above Lake Erie. Explore place
Photo: NAHann · CC BY-SA 4.0

View from the top of Perry's Memorial Ohio.JPG by NAHann · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and converted to WebP; display crops vary.

Coastal town Ohio · Lake Erie Sandusky A bayside Ohio city and a jumping-off point for the Lake Erie islands. Explore place
Photo: Mike Sharp (2old) · CC BY-SA 4.0

Ohio - Sandusky Waterfront.jpg by Mike Sharp (2old) · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and converted to WebP; display crops vary.