East Harbor is situated on a peninsula stretching into the waters of Lake Erie. The park also lies on the fringe of Ohio's prairie marsh zone. These wetlands are remnants of the Great Black Swamp, which once covered an area 120 miles long and 30-40 miles wide. Nature enthusiasts enjoy viewing an abundance of waterfowl and shorebirds in the park's scenic wetlands, as well as from the swimming beach and picnic areas along the lake. Our family and Apache camper began a series of visits in 1967, and East Harbor has remained a favorite. Greatly enjoyed the beaches, which now have a three-foot stone barrier to prevent erosion. We visit year round. The surrounding area has become somewhat commercialized. Lots of campers and fisher folks. In our early visits, we discussed a holiday at the State Park rather than a trip to the Outer Banks or to Hilton Head... My dear wife observed that an annual Atlantic Ocean Beach holiday was elemental to our life style. read more

East Harbor State Park - Parks Near Me - Lakeside Marblehead, Ohio

We really enjoyed the views of the wetlands. It seems like a great place to do some birdwatching for those who like to do that. The park is good-sized and located right along the water. It also offers a campsite, a playground, and a public swimming beach. read more

Great little beach and trails They have a small beach area with bathrooms and parking. It can get very crowded on hot days, but overall a great experience. We went in august and water was very warm and shallow. The kids could walk out really far and still touch. Plus lots of wildlife in the park. Saw deer, swans, ducks, seagulls, heron, bald eagle, and lots of bugs. read more

East Harbor State Park - Beach area - Parks Near Me - Lakeside Marblehead, Ohio

Cool view but an average park along Lake Erie. East Harbor State Park is the biggest park around here. It doesn't have much else interesting except for the good view. A lot come to use the campground. The beach is not at all good. For such a good location on the shore, this is a disappointing beach. It hardly even has any sand. This is mostly just rocky terrain. It does seem to be cleaner. The beach has always seemed to be full of debris and litter. A lot come here for the camping. The campground looked clean for the most part. It still is an okay beach. Just walking along it is usually pretty nice. This isn't when it comes to actually doing stuff like swimming. read more

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This is one of the nicest beaches in the area. I've been coming for about 20 years. Lots of good places to picnic, fish and camp. While I wouldn't really swim in lake eerie it is nice to walk on the beach here, the sand is nice and soft. read more

East Harbor State Park - Parks Near Me - Lakeside Marblehead, Ohio

As far as beaches go, no, just no! The sand portion of this "beach" is tiny and crowded. The water is very shallow (ankle deep for about 50 feet and then knee deep another 50-100 feet out). I never even got to a portion that was waste deep or allowed for swimming. There is a quieter, less crowded area just outside the sandy portion. The problem with that area is that it's on a rocket small skiff edge and doesn't allow for water access unless you climb down and back up wet and algae covered rocks. The view is pretty If you want to sit under a tree and look at the water. For swimming, impossible. The only positive is that there is no charge to enter or park. Free is great but, sadly, this park is not even worth the free visit. read more

I've come for the beaches, so my review focuses on that only. The beaches are almost entirely free from litter and trash, even on the Fourth of July. The water is rated as being very clean and smells nice as well. When I'm thinking about the outdoors, the biggest drawback is if things are gross and East Harbor State Park has never been. The swimming is nice, but a little weird. The water deepens at a normal rate to two and a half feet deep. Then it gets a little more shallow, then dips again to about two and a half feet. For a long way out from the shore, it doesn't get deeper than three or so feet. If you like just bobbing in the water, it's terrific. It also seems ideal for children. But if you're a swimmer who likes to all the way in, it's a bit frustrating. The beach has never been impossibly crowded when I've went, which is surprising because the beach is quite small. The distance from the trees to the water is about ten to twenty feet. It's about enough space for three rows of people with some walking lanes. This is a big drawback especially because of the shape of the beach. There is a higher area, then a drop of about four feet to a lower area. These two area are separated by a steep concrete incline. The incline is too steep to walk up comfortably, especially in bare feet. Most people going down it either run or just jump. I understand that the natural setting has necessitated this setup, but it detracts from the beach. The parking is set up well and you won't have a long walk even on the worst days. Also, keep in mind the beach faces East. As the sun sets, it dips behind the trees bordering the beach. The beach falls into shadow and gets cold a little early, starting around 5pm. On a very hot day, this may be welcome relief, but on milder days, you'll need something to keep you warm. On the whole, it's a pleasant beach. read more

East Harbor State Park - Parks Near Me - Lakeside Marblehead, Ohio

I've been enjoying East Harbor State Park since I was a little kid. Thirty-five... Er, forty years later, I still am! THE UP-SIDE: This park has much to offer for a fun day out... The beach here is sprawling. It goes on for what seems miles. There are shallow, family-friendly swimming areas of the beach, and also more rustic areas found on the hiking trails. The hiking trails are many, and traverse dry inland fields, secluded swampy-ish areas, and wild beachfront. Some of the trails connect to the campground located in the park. While I haven't stayed at the campground itself, I have meandered through and it looks pretty big and well taken care of. In addition to swimming and hiking, there are picnic shelters, countless grills and picnic tables (right along the beach!), and plenty of areas to drop a fishing line. When I'm not hanging out here with the fam, I head up here for a short road trip to do some writing and enjoy a good hike. THE DOWN-SIDE: On weekends this place can get a little crowded. However, it's never been so crowded that I couldn't find a place to get away from others at the park. THE SUM-IT-UP: If you're anywhere near the Catawba/Marblehead/Port Clinton area for the day, this place is a must. With so much space and so many possibilities for good family fun, or peaceful solo hikes, you can't go wrong. read more

East Harbor State Park - Parks Near Me - Lakeside Marblehead, Ohio

Came here for the lake and beach and we were not disappointed!! The beach was clean and the water was perfect. There's a sandy beach as well as a place to sit at picnic tables right by the water. Perfect for everyone. The bathhouse has vending machines and outdoor showers to clean up before getting in your car. We had a fantastic day!!! read more

East Harbor State Park - Beautiful lake! - Parks Near Me - Lakeside Marblehead, Ohio

East Harbor... lots of memories here! We used to come here as kids and swim in the summer, or to just walk around the grounds. The beach has since become very dirty, but there are spots that are a bearable. In the summer they take better care of it but if you just want to walk the sands in the fall, expect to dodge fish carcasses and driftwood (and trash). The campgrounds are pretty good and aren't that pricey. My wife has camped here with her parents and says the facilities are decent. My distant family goes here a lot and rave about their time here. We've gone here with our pup a few times and used the picnic tables and "dog beach". The dog beach isn't really a beach because they just have an access down to a rocky area which leads to the water. Once you're in, its fine, but getting you and your dog in is an extreme hassle. Dogs aren't allowed on the normal beach.... I proposed here, because we both love water/beach and we had some good memories here. So I can't rate it too low... but for the dog beach issue, I give it a 4. Not so family friendly for our family. read more

We always enjoy this place. We often came here and camped with my parents when we were kids (as they did when they were kids!) and I have very fond memories. Now I love bringing my children here. The campground is well kept and staff is friendly. It's safe. I'd let my kids ride their bikes around the area if they were a bit older. The beach is fun and we always enjoy going. They have nice clean changing facilities and bathrooms. They are less than 10 years old. Lifeguards are sometimes on duty but not always. The beach could be a bit cleaner though. Lately we've had a lot of storms and the water keeps rising so there are A LOT of super stinky fish, and that made our last visit less fun. But it usually isn't crowded and the water is shallow so we can take the kids waaaay out to the little rock islands, which they love. It's a fun place for families. read more

Trash Harbor has declined increasingly over the last year. I don't know if this park was sold to a private owner but they no longer regulate the noise after dark. The park has become a party haven for trash. Go anywhere else but here. read more

This has to be one of the premiere State parks for camping in Ohio. They have tons of camping spots, including full hook-up. There are a crazy amount of activities for families to do, including boating, fishing, hiking, and glacial grooves to visit! Not to forget, the beach! Did I mention the beach??? If you are looking for a family friendly place to camp, at reasonable prices, I don't think you will need to look any further. read more

My husband and I make the hour and a half long drive to East Harbor beach once a year and it does not disappoint. The beach is very narrow and sometimes it can be hard to find a spot (both parking and the beach get cramped). But the water is so fun to play in. It's really shallow, so great for kids...and adults alike! We like to play frisbee in the water. There are rock islands that are pretty far into the water you can venture out to and climb on too. This is definitely one of the better beaches in Ohio! read more

We only went to the swimming beach, specifically Area 6, but it was well worth the trip. We went on a cloudy Friday afternoon and there were lots of kids, but not too crowded. Clean beach, as well. Our toddler really enjoyed it and it's a great place for little ones-the slope of the beach goes into the lake very gradually. Our two year old could walk out with my husband for a good 20 or 30 feet and it was still shallow enough for her to stand on her own. read more

Camp a lot with our grand kids. This is a nice looking park but has big problem with theft. First night there some one emptied our two coolers out and took our lantern. Found out from another camper the kids from the trailer parks do this on a regular bases and you had to watch your belongings even when going to the beach. We replaced the food and drinks in the coolers that afternoon and put them right up against our tent. When we returned from fishing that evening no one took anything out of the coolers. They took coolers and all. The thefts are reported to the Rangers and are never posted in the local papers. Will never go back. read more

Typical of Ohio State Parks. Very nice trail along the lake. Reasonably sized sites, clean and functional shower houses. Dump station is convenient. Good ranger presence. read more

One of my favorite state parks in Ohio, even better than Hocking Hills in my opinion as there are way fewer tourons. The beaches are nice and the water out to the break walls is very shallow, my kids love running from little dune to dune in the water. I love hiking or biking the break island out to a remote spot where we can have our own private beach. Plenty of trails and things to do for kids including summer programs. read more

We stayed over the weekend Friday to Sunday. We planned a trip to cedar point and was looking to save money by camping instead of hotels. We got the non electronic site D18 and I would like to say it was a nice spot close to bathroom and showers it was shaded and clean. The restrooms was very nice for a camping area, another camper told us they were new buildings. The beach was nice it seemed a little small but it was beautiful area looking over the lakes. Although we didn't get to stay long I would definitely recommend this state park! It was completely booked. No open spots. Staff was friendly, had officers patrolling witch was nice for safety. But our family had no issues was peaceful and all campers seemed to be enjoying their stay, hiking trails, riding bikes, the lakes was beautiful, camp store was excellent had everything you needed, arcade was available for kids and seemed that you could even rent children's bicycles although we didn't I seen them up at camp store if we wasn't on a time frame this would have been great option for us since we had no room to bring any for kids. We will definitely be planning a trip back here to enjoy other things besides cedar point! Oh and if your looking to go to cedar point from here it is only 20 min away but with traffic it's a lot longer as with any attractions. read more

Holy windy campground batman. But nice facilities. The Halloween camp out is a blast for adults and kids.

Me,my girlfriend and her kid hungout here alot last summer but I can say it was a kick ass time but......The State of Ohio can do better because the bathrooms are a MESS and there is no TRASH CANS around.I will blame this on the GOP because they run this state and they could spend a few dollars on this tourist area.Besides that East Harbor is a good place but pack your own food because the vendors suck, read more

We loved our time here on vacation. We stopped by every evening to watch the sunset. Its a quiet and quaint little place.