It was a fabulous fall day and my wife and I decided to spend part of it at "Headlands Beach Park". We have been there many times over the years with family and friends. It never ceases to amaze. The parking is never ending. The beach goes on forever. There is an abundance of picnic areas, grills, pavilions, and public bathrooms. The walking trails are more than a mile long. And then there is the lake... that big beautiful lake. It is just a fantastic place to spend a day. Go with friends. Take your kids and grandkids. Or just go by yourself and enjoy the sand. It really is fantastic. read more

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Beautiful beach You feel like you traveled to a different state. The parking lot is filled with beautiful cottonwood trees. So lots of shade for parking and picnicking. There are several entrance to walk out on the beach with restrooms on the edge. To walk to the beach you go through the sand dunes so you feel like you are on a true vacation. The beach is very big. Lots of cool rocks and beach glass to look for. We saw people wind surfing, jet sking and swimming. The water was rougher than we are used to but the kids had life jackets so no issues. Suggest wear good water shoes because there are lots of rocks in the sand. read more

Headlands Beach State Park - Lakes Near Me - Mentor, Ohio

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Known as Ohio's largest beach, it really is. Bring your family, picnic cooler, tent, football....there is room for everyone. We watched the eclipse here and the crowd was great. Just like an old fashioned family beach party, everyone was well behaved. Sheriffs patrolled the area. Come here to take a walk, go out into the water, and hang out in your lawn chair or on your towel. Restrooms are plenty. I don't know if there are any food vendors. A board walk is available for people who have difficulty walking in a lot of sand. There is lots of parking. I like this spot. read more

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A park with a beach. Headlands Beach is pretty big. It has plenty of space. Beach is rocky and it can hurt. They seem to keep this clean though. Beach is the main thing here. It is over a mile long. There's plenty of room for yourself. Along with the beach is the park area. There's a few shaded hiking trails. It's next to Mentor Marsh Nature Preserve. This is a nice area to go through. Another nice area to walk on is the actual beach. You need to wear sandals or shoes. Going into the water you need to be careful. Rocks are sharp. It overall is pretty clean. The sand on the rear off he beach is mostly free of cigarette butts and litter. It sucks getting from the parking lot to the beach. It's a pretty long walk from it. The good thing about the lot is there's plenty of spaces. read more

Headlands Beach State Park - Park - Lakes Near Me - Mentor, Ohio

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We picked up hotdogs to go from Scooter's Dawg House which is only about 5 minutes down the street. This was the perfect place to bring our food for dinner. The parking lot seemed crowded, but we didn't have any issues staying away from people. There were a lot of picnic tables in the grass around the parking lot. They were all spaced out and no one was around. After dinner, we walked along the trail behind the beach for a bit. I'm not sure how long it is, but it seemed pretty long. What a nice addition to the beach. We didn't stay long after dinner because no one walking around had on masks (even when they were close together). If you can manage to stay away from people, this is a great place to spend some time outside. read more

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Usually come here to watch my husband kiteboard. It's a great spot and beachgoers clearly clean the beach as they are walking or hanging out there. They should have this system at all beaches. read more

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Love love love! I visited recently hoping it would not be crowded and it was not! People were wearing masks and respectful with social distancing. There are bathrooms available. The beach is clean and water was clear. Today was our 4th time and it was a little bit windy so the waves were higher than usual but the wind cooled down the hotness of summer. Make sure to pack a lunch bag and make sure to have a rollers to carry your goodies to the beach as it is a quite a walk from parking lot. read more

Headlands Beach State Park - Lakes Near Me - Mentor, Ohio

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Simply beautiful and very relaxing The parking lots are spacious and plenty of room on the beach to relax and have fun in or out of the water read more

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Beautiful beach state park. The beach isn't too crowded and it's a nice place to go in the summer to enjoy the beach of Lake Erie. The beach is very clean. Bathrooms aren't that clean, but overall the beach park is very nice and is kept clean. read more

I found this by accident when someone from an Ohio Daytrip Facebook Page remarked at how wonderful this place is. I looked into it and instantly knew we had to go. Very well maintained park and an short hike over the sand dunes to one of the more beautiful lake shore beaches in Ohio. I did see that this is one of the biggest sandy beaches on Lake Erie. It was gorgeous and clean and had the more amazing views of the lighthouse. Plus, shall I mention the beach glass? We found so many amazing pieces of beach glass among the rocks thrown up onto the shore from Lake Erie. We didn't bring our bathing suites, but saw many people swimming. There were notices that the algae levels were down this time of the year so it was safe for people to swim there. Between swimming and beach combing, this is a great day trip for family or even those wanting some peaceful solitude. read more

Headlands Beach State Park - Beautiful light house on Lake Erie - Lakes Near Me - Mentor, Ohio

This is the Beach to visit in the Cleveland area! For a minute you forgot you're on Lake Erie with the wide sandy Beach and walking path alongside it. The beach is a little rocky and there are tons of birds. But it's a very pretty area. read more

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I was eager to see Lake Erie and the lighthouse with my dog. You can walk along the beach on the path where dogs are allowed, but it comes nowhere near to the lighthouse or pretty rocky beach pictures I saw on my google image search. We were able to get a decent walk in and saw Lake Erie, but nothing was scenic except the pretty yellow warblers I saw. I think the areas where dogs are not permitted are probably more scenic. read more

Headlands Beach State Park - Lakes Near Me - Mentor, Ohio

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My husband and I came here to do a photo shoot, the beach is very clean for what you'd expect of a park area and there's plenty of space to set up for a picnic! They even have picnic tables back by the parking lot if the towel set up isn't your thing. There are restrooms with changing areas for men and women, and jogging paths that follow the beach boarder. Lovely place for the family or a romantic photo shoot! read more

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It's become dirty and walking to get to the water is awful why do they have so many rocks and stones , this is not a beach !

My favorite place to visit year round. Easy access to the beach for handicapped. Nice walking trails and plenty of parking. Not so great for children to swim since there is no break wall so it can get rough and it's fairly deep and colder than Fairport Harbor. Great place to fly a kite. read more

Love this park! Easy access parking, public restrooms, lots of open space. Beautiful sunset. Gave it 4 stars bc no dogs allowed :'( read more

Headlands Beach State Park - Sunset - Lakes Near Me - Mentor, Ohio

As a photographer, I'm always looking for new places to shoot. Mentor Headlands is about as close as you can get in Ohio to a tropical-style sandy beach, and I've had people ask if my images there were taken in Florida! It has been cleaned up a lot as well in the last decade, making it a great spot to spend the day. Images by Jennifer Elizabeth Photography. read more

Headlands Beach State Park - Lakes Near Me - Mentor, Ohio

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I live in Florida and yet find myself going to the beach in Ohio. This is a nice, Family friendly beach. restrooms, picnic tables, grills ... WEAR YOUR SANDALS TO THE EDGE OF THE WATER! 1) The sand is really hot at the top of the beach. 2) The pebbles/rocks can hurt at the edge of the water. read more

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This was our second time at this state park and it did not disappoint. The first time was without kids and this time was with our kids who loved the beach as much as we did. Our only regret was not bringing chairs for us older folks who needed to sit in a chair and not on the ground. The unexpected jet ski water show in front of us was amazing too. This beach is very clean but be prepared with the right shoe-ware to get over the pebbles/rocks to the beach. It's a long distance from the parking to the water and back. Enjoy the moments! read more

The beach looked beautiful, but we never got to walk on it. The website is not obvious that pets are not allowed (it's hidden in a separate tab on the bottom of a section that talks about swimming). We had glanced through the website and excitedly brought our pup to the beach. We were greeted with giant signs stating absolute no pets were allowed on the beach or the dirt trails. Lots of poop bag dispensers, but nowhere to take the dog! A waste of a drive... website needs to be more clear. read more

I'm not sure if the name is worded correctly, but it came up in search so i went with it. This is the summertime fun spot for every Lake County boy and girl. It is probably the biggest or at least most populace beach on the north coast. Plenty of white sand, electric blue water, and.....no, that's Clearwater, Florida. I got confused because Wrestlemania was last night and that's Hulk Hogan's hometown. Actually, Headlands has gray to light brown water and the sand is mostly pebbles and bottle caps. It's fun to cook out and go jump in the water when you're a kid. Then when you're a puny teenager, it's not fun. I'm the guy who kept his shirt on. Cue sad trombone. At 17 years old, most Lake Countyites discover the wonders of drugs and alcohol here. Or pretty much anywhere. Now i only go once every few years for nostalgic self pitying walks down memory lane. The best part is the pier that leads to the lighthouse. It is long and treacherous. It's made of mismatched boulders and blocks of concrete that have crags and gaps able to swallow a man whole. My dad would make my mom, my young brother and i navigate this death trap for, what appears in retrospect to be, no good reason. But it built character. And you should see the people who live near Headlands. Talk about characters! The bathrooms are breeding grounds for mosquitoes, and the park rangers who patrol the park think it's perfectly acceptable to drive their truck up and down the beach as people sunbathe mere inches away. The Virgin Islands have nothing on this place. Incidentally, boys who are virgins and live on emotional islands of despair might not want to come here and watch sweaty oafs get all the chicks. read more

Yes, beaches can be this nice in Northeast Ohio. I have to admit (and maybe I'm partial because I grew up out this way) but this is my favorite NEO beach, besides East Harbor. The sand is the cleanest you'll find around--not even Huntington Beach can top it. Plus, it's not always stuffed to the gills with tons of weird people. It's usually pretty laid back and relatively empty, just how I like it. The parking situation doesn't make you want to stab your own eye balls out while you ram your car into a crazy soccer-mom either. What a relief! Oh, and it's free, unlike it's easterly neighbor, Fairport Harbor. One fault that I did notice in comparison to Huntington, is that the snack-factor and cultural aspects are missing. No theater, no Mitchell's Ice Cream, just your typical snack shack. Not that I go to the beach to eat or anything... ha. But I do love running along the path that goes along the sand. It's only about a mile long, but it goes super fast and before you know it, you've ran a bunch of laps. And you guessed it: There's volleyball nets, picnic tables, grills, pavilions and more. Pretty standard, but again, not overrun by sketchballs. On the way out, you can also stop by Pickle Bills and grab an afternoon cocktail on their floating dock too. I like it, Headlands. I like it a lot. read more

I woke up Saturday morning, with no way to hold my head that didn't hurt. And the beer I had for breakfast wasn't bad, so I had one more for dessert. Then I lit my first and drove my car to Mentor Headlands, to meet the day. Am I glad that I did. It was a nice beach with lots of sand. There are plenty of awesome trees on the outskirts of the sand that provide shade and beauty. I still favor the more accessible Edgewater because of the proximity. I had a great ride out there on Route 2. On a Saturday morning beach walk, I'm wishing Lord, that I was stoned. Because there is something in a Saturday, that makes the body feel alone. read more

Headlands is a must-see for everyone in Northeast Ohio. It's the biggest beach in the state at a mile long, so even on crowded days, you can find some space to yourself. The drawbacks are the park employees that ride ride around on dune buggies acting like nazis, and one time I went on a weekday and my car was the victim of an attempted break in (fake key stuck in my driver side door to this day 2 years later) BUT despite all this, this is a park to behold. You can climb the rocks towards the lighthouse, have a picnic, or lay in the sand. Spend your day at mentor headlands, you won't regret it! read more

Great Sunsets and beautiful beach in the summer. There is a sled riding hill to enjoy in the winter. I've lived within walking distance for twenty years and plan on staying until I win the Lottery. read more

They have made some great improvements to this park since I moved here for the first time back in 1980. It is a great place for an evening stroll, sitting on the beach listening to the waves, watching the sunset. The beach is huge and there's always plenty of space. There is a gorgeous serene lighthouse to the east that jets out into the water. It is just a beautiful site and a perfect backdrop for evening photos. Because there is no break wall at this beach, the sand by the water is quite course and rocky. This makes it a bit rough on tender tootsies. You can find regions of softer sand, but it does tend to wash away and be inconsistent. At the far east end there is a nice new boardwalk built from the parking lot all the way to the water. There are nice bathroom facilities along the beach and a ton of parking. There are plenty of picnic tables and places to grill up by the tree line. There is a playground. They do not allow dogs or cooking on the beach itself. It is monitored by park rangers which has helped tremendously in cleaning up the park and keeping the drug activity away that was common in yesteryears. I've been to yoga classes held by the water both during the morning and evening. Now this is a great place to pack up the family and spend the day or watch the sunset! read more

Headlands Beach State Park - Lake Erie shore - Lakes Near Me - Mentor, Ohio

Absolutely love this park. Great place to come with the family and hang out. I always come during the weekdays as there isn't very many people. The light house is also great. Definitely love this park when I come to visit north east OH. read more

Well, if you want to get away for the day here you go. Just follow the sandy brown road. You never know what you can find. Amazing sculptures. A lighthouse seagulls and yesterday's rainbow was awesome. I could not have thought of a better way to spend part of my day. I will be going again. My goal is to make it to the lighthouse without the rain. Anyway try it you might like it. read more

Headlands Beach State Park - Lakes Near Me - Mentor, Ohio

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Loved this hidden gem! We spent the day there at the lake side. We hiked down and loved it.

I think this is a great beach once to get passed the rocky waters edge and quick drop off. Its a fantastic location for a cook out or just to hang with friends. There are volleyball nets on site and also a concession stand selling hot dogs, burgers, etc. We went there over the holiday weekend and kept hearing my brother say that if he lived here, he would be showing up every nice day. That might have something to do with the young ladies there ;) read more

Nice big beach with a lighthouse to walk to, also has a nice paved path to walk the length of the beach. Plenty of parking too.

Beautiful beach with clean water and literally no garbage on the sand or in the water. Definitely recommend this beach!!!

The beaches are beautiful, all year long. I prefer to go in the summer, but the fall scenery doesn't disappoint! The lighthouse is a photographer's dream at sunset. Without a doubt, this special place has left me with some great memories over the years, and I can't wait to return someday! read more

My brother-in-law came up from cinncinati for some kayak surfing on September 22,2013. We went to Headlands on this second day of Fall with the temperature around 60 degrees with a strong wind and 5-7 foot waves, no swimming buoys in the water, no lifeguards and 60 degree water with an imminent rainstorm looming. He wouldn't let us surf next to the breakwall because it was a "designated swimming area!" I' sure they would have turned swimmers away for the same conditions.He told us we could go on the other side of the wall (35 foot shipping channel) or the other end of the beach where there is no surf. Where do you apply for a job that hires idiots like this? you give these losers minimum wage, a badge and a job and they turn into Storm troopers. to the officer involved: I'm sorry you got swirlies and atomic wedgies in school, but don't take it out on the general public for the rest of your life. We proceeded to an unenforced beach in Geneva and surfed in the rain,the first time I got to go surfing since my cancer diagnosis 9 years ago. I'm 61 years old and an expert kayaker. There were no incidents, just fun. Shame on State park rangers everywhere. I'm teaching my 16 year-old son to have no respect for these power hungry freaks. "No" is the easiest way out for a lazy employee who may actually be called upon to do some actual work. Stay away from Hedlands if you don't appreciate guys like this constantly telling you what you can't do, even if it's not posted. read more

I have been coming to The Headlands for 25 years and have always loved it. I have been there twice in the past week and I was so disappointed. The sand hadn't been raked, the lifeguards spent most of their time in their room or occasionally driving around on their 4 wheeler, the snack bar was filthy. The condiment counter was full of dried up mustard and ketchup and the ground was full of garbage and it was 12:30 in the afternoon. The bathrooms had broken faucets and no soap.....so sad read more

The beach seems fine but don't take anything fun for the water. Ohio won't let you take a tube, lounge or anything that floats unless it's a Coast Guard approved device. People can and should be able to tend to their own safety without so many rules. Really what kind of danger does a floating lounge pose. read more

I visited here for the first time on a Sunday afternoon. I honestly don't understand the high ratings on this site. There was trash everywhere, at the picnic sites and on the beach. It was too rocky to walk on the beach without beach shoes. I had to listen to raunchy music, and couldn't leave my things alone to walk anywhere. I DON'T recommend anyone go here alone. I was visiting after a long weekend conference in Mentor, and I was really disappointed. Yes, the views are lovely, and it's a long beach, but that's about it. Perhaps because I grew up on the Great Lakes in Michigan, I was expecting better. I couldn't believe that people would just drop their trash on the beach of one of the Great Lakes, one of the natural wonders of the world. This is a State Park, people -- PACK IT IN - PACK IT OUT! If the trash cans are full, put your trash in a garbage bag, put it in your trunk, and throw it out when you get home. Not that hard! And don't leave it on the beach! read more