Headlands Beach State Park

Headlands Beach State Park is a public beach in Mentor and Painesville Township, Ohio, United States. It is the longest natural beach in Ohio[3] and attracts two million visitors annually.[4] The breakwall at the eastern end of the park, frequented by fishermen, is surmounted by the Fairport Harbor West Breakwater Light. The park features a 35-acre beach for sunbathing, swimming, and beach glass hunting along with picnicking facilities and seasonal concessionaire.[3]

Headlands Beach State Park
Sunset
Headlands Beach State Park is located in Ohio
Headlands Beach State Park
Headlands Beach State Park
Location in Ohio
Headlands Beach State Park is located in the United States
Headlands Beach State Park
Headlands Beach State Park
Headlands Beach State Park (the United States)
LocationLake County, Ohio, United States
Coordinates41°45′30″N 81°17′14″W[1]
Area120 acres (49 ha)[2]
Elevation584 ft (178 m)[1]
Opened1953
Administered byOhio Department of Natural Resources
DesignationOhio state park
WebsiteHeadlands Beach State Park

Geography

Headlands Beach State Park is at the northern terminus of State Route 44 and the Buckeye Trail.[5] The park is between the Mentor Marsh and the Grand River. It is next to Fairport Harbor Coast Guard station and a Morton Salt mine[6] and abuts two other protected areas, Headlands Dunes State Nature Preserve to the east and Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve to the west.[7][8]

History

The state began acquiring land for the park during the period 1951-1952. It opened under the name Painesville Beach State Park in 1953, with its name changed to Headlands Beach two years later.[3]

Accolades

In 1995, The Plain Dealer of Cleveland ranked Headlands as Ohio's best beach.[9] In 2013, CNN listed Headlands Beach among the top 20 beaches in the United States per the nomination of readers of “CNN Travel.”[3]

As with other state parks in Ohio, per Ohio Revised Code, both men and women are allowed to wear thong swimwear, and women are allowed to be topless, a practice upheld by Ohio courts in the 1990s, though discouraged by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources in the interest of promoting "a wholesome family environment."[10]

References
  1. "Headlands Beach State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. "Headlands Beach State Park". Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Archived from the original on December 31, 2008.
  3. "Headlands Beach State Park". Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  4. Bruckman, Abraham (April 1, 2019). "LEPF Final Report 529-2018" (PDF). City of Mentor. Retrieved November 14, 2020. ODNR figures show that Headlands Beach S.P. draws two million visits annually—much of that still only from two counties.
  5. "Burton Section: Trail Description". Buckeye Trail Association. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  6. "12 rare photos inside a beautiful mine that's hidden 2,000 feet below Lake Erie". Business Insider. May 11, 2016. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  7. "Headlands Dunes State Nature Preserve". Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
  8. "Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve". Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
  9. "Boundless See and Do Opportunities in Area, Lake County Glimmers in Sandy Shores". The Plain Dealer. August 27, 1995. Retrieved July 19, 2009.
  10. "Swimmers: Keep it (mostly) covered up". Columbus Dispatch. Columbus, Ohio. June 28, 2008. Archived from the original on July 4, 2018. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
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