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 | |
|---|---|
Headlands Beach State Park Location in Ohio Headlands Beach State Park Headlands Beach State Park (the United States) | |
| Location | Lake County, Ohio, United States |
| Coordinates | 41°45′30″N 81°17′14″W / 41.75833°N 81.28722°W[1] |
| Area | 120 acres (49 ha)[2] |
| Elevation | 584 ft (178 m)[1] |
| Opened | 1953 |
| Administered by | Ohio Department of Natural Resources |
| Designation | Ohio state park |
| Website | Headlands Beach State Park |
Geography edit
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 edit
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 edit
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 edit
- ^ a b "Headlands Beach State Park". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
- ^ . Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Archived from the original on December 31, 2008.
- ^ a b c d "Headlands Beach State Park". Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Burton Section: Trail Description". Buckeye Trail Association. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
- ^ "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.
- ^ "Headlands Dunes State Nature Preserve". Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved November 14, 2020.
- ^ "Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve". Ohio Department of Natural Resources. Retrieved April 2, 2021.
- ^ "Boundless See and Do Opportunities in Area, Lake County Glimmers in Sandy Shores". The Plain Dealer. August 27, 1995. Retrieved July 19, 2009.
- ^ . Columbus Dispatch. Columbus, Ohio. June 28, 2008. Archived from the original on July 4, 2018. Retrieved June 2, 2020.
External links edit
- Media related to Headlands Beach State Park at Wikimedia Commons
- Headlands Beach State Park Ohio Department of Natural Resources
- Headlands Beach State Park Map Ohio Department of Natural Resources