A Daytrip to Explore 4 Small Lake Erie Towns in Ohio

This summer, Mike and I took a daytrip to several beach towns on the eastern end of Lake Erie. Since moving to the Cleveland metro, we have been spending a lot of time enjoying the small lakeside towns. A daytrip to any of these charming towns is a great way to escape the hustle and bustle of the city for a few hours. The great thing about these towns is that they all offer something a little different.

There is something for everyone, whether you enjoy swimming, bird watching, collecting sea glass, sunbathing, or just enjoying the summer weather before the cold and dreary weather sets in for months on end. Last year was a very long winter season, so we took the opportunity to get out of the house as much as possible this summer. We love collecting seaglass, strolling along the beach, and supporting local businesses and all 3 of these things can be easily enjoyed by driving an hour east or west of the city.

Recently, we took a trip east of Cleveland and explored several very different beach towns: Ashtabula, Conneaut, Geneva-on-the Lake, and Mentor. All of these towns are located within an easy daytrip of the metro. Ashtabula/Conneaut is a 1-1.5 hour drive, Geneva-on-the-Lake is about an hour, and Mentor is the closest at just 35 min. They are all located on the same route, so you can easily hit a few within a single day if you leave early enough. I recommend enjoying a bit of fun-in-the-sun before the bleak winter season starts; it will be here before you know it.

Ashtabula

Distance: 1 hour

Highlight: Home to the most covered bridges in Ohio

Our first stop was Ashtabula, a small town about an hour from Cleveland. This town is referred to as “the covered bridge capital of Ohio.” There are 19 covered bridges to explore, including the longest, 163 foot Smolen Gulf ,and the shortest, the 18 foot West Liberty Covered bridge. We visited this town a few times last fall to tour some of the beautiful covered bridges. Ashtabula is a great fall destination. In addition to a self guided bridge tour, there is a great apple picking festival at Brant’s Orchards.

Update: After many trips over the past year and a half, Mike and I finally checked seeing every covered bridge off our bucket list. What a lot of driving! Sure you can see them all in a single day, but with adding on a 3+ hour drive from Cleveland, this would be too much in my opinion. We basically broke our sightseeing into different cities each time we drove up i.e. Ashtabula, Conneaut, Jefferson, etc. A few like Windsor are pretty remote but that makes them all the more special in my opinion.

I wrote a detailed guide about all the bridges, however, for those limited on time, I recommend checking out these beauties: Creek Road, Windsor Mills, Middle Road, and Graham Road. I prefer exploring the old rustic bridges that are located aways off from the Main drag as it feels more like a temporary trip back and time. But definitely take a self-guided tour of them all if you have the time. Tours are also available and don’t forget about the Covered Bridge Festival held in October of each year!

We stopped at a little coffeehouse called Harbor Perk. This was our second time visiting this cute cafe. They serve delicious local coffee, along with bagels and pastries. I love the brick walls and historic location downtown. I travel all over the country and to be honest, I miss this eclectic, funkier vibe that was more common in the 90’s and early 2000’s. As everything becomes more sterilized and bland today, I appreciate shops like this more and more. Update: This has remained our coffeeshop of choice anytime we visit this area. What a cozy place for a caffeine break!

Since we were in the vicinity, we stopped at Walnut Street Beach to search for seaglass. For those unfamiliar with beach glass, it is basically the result of discarded trash which had years and years to tumble amongst the rocks and waves, thus making it smooth like a gemstone. Beaches were used as public dumping grounds back in the day. Thankfully, this practice has stopped by the frosty gems remain.

We found a little bit, but not as much as other Erie beaches. You can check out my Erie seaglass guide to learn more about my recommended top beachcombing destinations near Cleveland. Basically, you want to attempt to find blue, orange, turquoise, purple, and yellow as these are the rarest colors. Some beaches are better for finding rare colors – in a bit, I’ll show you my beautiful blue cobalt finds at Conneaut Township Park. As you can see in my photo, I found mostly browns, whites, and greens at Walnut which are the most common common (likely from beer bottles).

For those who don’t beachcomb, there are several other amenities here including: tire swings, beach volleyball courts, picnic tables, a playground, and a short boardwalk path.

Conneaut

Distance from Cleveland: 1 hour, 15 min

Highlight: A hotspot for rare cobalt blue seaglass

Next up was Conneaut, a small town located about 20 min from Ashtabula. We came here primarily to look for rare blue seaglass at Conneaut Township Park. I have been an avid seaglass collector for many years and found out that you can find a lot of cobalt blue here – one of the hardest to find colors. I actually own a massive collection of blue glass thanks to my year living on Islesboro, a small island off the coast of Maine.

This color typically comes from old medicine bottles – in Maine, I found a lot of pieces where you could still see the Milk of Magnesia letters on old pieces of glass. In Conneaut’s case, the glass may come from an old GE lightbulb factory. Most colors you will find at other Erie beaches will be green, white, and brown (from old beer bottles, windows, soda bottles, milk bottles, etc.).

Update: We visited this beach recently after the snowmelt and enjoyed the serene ambiance (we were one of just 2 couples on the beach). It was so nice strolling around with no one else in sight – so peaceful! We found lots of blues once again!

Besides collecting treasured gems which were once discarded trash, the beach is quite scenic with a lighthouse in the background. Not the best for swimming due to the rocks, but a winner for rare seaglass. it’s also a nice place for a decent stroll as the shoreline is almost a half mile long.

We also checked out 2 covered bridges while in the region: Historic Middle Road Covered Bridge and Historic State Road Covered Bridge.

Middle Road was built in 1868. I really love the look of this one with the pretty setting over Conneaut Creek. You can drive across it. We also took a quick walk to enjoy the summer creek views. Even though there is no walkway, the traffic is pretty light as it is located in a desolate area.

Distance from Cleveland: 1 hour

Highlight: Entertainment district known as “The Strip”

Our next stop was Geneva-on-the-Lake which is really popular with summer tourists. Personally, I was not a big fan. However, that is the great thing about Lake Erie beaches – you can always find something to suit your personal interests.

The Entertainment District, which is loaded with food stands, arcades, mini golf, and shops, reminds me of a summer boardwalk in New Jersey or Myrtle Beach. It’s super packed and a bit noisy. I love mini golf but the temps were too sunny and hot for my taste. We saw 2 great little courses which we would love to come back to this fall.

For about a mile straight, you will find stands selling every summer treat imaginable: ice cream, fresh lemonade, cheese fries, donuts, gyros, milkshakes, burgers, hot dogs, chicken tenders, Italian ice, and everything in between. We stopped at the Times Square stand (a covered balcony on a really hot day easily made the choice for us) and ordered fresh squeezed lemonade and fries. Tasty, but a bit overpriced.

A bit too much going on for my taste, and I prefer dining at a restaurant as opposed to standing up ordering at a stand. There are a few sit down establishments including an Irish pub that looked pretty neat inside (maybe next time!).

We did however find a few great antique and retro toy shops. I love searching for old toys, collectibles, records, and knick knacks. We found this really cool shop called Toy Box Antiques. Lots of cool stuff here from each decade.

There was also a craft show at the Old Firehouse Winery. It takes place every Saturday (from Memorial Day – Labor Day weekend) from noon to 6pm. We found some cool coasters and knick knacks here. All the vendors were friendly and the prices weren’t too bad.

Geneva Township Park is located near the entertainment strip. The lake views are great here and there are a few relaxing seats where you can take in the scenery before heading into the crowds again.

If you want to get more active, Geneva State Park is the place to go for hiking, biking, kayaking, and paddleboarding. Breakwater Beach is a popular summer cool down destination. The parking lot was insane for the beach, so we finally left. We would love to come back to the state park in the fall to do some hiking.

There is a really popular covered bridge in this area called Harpersfield. This bridge was built 1868 and since then has been added to the National Register of Historic Places. It’s 228 feet which makes it the 3rd longest in Ohio. There is a walkway where you can enjoy the creek views which is pretty cool. This one is a bit more commeralized than others. There is a small gift shop plus other activities you can enjoy at the park like fishing, hiking, picnicking, and kayaking.

If you need somewhere to stay, The Lodge is the most popular tourist lodging choice, although rates can be pricey during prime season. It’s located on the lake with many attractive amenities including: indoor and outdoor pools and hot tubs, lawn games, free bike usage, and a S’more kit when you check in. We were actually going to stay here when some family members were coming to visit, but went another way. I would love to plan an overnight getaway in the fall when the temps are a bit cooler and drier.

Mentor

Distance from Cleveland: 35 min

Highlight: Headlands Beach is home to a beautiful lighthouse

Another great stop is Headlands Beach State Park in Mentor. This beach is about 30 min from Cleveland and a great last stop as it is the closest. I heard that this is a great beach for seaglass collectors. I was totally disappointed as we did not find anything after several hours of searching – seriously not even one piece. This is actually the only beach where I went home empty handed.

We did enjoy lots of birdwatching and the peaceful surroundings. Surprisingly, this beach was completely empty – we were totally alone which was nice. This beach is really big with lots of room to walk around and enjoy the day. I also loved the sand sculptures – the Lake Erie Sand Sculpture event takes place here every July.

What I loved the most was the beautiful views of Fairport Harbor West Breakwater lighthouse (pic above). You can walk over for a better view. The walk was a bit tough through the sand, but we enjoyed the opportunity to exercise and get a little closer view.

Other activities here include: picnicking and hiking/biking at the Headlands Dunes Nature Preserve located adjacent to the beach. Also, you can head out to Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve for more hiking.

As for dining, you will find a mix of local and chain dining options including the popular regional chain, Yours Truly. I have not been to the Mentor location, but I have been to the Chagrin Falls cafe. This is your typical family diner that offers a big menu of American comfort foods. The breakfast is decent enough to warrant a visit.

Also, even though I dine local 90% of the time, I love the Midwest based chain Condado Tacos (it started in Columbus). You can customize your own tacos and burritos will all sorts of protein and veggies (lots of vegetarian options too) and the ambiance is fun and colorful!

*Note – this article mostly details our experience in towns west of Cleveland. I recommend also taking a look at my Vermillion daytrip guide and my Main Street guide for more info on other great small towns like Huron and Vermilion.