Lake County, Ohio travel guide: things to do, food & where to stay

Overview

1 places to stay

Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage

Plan your trip

Best time to visit & weather

Most comfortable: May–Oct. Summer highs reach about 84°F; winter lows dip to about 22°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Sep and Apr. (climate data from nearby Cleveland)

Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).

Getting there

From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
CLE Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, Cleveland — 42 mi away (major hub). Directions
ERI Erie International Tom Ridge Field, Erie — 58 mi away. Directions

Full “Get in” guide ↓

Budget & where to stay

No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.

Sample 2-day trip

Day 1: Mentor — James A. Garfield National Historic Site, Finnish Heritage Museum, Headlands Beach State Park.
Day 2: Willoughby — Squire's Castle, Kirtland Temple, Lake County Captains.

Built from the best-covered destinations in this region; open each for its own day plan.

Places in Lake County

Mentor

City / town · 16 listings

Willoughby

City / town · 15 listings

Cities

Fairport Harbor is a small town on Lake Erie at the mouth of the Grand River and has a beautiful kid-friendly beach just below its Lighthouse.
Mentor, in Lake County, is home to Mentor Headlands Beach State Park and the home (and now museum) of President James A. Garfield.
Painesville, the County Seat of Lake County, is home to Lake Erie College and also has a historical Public Square as its town center.

Townships

Concord
LeRoy
Madison
Painesville
Perry

Get around

Most likely you will want to rent a vehicle to get around Lake County, but there is a bus service, Laketran, that runs throughout the county. Walking is probably out of the question if you really want to see a number of sights. Laketran's time schedules and maps, as well as current fare prices can be found on their website.

See

Mentor exhibits the home of the 20th president of the United States, James A. Garfield. Guided and self-guided tours are available.

Do

[http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/headlnds/tabid/742/Default.aspx Headlands Beach State Park]{{Dead link|date=January 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}

Headlands Beach in Mentor, Ohio is the largest natural sand public beach in the state, spanning one mile. The beach is a great summer destination for those who enjoy sunbathing, windsurfing, hiking, and swimming. The park includes a playground, park concession stand, picnic areas, and public restrooms. Picnic shelters may be reserved for special events by calling the main office at Cleveland Lakefront State Park at (216)881-8141.

Visitors may hike or bike on one of two trails within the park: 1.5 mi Buckeye Trail or 0.4 mi Fishing Trail. More hiking paths run through adjacent Headlands Dunes State Nature Preserve. Plants found on the dunes include sea rocket, beach pea, seaside spurge, beach grass and purple sand grass.

A breakwall located at the east end of the park serves as an excellent place for freshwater fishing. Valid Ohio state fishing license is required.

Views from the park include the Fairport Harbor Lighthouse and the grassy dunes of Headlands Dunes State Nature Preserve.