The Best Places to find Beach Glass in Ohio (2024)

You don’t have to travel to the ocean. Did you know you can find beach glass in Ohio? You can! And we’re sharing our favorite places to find it.

Finding beach glass is one of my many hobbies. I love spending time at the beach and I have found some really interesting glass pieces over the years.

Plus it’s free!

Best of all, you don’t have to travel to the ocean to find beach glass. The Great Lakes are rough enough to produce beach glass and Ohio’s Lake Erie shores are a great place to find some.

Of course, Ohio has over 300 miles of Lake Erie Shoreline, so there are a lot of places to go.

Where to find Beach Glass in Ohio

These are some of my best suggestions on where to find beach glass on Lake Erie in Ohio.

Finding beach glass is fun but if you’re like me, it’s only enjoyable as long as you find some to take home! That’s why I put together a few “how to find beach glass tips” to make sure your day is as successful as possible. Make sure you read that post before you set out to find your own beach glass.

Geneva State Park
Geneva, OH

With nearly 700 acres of protected land along Lake Erie, Geneva State Park is a great place to find Lake Erie beach glass in Ohio. The beach here is rocky and it’s possible to find lots of sea glass in many different colors. The state park has tons of fun activities like boating, fishing, swimming, and hiking.

If you want to make an overnight trip of your beach glass hunt, The Lodge at Geneva on the Lake is nearby, and there is also a campground with campsites and cabins.

Nickel Plate Beach
Huron, OH

Just east of the Huron Pier and Lighthouse, Nickel Plate Beach is another great place to find Lake Erie Beach Glass. This large sandy beach has tons of activities in addition to some excellent beach glass finds. Since it’s such a popular beach, looking for beach glass is likely more fruitful in the offseason when there are fewer people around. Plus, it’s near Sheldon Marsh, one of our favorite outdoor destinations in Ohio.

Conneaut Township Park
Conneaut, OH

Many locals and beach glass connoisseurs will tell you that the beach in Conneaut Township Park is one of the best places to find beach glass on Lake Erie. The park stretches for 60 acres and features a large beach set below natural bluffs. Conneaut was once home to a General Electric lightbulb plant, which could explain why there is so much colorful beach glass to be found.

Headlands Beach State Park
Mentor, OH

If you want the best chance of finding Lake Erie beach glass, then it makes sense to head to the longest natural beach in Ohio. Located halfway between Cleveland and Ashtabula, Headlands Beach State Park is a great spot for beachcombing on Lake Erie. Part of the mile-long beach is groomed for swimmers, while part of the beach is kept rough and rugged. It’s quite possible to find lots of beach glass here in many colors, especially if you visit after a storm.

Lake Erie Bluffs
Perry, OH

With 900 feet of shoreline protected at this park, Lake Erie Bluffs is just west of Headlands Beach State Park and east of Geneva on the Lake. This part of Lake Erie seems to be brimming with sea glass, as rough waves not only help smooth out the glass but also help to churn up the beach so there is always something new to discover. In addition to beach glass, there are also many rare species of birds, plants, and insects that a visitor might spot at this lakeside park.

Main Street Beach
Vermilion, OH

On the other side of Cleveland, the town of Vermillion has a Lake Erie beach where you can look for beach glass. Main Street Beach is primarily a swimming beach with a kayak launch, concession stand, an observation deck, and the Vermilion Lighthouse. It’s quite popular in the summer, so searching for Lake Erie beach glass at Main Street Beach is best left to the off-seasons, when you’ll have better luck.

Edgewater Park
Cleveland, OH

You might think you need to leave the big cities and go rural to find beach glass on Lake Erie, but that’s not the case! At Cleveland’s Edgewater Park, there are many opportunities to find beach glass along 9000 feet of shoreline. The park includes several beaches, including Edgewater Beach and Perkins Beach, as well as a fishing pier and a marina. If you don’t live in the area, there are a ton of fun things to do in Cleveland, so why not make a weekend getaway of it?

Wendy Park at Whiskey Island
Cleveland, OH

Just west of Edgewater Park in Cleveland is Wendy Park on Whiskey Island, another spot known for finding Lake Erie sea glass. Located at the mouth of the Cuyahoga River in a largely industrial area, this is not a swimming beach, so you have better chances of finding beach glass as fewer people visit this area. This spot tends to be more popular with birders and photographers than beachcombers.

Huntington Beach
Cleveland, OH

Just west of downtown Cleveland in Bay Village, Huntington Beach & Reservation is a beautiful place to look for beach glass. Start your visit with a walk along the pathway on the bluff above the beach, where you can scout out locations for your beach glass hunting. Some areas of the beach are more rugged than others, and it’s a very popular swimming beach in the summer, so plan accordingly.

Lions Park
Sandusky, OH
This city park in Sandusky sits on the bay and while it’s not a beach park, there is a good chance of finding sea glass along the shore. Lions Park is just one of many places to go in Sandusky, and beachcombing in a quiet shoreline park may be the best antidote to the usual adrenaline-packed adventures in Sandusky, which is also known as the roller coaster capital of the world.

Do you have a favorite spot to find beach glass in Ohio? Leave a comment for us and share it below.