Headlands Beach State Park
Encyclopedia
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
in Mentor
Mentor, Ohio
As of the census of 2000, there were 50,278 people, 18,797 households, and 14,229 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,878.2 people per square mile . There were 19,301 housing units at an average density of 721.0 per square mile...
and Painesville Township, Ohio
Painesville Township, Lake County, Ohio
Painesville Township is one of the five townships of Lake County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 18,562 people in the township, 15,037 of whom lived in the unincorporated portions of the township.-Geography:...
, USA. It is the longest natural beach on Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
. The Cleveland The Plain Dealer ranked Headlands as Ohio's Best Beach.
The mile-long beach attracts two million visitors a year from the US and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. The breakwall at the eastern end of the park, frequented by fishermen, has Fairport Harbor West Breakwater Light. Amenities include hiking trails, a playground, and Headlands Dunes State Nature Preserve.
Geography
Grand River (Ohio)
The Grand River is a tributary of Lake Erie, 102.7 miles long, in northeastern Ohio in the United States. Via Lake Erie, the Niagara River and Lake Ontario, it is part of the watershed of the St. Lawrence River, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean...
. It is next to Fairport Harbor
Fairport Harbor, Ohio
Fairport Harbor is a village in Lake County, Ohio, United States, along Lake Erie at the mouth of the Grand River. The population was 3,180 at the 2000 census....
Coast Guard
United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard is a branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven U.S. uniformed services. The Coast Guard is a maritime, military, multi-mission service unique among the military branches for having a maritime law enforcement mission and a federal regulatory agency...
station and the local Morton Salt
Morton Salt
Morton Salt is a United States company producing salt for food, water conditioning, industrial, agricultural, and road/highway use. Based in Chicago, the business is North America's leading producer and marketer of salt. It is a subsidiary of the German company K+S.-History:The company began in...
mine.