East Harbor State Park | |
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East Harbor is located on the south shore of Lake Erie.
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Location | Ottawa County, Ohio, USA |
Nearest city | Port Clinton |
Coordinates | 41°32′51″N 82°48′36″W / 41.5475505°N 82.8099097°WCoordinates: 41°32′51″N 82°48′36″W / 41.5475505°N 82.8099097°W |
Area | 1,831 acres (7.41 km2) |
Created | 1947 |
East Harbor State Park is located on the shores of Lake Erie. This park includes a beach area, campground, marina, and wetland wildlife preserve areas.
East Harbor's 7-mile (11 km) trail system leads through the many different habitats within the park. The Middle Harbor Trail skirts the southern edge of the Middle Harbor game sanctuary and includes a stop at a bird observation blind. The short Blackberry Trail near the camp check-in station invites campers to enjoy a pleasant evening stroll. Other foot trails near the swimming beach offer the opportunity to observe the flora and fauna of a beach community.
A thin stretch of sand beach juts north-ward into the waters of Erie, separating Middle Harbor from the lake. Part of this beach was damaged in 1972 by a storm, washing away a large section of the two-mile (3 km) beach. The current beach is a much smaller area to the north of the park, where swimming is permitted. More recently, four segmented offshore breakwaters have been constructed on the Northern section of beach, to sustain what is left of the sandy shoreline.