Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

Hours of Operation

• Open daily year-round.

• 2020 Camping & Cabins: Available 5/15 - 10/11
  
  Cabin Weekly Rentals Only (Sat to Sat); 6/26 to 8/30
  
  Reservations can be made at www.reserveamerica.com

• Picnic Pavilion, Gazebo rentals:  5/15-10/11

Fees & Rates

Most New York State Parks charge a vehicle use fee to enter the facility. Fees vary by location and season. A list of entry fees and other park use fees is available below. For fees not listed or to verify information, please contact the park directly.

The easy-to-use Empire Pass card is $80- and your key to all-season enjoyment with unlimited day-use entry at most facilities operated by State Parks and the State Dept. of Environmental Conservation including forests, beaches, trails and more. Purchase online or contact your favorite park for more information. Learn more about our Admission Programs including the Empire Pass.

• Vehicle Entrance Fee
• Collected 9 AM - 5 PM:
  5/16 - 5/27 & 9/7 - 10/12: Weekends & Holidays only: $6.00
  5/18 - 9/6: on days swimming not available: $6.00
• Cabins & Campsites
• Please visit www.reserveamerica.com
• Facility Rentals

• Picnic Pavilion- Camping Side: $100
  Picnic Pavilion- Day Use Side: $75
  
  Gazebo - weekend: $50

Maps

New! Download this park's digital map to your iOS Apple and Android device.

• Lake Erie State Park Trail Map

Firewood source maps show a 50-mile radius from which untreated firewood may be moved to this campground. For more information see firewood restrictions.

• Firewood Source Map (pdf)

• Trail Map (pdf)
• Campground Map (pdf)

Highlights of Lake Erie State Park: 

• Located along the Lake Erie shoreline, the park offers spectacular views of the sunset from the high bluffs around the lake. Lake Erie sunsets are some of the best in the world.
• The waters offshore of Lake Erie State Park are an important warm water fish habitat. Fish that may be found here include walleyes, yellow perch, white bass, small-and largemouth bass, and other sunfish.
• Birds migrating through the region concentrate close to the lake shore and often use human-planted areas, such as the grassy lawns along the shoreline of Lake Erie State Park. Birders will be especially interested in raptors and other diurnal migrants.
• In the north end of the park, vernal pools and shaded wetlands are home to various amphibians. Best visited in the spring, this area can be accessed by a looped trail. Watch and listen for frogs calling and salamanders migrating.
• Bald eagles are often spotted soaring through the air in Lake Erie State. Once on the brink of extinction, our national bird’s recovery in this region is due in great part to the efforts of NYS Parks and DEC in habitat restoration and protection.
• On the Lake Erie beach there are many oddly-shaped rocks called septarian concretions. Shaped and patterned similar to a tortoiseshell, naturalists in the past speculated that these oddities were dinosaur eggs and carvings by ancient humans. However, scientists have discovered that septarian concretions are mineral deposits that form around a nucleus (such as a leaf or shell). Because these mineral deposits are harder than the sediments around them, septarian concretions are left behind when other kinds of rocks erode away.

What will you discover? Plan your visit today!

Look and listen for these birds at our Park:

• Bald Eagle
• Common Merganser
• Red-headed Woodpecker

Everyone is a Steward: Be a Lake Erie State Park Hero!

• Know the rules and concerns for the area you’ll be visiting.
• Leave rocks, plants and other natural objects as you find them.
• Respect other visitors and their experience. Avoid excessive noise.
• Respect wildlife and observe from a distance.
• Protect wildlife and your food by storing rations and trash securely.
• Use extra caution when using headphones. You may not be able to hear warnings.
• Don't litter.
• Do not move firewood between parks or transport it over large distances.

For more information, please read our Trail Tips!

When you enter or leave Lake Erie:

• Clean and remove all visible plants, animals, fish and mud from your boat, trailer and other equipment and dispose of it in a suitable trash container or on dry land.
• Drain water from bilge, live wells, ballast tanks and any other locations with water before leaving the launch. Disinfect when possible.
• Dry your boat, trailer and all equipment completely. At least 5 days of drying time is recommended. Drying times vary depending on weather and material.

Ask a Naturalist!

Q: Why do walleyes’ eyes shine?

A: Walleye’s eyes reflect light, making them easy to spot at night. This "eye shine" is the result of a layer in the eyes called the tapetum lucidum, which allows the fish to see well in low-light conditions. Some mammals, like housecats, also have a tapetum lucidum.

Q: How deep is Lake Erie?

A: Lake Erie has a maximum depth of 210 feet, which occurs on the eastern side of the lake. Lake Erie is actually the shallowest of the Great Lakes.

More Interesting Facts about Lake Erie State Park:

Geography:

• Lake Erie was one of the first Great Lakes to be uncovered during the last retreat of glacial ice. The Great Lakes were gouged out by glacial ice thousands of years ago.
• Lake Erie is the 12th largest lake in the world.
• The water from Lake Erie flows into the Niagara River and is the same water that goes over Niagara Falls.

Hydrology:

• Each year, about 34-36 inches of water evaporate from the surface of Lake Erie. However, the average rainfall is about 35 inches per year, so the amount of water in the lake does not change much.
• Water quality along the beach in Lake Erie State Park is studied by NYS Parks under the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) grant. The study aims to identify pollution sources that affect the State Park swimming beaches in the Great Lakes watershed.