Things to do in Mentor
Headlands Beach State Park
The trademark of Headlands Beach State Park is its mile-long natural sand beach, the largest in the state. In addition to its popularity during the summer season with picnickers and swimmers, the area is home to many plant species typically found only along the Atlantic Coast. Call (216) 881-8141 for more information.
9601 Headlands Road, Mentor, OH 44060
Headlands Dunes State Nature Preserve
Scenic natural beach on Lake Erie with many rare and unusual Atlantic coastal plain plants; good site for migrating birds and monarch butterflies. Extensive development along the shores of Lake Erie has all but totally eliminated the presence of sandy beaches and dunes at the western mouths of river bays and inlets from Sandusky Bay to Dunkirk, New York. Headlands Dunes State Nature Preserve remains today as one of the last of its kind in the entire state. Call (216) 881-8141 for more information.
Lawnfield
The James A. Garfield National Historic Site is owned by the National Park Service and operated by the Western Reserve Historical Society. Call (216) 881-8141 for more information.
Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve
The newest nature preserve in the state of Ohio is located in Mentor, right on the shores of Lake Erie. The 450-acre Mentor Lagoons Nature Preserve & Marina was purchased by the city of Mentor in 1997 and 1998. The nature preserve includes one and one half miles of shoreline with rare dune plants, a riverine marsh, mature oak bluff and crescent-shaped open waterways. Containing the greatest diversity of wetland communities within the marsh basin, it serves as an important breeding and nursery area for fish and waterfowl and provides a resting place for neo-tropical birds and butterflies as they migrate each year. Call (440) 205-3625 for more information.
Mentor Marsh State Nature Preserve
his 700 plus acre nature preserve is an interpretive nature preserve of The Cleveland Museum of Natural History and the State of Ohio Division of Natural Areas and Preserves. Mentor Marsh was one of the first four natural areas to be incorporated into the state nature preserve system. Birding is especially good during the spring and fall migrations. A series of scenic trails, boardwalks and overlooks have been developed to aid the public in appreciating the wonders of this natural area. Call (440) 205-3625 for more information.