Lake Erie State Park Campground

People here park the wrong way in their sites so they can get the smallest of views of the lake from 3 rows back (really not much to see in between the trees and above the fence). So people that want to use their utilities the way they were designed (and accept the fact that they don't have a lake site) get to spend the evening staring at their neighbors or in our case, on the wrong side of our camper without our awning). Not cool. If the fire rings were fixed in place this wouldn't be an issue. Unfortunately they are not and people move them.

Maybe I'm an elitist. Maybe I'm just an inflexible rule follower that likes his privacy. I'm not perfect. But I'm incredibly annoyed and wouldn't stay here again if I didn't have one of the lake front sites.

Bathrooms were gross. Beach was small. Lake was very pretty.

Lots of open common space mixed with campsites. Some trees in the central area but most of the shade was around the perimeter. Some campsites had great views of Lake Erie and all campsites were fairly large. Because there weren't many trees at each site, neighbors were very visible. Campers had tents, small /RVs and trailers, no pull throughs and few big rigs. Bathrooms were right in the middle and were individual rooms with a toilet and sink. We didn't check out the showers. Roads were well paved and kids were having a lovely time riding their bikes around. Campers were friendly and many strolled the campground roads in the evening. Lots of dogs. The "beach" was large rocks and boulders with an occasional dead fish. Not a swimming beach, rough water, no lifeguards.
We needed an overnight stay in the area. Unfortunately for us, you had to book two consecutive nights. We did that and left after one, leaving a note for the ranger that our site could be used by someone else for the second night.
Orchards and vineyards are plentiful in the area. Dunkirk is the closest big town. It's rather run down but at the pier there are some good restaurants. We ate at Demetri's on the Lake and had a good plentiful Greek meal.On the outskirts of Dunkirk are several national chains

Nice spot for a relaxing stay. This park is about half-way between Erie, PA and Buffalo, NY so each is about 45-60 minutes away depending on destination. Park has a small beach, frisbee golf course, and the campground. Sites seemed mostly level, electric only. Beautiful sunset views on the lake if you can get a site backing/facing the overlook, but the beach/hill is an easy walk. Bathrooms were in decent shape, showers had really high pressure/spray (3 per gender side) reasonably clean.

We had never heard of Lake Erie State Park before one of our friends in our Airstream Club suggested it. Since this is our summer of camping local, and we are focused on staying at state parks, we thought we would give Lake Erie a try.

We stayed in site 17 with an awesome view of the lake out our back window. Our site was gravel and was level side to side but did have a slope towards the lake so be sure to use your wheel chocks! The site had 30 and 50 amp electric but no water for sewer hook-ups. Not all of the sites have the same electric hook ups, and some have none, so be sure to check if the site you are reserving has what you need.

We found most of the sites are open with a few trees to provide shade. The sites are very well spaced with 40’ plus between you and your neighbor. Each site included a picnic table and a fire ring. The ranger’s office sells firewood for $5 per bundle.

The park is limited on amenities, but it does include two playgrounds, disc golf and hiking trails. Although they call it a beach area, there are no life guards, so swimming is at your own risk. The beach is very rocky and not very large. We found the park worked well as a basecamp allowing us to travel to nearby attractions in Dunkirk and Erie PA. The area has a developing wine business with numerous wineries nearby to visit. There is also the historic Dunkirk Lighthouse which also happens to be the starting point of the War of 1812.

We enjoyed our 4 night stay at the park. We would recommend this park to others that are looking for a peaceful place to camp in the Western New York area.

See you down the road.
Zephyr

We enjoyed this campground. The rocky beach and pond were fun for fishing. I think the bathrooms are yucky, and the laundry room is permanently locked. The sites on the lake are nice, we didn’t get one of those but it was still a good place. The people at the front were nice and helpful. You have to book 24 hours in advance on reserve America, no walk ups. Trains drive by, could be a problem for sensitive sleepers, but we didn’t wake up at all. Verizon is spotty, but got good service the whole time at site 71. The hike is a wide flat path that we rode bikes on.

Check-in was quick and friendly. We had site 17, on the bluff overlooking Lake Erie. All the sites overlooking the lake are spectacular. Our site was level side-to-side but sloped downwards a bit. We were there Monday to Thursday so it was pretty empty except for the lake view sites. I'm sure it gets crowded on weekends, like most parks. The bathrooms were basic but clean. I did not checkout the showers. The rest of the State Park was beautifully maintained. Tons of benches and picnic tables scattered around. Trail was not great. Easy walk in the woods, not a real hike. Would definitely stay here again.

We stayed here one night, based on a Campendium review. Loved it. We backed our travel trailer into a level spot and didn’t need to unhitch. Our site #20 is a “bluff view” - we had dinner on the bluff behind our trailer, overlooking Lake Erie. Electric hookup on this site is 30/50, there is a table and fire ring. A most pleasant evening. Campground is only about half full, they told us it will be full on the weekend. We did not have a reservation. You must exit highway 90 a few miles from the campground and follow a shoreline drive to get here but it is a lovely drive through an area of grape vineyards. We haven’t used the shower house here so i can’t comment on that. Previous reviews mentioned trains, but the only sound we have heard is the crashing of waves on the rocks below us and an emergency siren. The pad st our site could be in better shape, and cell service is spotty.

Lake Erie State Park was a great one-night stop for us on the way to Niagara Falls. The sites have good separation and the “premium” sites along the water side have shade and views of Lake Erie. We were in site #11 which I highly recommend. We pulled in (rather than backed in) to maximize the view and have our patio face the lake and a huge grassy area leading down to the water.

Some sites have electric (20/30/50 amp or 20 amp only), others are dry. Rental cabins are available. There is a dump station and water fill, but no water or sewer at the sites. There is a small laundry facility, bathrooms and showers. While there are large trees throughout the park, the level of shade varies and there is no vegetation between sites for privacy.

There is a disc golf course and walking trails throughout wooded areas of the park. The beach is about a mile long, but many sections are rocky. There is a breakwater for the swimming area (closed without a life guard on duty), playground and sport courts.

We enjoyed our stay here, but might not have been quite so enthusiastic if we hadn’t snagged such a great site. Rog heard trains in the distance, but I didn’t even notice them so being closer to the waterfront is probably better for noise too.

We had 2 bars of Verizon 4G unboosted and with the booster we managed 4 bars of 4G.