Camp on the Beach at this Stunning Erie Destination

“There’s not too many places where you can camp on a major body of water,” says co-owner Annie Candela. “There’s a quiet peacefulness. You hear the waves in the morning.”

Located at the entrance to Presque Isle State Park, campers can pitch tents right in the sand on Sara’s stretch of Lake Erie beach. Candela has camped on the beach and loves the mesmerizing sunsets and cool lake breezes.

“It’s magnificent,” she says.

The sites are for tents smaller than 14 by 10 feet, and they have access to electricity, picnic tables and fire pits. The campground also has bayside spots across the road for RVs, and any camper can use the water for swimming, floating in a raft or even kayaking.

The beach campsites are hot commodities, as they are first come, first serve only, so Candela recommends going Sundays through Wednesdays or after Labor Day through Halloween. There is plenty to keep campers busy on-site with events like movies on the beach, craft fairs and special holiday celebrations such as Christmas in July. Plus, campers can nosh at an on-site ice cream shop, pizza place and diner.

But the main attraction is the neighboring 3,200-acre Presque Isle State Park. It’s on a peninsula, has 11 beaches with powdery sand and sparkling green-blue water and was named the best freshwater beach by USA Today. Most people like the bustling beach 11, but the kite-flying beach 10 is a serene change of pace. Biking, hiking or fishing are great ways to get close to nature, including summer wildflowers and migrating shorebirds.

Once campers are tuckered out, they can chill on the campground beach as the sky turns brilliant pinks and purples and drift away.

“Hearing the fire burning, with your tent fly open and looking at the sunset — it’s beautiful,” Candela says. “It really is.” KP

50 Peninsula Drive, Erie, Pennsylvania, sarascampground.com