If you’re like me and you love the water, then living in a “landlocked” state can be frustrating. If you want a place to float around mindlessly on your unicorn tube, that’s where this list will come in handy!

These lakes, within a 1-2 hour drive from Cincinnati, all have “public beaches”. This  means you can pack a beach chair, umbrella, and a cooler and pretend you’re in Florida for a few hours! Especially now with many public pools closed, these are great options for a fun day in the sun!

Reminders: 

1. Please always call or check the websites for the individual parks before visiting as things are always subject to last minute changes! 

2. There are of course more places that I’m sure I’ve missed, please leave a comment if you want me to add any places

3. Check out the map I made below to determine which beaches are closest to you- keep in mind these pins are general and not placed directly at the beach area. Please do your research before visiting:

If you’re looking for other fun day trip ideas within a one hour drive from the city, CHECK OUT THIS POST!

• East Fork Lake, Ohio (35 mins from Cincinnati)

  

  

• Stonelick Lake, Ohio (40 mins from Cincinnati)

• Caesar Creek, Ohio (60 mins from Cincinnati)

• Acton Lake, Ohio (60 mins from Cincinnati)

• Cowan Lake, Ohio (68 mins from Cincinnati)

• Brookville Lake, Indiana (72 mins from Cincinnati)

• LaGrange Quarry, Kentucky (76 mins from Cincinnati)

• Mineral Springs Lake, Ohio (80 mins from Cincinnati)

• Natural Springs Resort, Ohio (82 mins from Cincinnati)

• Jump Rock at Red River Gorge, Kentucky (120 mins from Cincinnati) 

• Hocking Hills: Tubing, Ohio : This is not a sandy beach, but fun just the same! This has options for 4-5 hour tubing trips (145 mins from Cincinnati)

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