Lake Erie Getaway: Maumee Bay State Park and Lodge

Maumee Bay State Park is a beautiful Ohio State Park right on Lake Erie! A large beach, great lodge and tons of fun indoor and outdoor activities make this the perfect location for a memorable family-friendly getaway in Ohio!

This post was written in partnership with Ohio. Find It Here. and Great Ohio Lodges.

Our family has vacationed at Maumee Bay State Park and Lodge twice now and it has come to be a place that holds a lot of special memories for us! My kids LOVE it here! They are especially big fans of the pools and hot tubs and my husband and I love how the lodge is RIGHT on Lake Erie!

At night, everyone comes out to the edge of the lake or sits on their balconies to watch the sun set over Lake Erie. It’s such a beautiful and peaceful place and I’ll just never get over that view!

Where is Maumee Bay State Park?

Maumee Bay State Park and Lodge are located about 10 miles east of Toledo and about 45 miles from Sandusky. From our home in Columbus, it’s about a 2 hour and 45-minute drive. As I mentioned above, the park is right on shores of Lake Erie!

What is there to do at Maumee Bay State Park and Lodge?

The great thing about staying at Maumee Bay Lodge is that there are so many activities, you don’t even have to leave the park to fill your days! I’m going to share with you some of the main indoor and outdoor activities available at the park and lodge so you can plan your own family-friendly getaway at Maumee Bay State Park!

Outdoor Activities at Maumee Bay State Park

Trautman Nature Center

I was really impressed by the Nature Center! There are a lot of interactive elements that kids will enjoy! There is a kid’s area with books, puzzles and animal puppets. When we visited, there was also a “Touch Table” with turtle shells, animal pelts and skulls and fossils that kids could touch and examine.

My family got really into The Great Lakes Challenge – identifying specific features of each of the Great Lakes in a game format!

I really loved the large windows and seating that overlook the marsh behind the Nature Center. It’s a great spot to learn about the ecosystem surrounding Lake Erie. The Nature Center is also the starting point for the boardwalk trail (see below).

Hiking Trails

There are several hiking trails at Maumee Bay State Park. Our favorite was the boardwalk behind the Nature Center. The scenery is stunning and it’s a great chance to see a diverse selection of birds and wildlife! We spotted a muskrat which was a first for us!

I’ll say it again and again: my favorite thing about Maumee Bay Lodge is that it’s right on Lake Erie. We all love walking the path along Lake Erie! It’s always the first thing we do in the morning and the last thing we do before we go to sleep!

You don’t have to be an avid hiker to enjoy a lot of the paved paths around the Lodge. From Maumee Bay Lodge you can walk right along the lake, to the beach and along the boardwalk to the Nature Center and never have to get in your car!

Storybook Trail

Maumee Bay State Park is home to one of the many Storybook Trails that have popped up in Ohio’s State Parks over the past couple of years. The path is a mowed grass path, and you can move along through this 0.3-mile trail to complete an entire story by reading the signposts along the way.

Beaches

There are two beaches at Maumee Bay State Park and they are both worth a visit! First is a man-made beach at the inland lake (pictured above).

The second beach is right along Lake Erie. While the Lake Erie beach is larger, the inland beach also has a nice sandy area and is close to a brand-new playground. There are separate parking lots for each beach area, but it is relatively easy to walk between the two.

We’ve found that a lot of Lake Erie beaches can be quite rocky, but the beach here at Maumee Bay State Park has a nice, large sand area.

We settled in for an afternoon at the Lake Erie beach and my boys had a blast digging a trench in the sand and splashing in the water. We had to tear them away to get back to the Lodge in time for dinner!

Playgrounds

There are two playgrounds at Maumee Bay State Park. The first is near the inland lake and just opened in the spring of 2022! It is a fun playground with lots of climbing elements and swings! There is a large play structure and a smaller play structure for toddlers.

The second playground is just outside the lodge so it makes for an easy activity if you’re staying at the lodge and need to get out some extra energy before bedtime!

Bike Riding

If you are staying at the lodge, you can rent a bicycle to ride around the paved paths of the park. Bikes of all sizes were available and they also have helmets. This is a fun way to get around the park and it makes for a quick a trip to the beach or new playground from the lodge!

Fishing

Fishing is available on Lake Erie, in the inland lake or at the small pond right next to the lodge. A fishing license is required for those 16 and older.

Canoeing

Canoes are also available to rent for guests of Maumee Bay Lodge. You can take these canoes out on the small pond near the lodge.

Outdoor Pool

Guests of the Maumee Bay Lodge have access to the outdoor pool. There is a large pool and a kiddie pool on site. The pool is surrounded by many lounge chairs and some picnic tables so it’s great for relaxing by the pool and watching the kids swim! In the hot weather, we found the outdoor pool to be warmer than the indoor pool!

Indoor Activities at Maumee Bay Lodge

Arcade

The arcade was a hit with my boys! It’s a great option for an indoor activity if it rains or you need a break from the heat! You can purchase and reload cards at a vending machine in the area. Pro tip: the Candy Crane game is play until you win! 😉

Indoor Pool

The indoor pool is hands down my kids’ favorite part of the Maumee Bay Lodge! If they had their way, they would be in the pool 24/7! They especially enjoy hopping from the pool to the hot tub and back again! And the adjacent splash pad is a lot of fun, too!

It’s also very easy to transition from the indoor pool to the outdoor pool. The door to the outdoor pool is just beyond the two hot tubs. There is a changing room and sauna that offers easy access to both pools.

Family-Friendly Lobby Activities

Maumee Bay Lodge does a great job of offering family-friendly activities all day long! Each day they have a schedule posted of the day’s planned activities and anyone can join in without reservation!

Each night there is a different family-friendly movie shown in the lobby and they pop popcorn beforehand! Free popcorn was definitely a draw for my boys each night as we walked through the lobby! We watched Zootopia!

Soft Play Area

Another great indoor play option for young kids is the soft play area on the first floor across from the pool! Sadly, my boys have outgrown this type of play area, but I can see it being perfect for those early-rising toddlers who are raring to go before the sun comes up!

Gift Shop

Make sure to visit the gift shop! There is a great mix of toys, gift items, local candy, apparel, jewelry and more! And if you’ve forgotten an item you need for the beach, they also have a selection of goggles, swimsuits, and sand and water toys!

Where to Eat Near Maumee Bay State Park

Another great thing about Maumee Bay Lodge is that they offer three options for meals and snacks! So you really never need to leave the park for a complete vacation! But just in case, I’m also including a couple of local options in this section!

Water’s Edge Restaurant

The Water’s Edge Restaurant is on the first floor of the lodge and offers a breakfast buffet and service for lunch and dinner. The restaurant faces the lake and all of the windows give you a beautiful view of Lake Erie!

There is kid pricing for the breakfast buffet and a kid’s menu for breakfast and lunch. My kids haven’t eaten at a buffet very often so they were very excited at the idea of an all-you-can-eat breakfast buffet! Let’s just say their eyes were bigger than their stomachs when it came to bacon!

Icebreaker Lounge

Don’t sleep on Icebreaker Lounge at Maumee Bay Lodge! You can enjoy happy hour specials here and they have really good pizza! With a pool table and dart boards, it has a relaxed atmosphere. In addition to pizza, they also serve appetizers and you can order the same lunch and dinner options available at Water’s Edge Restaurant.

Bayside Snack Shop

If you need a quick snack or a sweet treat, you can always get your fix at the Bayside Snack Shop also located at Maumee Bay Lodge! We got ice cream, of course!

Crazy Lady Saloon

If you feel like venturing outside of the park to eat where the locals eat, try Crazy Lady Saloon. It definitely has a “Cheers” atmosphere – where everybody knows your name! They served me one of the best burgers I’ve had in a while!

The Oregon Inn

Our favorite choice for eating outside of the lodge is The Oregon Inn. For once my kids didn’t order chicken fingers! They enjoyed the kids’ portion of spaghetti and meatballs! My husband and I got the prime rib, which is their specialty, and it was a special treat! We all loved eating outside on the patio!

Staying at Maumee Bay Lodge

Want to plan your own stay at Maumee Bay Lodge? Check desired dates for your vacation! I highly recommend choosing a room with a Lake View so you can enjoy those Lake Erie sunrises and sunsets! (Have I mentioned yet that the lodge is right on the lake? 😉 ) Each room will come with either a patio or a balcony.

If you want to enjoy all that the park has to offer, I would recommend staying at least two nights. If you want more time to explore the nearby city of Toledo and surrounding nature preserves along Lake Erie, three nights was great for us.

Read more: 10 Lake Erie Vacation Ideas that are Perfect for Families

The lobby areas at Maumee Bay Lodge are gorgeous. I love the large windows and the fireplaces! I hope you enjoy your stay at Maumee Bay State Park and Lodge as much as we did!

Know Before You Go:

Addresses:

• Maumee Bay State Park: 1400 State Park Rd., Oregon, OH 43616
• Maumee Bay Lodge: 1750 State Park Rd. #2, Oregon, OH 43616
• Once inside the park, follow signage for the beach, lake and lodge.

Tips for visiting:

• There is no cost to visit Maumee Bay State Park. The beaches, playgrounds, Nature Center and hiking trails are free to visit and enjoy.
• Activities inside Maumee Bay Lodge are only for paying guests including the indoor and outdoor pools, arcade, lobby activities and bike and canoe rentals.

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