Sunset over Presque Isle Bay from Bayview Park in Erie.
My older daughter, Kelly, and I recently went to Key West, Florida, for a week to celebrate her college graduation. One of the biggest attractions in Key West is the nightly Sunset Celebration at Mallory Square. Of course, we went, twice, in fact, and the street performers, shopping, and warm breezes did not disappoint, but the sunsets? Well, they were, um, underwhelming when compared to the spectacular sunsets we are routinely treated to here in Erie.
Sorry, Key West, we love you, but Erie has you beat hands-down when it come to watching the sun sink in the summer (and really year-round).
Here are seven great places to watch the sunset over the lake when you’re in Erie.
1. Presque Isle State Park. Spread out a blanket or pop open a chair on one of the sandy beaches at Presque Isle State Park. Beaches 1-8 are the best for sunset viewing, with Beach 1 offering the quickest exit and closest location to a post-sunset ice cream treat at Sara’s on your way out!
2. Bayview Park, 598 W 2nd St. Our West Bayfront has been working hard to make this community park overlooking Erie’s bayfront a shining jewel. This is where you’ll find the iconic “Erie” sign as well as a playground and splashpad for the kids and giant swings for all. Best of all, in the evening, you’ll get a bird’s-eye view of the entire bayfront as the sun goes down.
3. Liberty Park. If you want to get a little closer to the water, head over to the grassy hill at Liberty Park at the foot of Liberty Street on Erie’s Bayfront where you will almost always find a nice, refreshing breeze. The very best days to see a sunset at Liberty Park are during any one of the 8 Great Tuesdays events when you’ll also get to enjoy a FREE concert and a sunset.
4. Shades Beach. If you want to get away from the city and find a little solitude, head east to Shades Beach, 7000 E. Lake Road, in Harborcreek township. The beach is sandy and well-maintained with a volleyball court on the beach as well as a boat launch/walkway. If you’re really brave, fit, and not afraid of heights, you can take a foot path to the top of the (30 foot?) cliff overlooking the beach for a truly breathtaking view.
5. Freeport Beach. Even further east, you’ll find another sunset hot spot, Freeport Beach in North East is a guarded, though rocky (not sandy) beach with nice facilities and a playground as well. Don’t want to drive to North East? Watch the sunset any night on the North East Borough Sunset Camera at Freeport.
6. Erie Bluffs State Park. Over on the western side of Erie county, Erie Bluffs State Park, the largest undeveloped stretch of land overlooking Lake Erie in Pennsylvania, is the place to go for a serene sunset experience. The 587-acre park is so big that it stretches across two townships, Girard and West Springfield.
7. The Bicentennial Tower. Next to the beaches, the Bicentennial Tower, at the foot of State Street in downtown Erie, offers, arguably, the best vantage point to see an Erie sunset, whether from Dobbin’s Landing, the walk-up deck, or the observation deck at the top of the tower where you can get a 360-degree view of the city. In summer, the elevator to the top floor observation deck is open seven days a week from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets are $6/$2. Tip: The tower is FREE all day on the first Tuesday of every month in the summer.
Erie Insider Tip:
If you take nothing else away from this post, take this: Don’t leave the moment the sun dips below the water! The show is not over. Often, the best and most colorful part of the sunset comes in the half hour after the sun is no longer visible and before the sky gets fully dark.
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