Beach 10 sits on the northwestern shoulder of Presque Isle State Park, where the peninsula curves gently toward the open fetch of Lake Erie. The sand here is fine and pale, soft underfoot as you walk toward water that stays shallow for dozens of yards. In summer the lake warms to a temperature that invites long swims; in shoulder seasons you'll have the beach nearly to yourself, with only the occasional local walking a dog or casting a line into the slow-rolling waves.
“One of Presque Isle's eleven numbered beaches with an official name most maps omit, keeping crowds blissfully elsewhere.”
Credit: UnsplashSurfers paddling out at dawn
The beach earned its official name from Joseph Budny, a longtime park advocate, but most signage still reads simply "10," a numerical modesty that keeps crowds thin. You'll spread your towel on sand that slopes gently, backed by low dunes and scrub willow. Gulls wheel overhead. The water laps rather than crashes, a rhythm more lake than ocean.
Stay through the evening. As the sun drops toward the horizon, the western sky ignites—burnt orange bleeding into rose, reflected in the still surface of the bay. You'll watch sailboats drift back toward the marina, their masts dark against the color. The air cools. The light softens. And you'll understand why those who know Budny Beach guard its name carefully, preferring to let the rest of Presque Isle's seven million annual visitors stay put at Beach 1.
