New York State has over 7,600 lakes, two of which, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, are part of the Great Lakes. Lake Ontario, The Lake of Shining Waters, as it is known in the Huron language, is a magnificently beautiful lake with many beaches, lighthouses, parks, and nature preserves where visitors can bask in the Lake’s glorious splendor.
I have a special partiality to Lake Ontario since I have lived near it my entire life. We have traveled from one end of the Lake to the other, and this Lake has so much to offer visitors. There is also nothing like a Lake Ontario sunrise or sunset. They are equally spectacular and not just in summer but year-round, even in the dead of winter.
The most impressive thing about the Lake is its many faces. Between the vastly changing coastline all the way up the Lake and the way the weather can change the lake from dead calm to roaring with white caps, the lake is never the same each time you see it.
Fun Facts About Lake Ontario:
Average Depth: 283 feet
Maximum Depth: 804 feet
Elevation: 246 feet
Surface Area: 7,340 Sq Miles
Water Volume: 393 Sq Miles
- 90% of the cobblestone houses in the United States are within 90 Miles of Rochester, with the stones being brought from the beaches of Lake Ontario.
- There are several species of swans on Lake Ontario – Mute Swans, Tundra Swans, and Trumpeter Swans,
- There are giant goldfish in Lake Ontario
- Babe Ruth hit his first home run into Lake Ontario from Halon’s Point Stadium in Toronto. (Although this happened on the Canadian Side, it’s still a fun Lake Ontario fact.)
- Many New York towns get their drinking water from Lake Ontario.
- Lake Ontario’s unique climate makes it an excellent place for fruit trees (like apples, pears, cherries, plums, and peaches) to thrive. The Lake absorbs the heat in the summer and cools down slowly over the winter. As you drive along the lakeshore, you will notice many orchards. Wayne County, NY is the largest producer of Apples in New York State and the third largest in the United States.
- Lake Ontario is considered one of the hardest and most dangerous open water swims. Only 65 people have successfully swum across the Lake’s 32 miles. The first (and youngest) was Marilyn Bell at the age of 16 (1954).
- Lake Ontario is 53 miles across at it’s widest point and 26 miles at it’s narrowest point.
These destinations along Lake Ontario are a collection of forts, beaches, lighthouses, parks, and preserves where you can enjoy the beauty of the Lake.
Buffalo/Niagara Area
Old Fort Niagara
The flags of 3 nations have flown over this fort in its 300-year history. Fort Niagara is perched at the mouth of the Niagara River from Lake Ontario. It provided a vital military position that offered control over the Great Lakes. This historic park allows visitors to literally step back in time and see what life was like when three nations, Great Britain, France, and the United States, fought to dominate the new world. Old Fort Niagara has the distinction of being the oldest, constantly utilized military fort in North America.
Four Mile Creek State Park
This scenic state park offers 275 campsites (10 of which we right along the shore) and several yurts. There are hiking trails along the bluff.
Wilson-Tuscarora State Park
This beach is long and wide and a terrific destination on a hot day. There is lots of room to spread out and enjoy the cool waters of Lake Ontario. There is also handicapped access to the beach that makes it easy for everyone to enjoy a day at the beach. We love visiting here in the Winter; this is a great place to see many of the unique winter lake phenomena, such as ice pancakes.
Olcott Beach (Olcott Lighthouse & Krull Park)
The only word that jumps to mind when describing this beach town on the shore of Lake Ontario; is charming. This small town has every amenity imaginable to entice visitors. A lighthouse, a small amusement park for young children, a lovely park right on Lake Ontario, and a village of shops to browse for souvenirs.
Barker Bicentennial Park
This is a tiny park right on the lake. What it lacks in size, it makes up for in scenic beauty. This is a nice, quiet place to visit and take in the beauty of Lake Ontario.
Golden Hill State Park & Thirty Mile Point Lighthouse
Golden Hill is a unique destination with a gorgeous stretch of beach with carved shale cliffside. Visitors can tour Thirty Mile Point Lighthouse and even make reservations to stay overnight there. Golden Hill State Park was previously named a Top Outdoor Location by Reserve America for its excellent lakeside camping.
Lakeside State Park
This state park offers an incredible panoramic view of Lake Ontario. Some days, it is hard to tell where the lake stops and the sky begins.
Oak Orchard Lighthouse
Many of the lighthouses along Lake Ontario have stood for nearly 200 years, but this lighthouse isn’t one of them. This lighthouse is an exact replica of the original 1871 Lighthouse.
Rochester Area
Hamlin Beach State Park
Hamlin Beach is a very popular place to visit on a hot summer day, and with good reason: it’s beautiful sandy beaches. Personally, I find it a gorgeous place to visit in the winter. The ice covers everything that stands still, making this an amazing place to visit when the temperature drops.
Lake Ontario Parkway
This is a beautiful section of highway, where there are places, long stretches, in fact, where you are riding right along the lakeshore.
Braddocks Bay
This is a renowned bird-watching area, especially for raptors. There are boardwalks into the marsh area where visitors can get a better look at all sorts of wildlife.
Manitou Beach Preserve
This preserve near Braddock Bay is a rest stop for migratory birds. The preserve is primarily made up of wetlands and shrubs. This amazing preserve is a bird watchers paradise.
Ontario Beach Park
Another popular destination along Lake Ontario. Many people come to enjoy a walk on the pier or to swim at the beach. Families can enjoy riding the historic 1905 carousel located in the park.
Charlotte Genesee Lighthouse
Charlotte Genesee Lighthouse is the oldest surviving lighthouse on Lake Ontario. The lighthouse was run by the Coast Guard until 1982. At that point, it was leased to the Charlotte Community Association, and soon after the Charlotte Genesee Lighthouse Historical Society was formed and set out to restore the lighthouse to its former glory. They restored the tower and built a replica lantern in 1984 to celebrate Rochester’s sesquicentennial. Lighthouse is Certified by the United States Coast Guard as a Secondary Aid to Navigation. The lens is automated to go on at dusk and off at dawn.
Durand Eastman Park
Durand Eastman Park is a gorgeous park that welcomes nature lovers and hiking enthusiasts. This park surrounds several small lakes, with lots of hiking trails through beautiful woods. A legend surrounds this park about the White Lady, who is said to haunt Durand Eastman Park. We especially enjoy hiking Durand Eastman Park in the fall, when the leaves are changing.
Seabreeze Pier
Visit the Seabreeze Pier and Irondequoit Bay Marine Park during the Summer, and you will find it bustling with activity. There is so much to see and do in this area that it has people flocking to this small isthmus to enjoy all varieties of recreational fun, such as boating, sunbathing on the beach, catching a sunset, or fishing.
Sandbar Park
This park was recently renovated and is a fantastic place to catch a sunrise or sunset or just enjoy a picnic on the Lakeshore.
Webster Park Pier
There are so many things to love about this awesome park. I, for one, love the pier. We visit the pier often for a variety of reasons, such as catching the sunset, sunrise, seeing it frozen over in ice, or watching the rage of Lake Ontario as it is pumbled by giant waves. The larger part of the park is located across Lake rd and offers visitors miles of great hiking trails.
Bear Creek Harbor
There is a small memorial park at this boat launch with a vantage point that looks over Lake Ontario, another perfect spot to see an unobscured sunset. This is one of our favorite places to launch our kayaks. The water is crystal clear here and not very deep for several feet offshore, making it a great place to kayak.
Cornwall Preserve
This is another one of our favorite parks on Lake Ontario. This is a beautiful place, and we visit this preserve year-round because there is always something to see there. There are several places in the preserve where you can reach the beach. This preserve has become one of our favorite places to snowshoe.
Pultneyville Park
This is a tiny park located in the curve of the road in the middle of the village of Pultneyville. You can often spy sailboats on the Lake when driving through. Be careful when driving in this area; people tend to slow down abruptly to get a look.
B. Forman Park
This is a town park with a huge stretch of beach (no swimming allowed) on Lake Ontario. This park has tons of picnic tables and grills for visitors to enjoy a picnic on the Lake. The position of the park makes it another place to catch either a sunrise or a sunset. It is also a great place to visit in the winter to see ice formations forming on the rocks and trees on the edge of the Lake.
Beechwood State Park
Once a a Girl Scout camp, this park is something of a hidden gem with its flat trails and stunning lake views. Beechwood State Park is an amazing place to visit any time of the year, but the fall colors are truly fantastic at this lovely park. We have also kayaked here as well, and the view of the bluffs from the lake is breathtaking.
Sodus Point Lighthouse
This isn’t just a historic lighthouse; this is a place to get a fantastic view of the lake or catch a free concert on a summer Sunday.
Sodus Point Beach
Adjacent to a public beach, this is another pier that visitors can stroll. Visit in the winter, and you can watch (from the comfort of your car) the mighty Lake Ontario beat the pier with its icy waves.
Bentley Bonds
This place checks all the boxes: a waterfall, a creek, a hiking trail through gorgeous woods, a meadow, and finally, culminating at a large body of water, Sodus Bay. This is a fantastic place to hike and paddle.
Chimney Bluff State Park
Chimney Bluffs is a natural wonder and one of the most iconic destinations on Lake Ontario with its towering bluffs. Glaciers created these giant formations in the last ice age, and they have changed over time due to erosion from the weather.
East Bay
Looking for a quiet beach to enjoy all by yourself? This could be it. This is a lovely stretch of beach on Lake Ontario that doesn’t get visited by a large number of people.
Whistlewood Preserve
Whistlewood Nature Preserve, the site of a former Girl Scout camp, is now a beautiful preserve that sits right on Lake Ontario. Whistlewood Preserve is a genuinely lovely destination and perfect for everyone who adores exploring beaches or hiking wooded trails. This park has an ample supply of both.
Port Bay
This is a favorite fishing spot for many people. Of course, it is also a great spot for those who want to enjoy some time taking in the beauty of the Lake. This is a quiet spot that is often overlooked.
Lake Shore Marshes at Delling Cemetery
We came here to see the old Delling Cemetery, but we were intrigued when we saw the Lake Shore Marsh Trail right next to the parking area. The hike takes visitors through brush trails and woods and culminates at the top of a cliff overlooking the Lake.
Scott’s Bluff
Scotts Bluff is one of the smaller of the Lake Ontario Bluffs, and that is what makes it in many ways a better destination if you are looking to escape the crowds that the other bluffs draw. You can enjoy the same beauty as the bigger bluffs, as well as the beach, and the lake without the massive crowds.
West Barrier Bar Park
This park recently had a facelift. (We haven’t returned to see the new updates, but we will.) This park has a pier as well as a long stretch of beach.
Fair Haven Beach State Park
Fair Haven Beach State Park is one of the most under-appreciated New York State Parks. While most people are familiar with the fact that there is an exquisite beach at Fair Haven, what might surprise you is everything else that is available at this unbelievable New York State Park. Fair Haven is far larger than it appears. The natural beauty of this park is fantastic, especially with its rolling woodlands, ponds, wetlands, and lakeshore. The park’s underdeveloped rustic beauty makes it a natural haven; you never know what wildlife you might stumble upon during your visit.
Sitts Bluff
Sitts Bluffs is one of the few unique bluffs that line the shores of Lake Ontario. Though it rivals Chimney Bluffs in size, Sitts Bluffs remains relatively unknown, which means it doesn’t attract the large crowds that visit Chimney Bluffs. This bluff can be reached via the beach from both Fair Haven State Park and Sterling Nature Center.
Sterling Nature Center and McIntyre Bluffs
Sterling Nature Center is an incredible destination with lakeshore bluffs, wetlands, woodlands, conifer forests, orchards, and meadows. Sterling Nature Center is a place to hike and enjoy magnificent scenery. More than 11 trails at the Sterling Nature Center will take you through lots of different habitats.
Oswego Area
Sheldon Beach Park (Formerly Flat Rocks)
This destination is something of a hidden gem and really only known to locals. There is only about 1/4 mile worth of beach to walk, but it is one heck of a stretch of beach. There are large flat rocks that stretch out into Lake Ontario and follow the rocky beach all the way down. The waves come in a crash over the rocks and create small “tide” pools. This makes this a fun place to cool off in the summer. It’s also a wonderful place to see amazing sunsets over Lake Ontario.
Fort Ontario
Fort Ontario is located on East Fourth Street in Oswego, NY, overlooking Lake Ontario from the east side at the mouth of the Oswego River. It was originally built by the British in 1755 to help defend Oswego during the French and Indian War. At that time, it was called the Fort of the Six Nations. However, it was destroyed by the French in 1759. It was rebuilt and was a British fort until it was turned over to the Americans in 1796 after the signing of Jay’s Treaty. The British attacked and destroyed the Fort during the War of 1812. It was again rebuilt. It remained an active fort throughout the Civil War and beyond.
Noyes Sanctuary
From the road and parking area, you wouldn’t expect that waiting for you is a gorgeous hike through woods and wetlands to a splendid view of Lake Ontario from carved cliffsides and a rocky beach. The Noyes Sanctuary is truly a hidden gem.
Mexico Point
This park is not large, but it is packed full of unique points of interest, such as an allegedly haunted cottage, dog beach, Spy Island (where there is the grave of a Revolutionary War hero), and picture-perfect natural beauty. This is a great spot for wedding and prom photos.
Pulaski Area
Selkirk Shores State Park
This park isn’t just popular for its beach and pier on a hot Summer day; the park has an exceptionally large campground. We have also visited in the Winter. This area gets a great deal of snow, and it is an excellent place to snowshoe and snowmobile. We explored the lakeshore, covered in ice formations, and it was breathtaking.
Selkirk Lighthouse
The Selkirk Lighthouse is actually a unique lighthouse, not just in New York State but also in the world. Only four birdcage-type lighthouses remain, and this is the only one located in New York State.
Sandy Island Beach State Park
This state park is a great place to cool off on a hot day. In addition to the beautiful beach, this park is part of a fragile system of sand dunes. We have visited this pretty park several times, both in the summer and in the winter, and it was a lovely place to explore and enjoy the beauty of the Lake.
Southwick Beach State Park
In the heat of Summer, finding a sandy beach to cool down is heavenly. Especially one that offers great camping and an extension of the beach just for your four-legged friends. Southwick Beach State Park is one of the best places for a summer escape, but it is also beautiful in the Winter as well. Fun Fact: If you are a beach walker, you’ll enjoy the miles of uninterrupted beach that you can stroll, thanks to the land that borders the park, Lakeview Wildlife Management Area. This area is composed of not only beaches but coastal sand dunes, embayments, and marshes. This entire area makes up the New York State Natural Heritage Area called the Eastern Lake Ontario Barrier Beach and Wetlands Complex.
Sacketts Harbor Area
Black Pond Wildlife Management Area
The first thing you will notice on your visit, after the peaceful scenery, is the wildlife. In this protected area, visitors can see so much wildlife. The state designated This WMA as a Bird Conservation Area as part of the Eastern Lake Ontario Marshes BCA. This area is nesting grounds for shorebirds, especially out by the lakeshore dunes.
El Dorado Beach Preserve
This is a stunning hidden gem! This gorgeous preserve is very remote but absolutely worth the drive. The trail is about 1.4 miles long and travels over all sorts of different habitats. The wildlife here is abundant, and we saw so many different kinds of birds and frogs. However, the pristine sandy beach and adjacent rocky beach are the jewels in this beach preserve’s crown.
Robert Wehle State Park
This is hands down our favorite State Park in New York. The cliffside trail is absolutely spectacular at any time of the year. We have visited this park many times, which was a different experience each time.
Westcott Beach State Park
Westcott Beach State Park has a large expanse of pristine Lake Ontario shoreline on Henderson Harbor. This park has so much to offer visitors, like miles of hiking trails and excellent camping.
Tibbotts Point Lighthouse
The Tibbetts Point Lighthouse stands guard at the mouth of the St. Lawerence River, where Lake Ontario flows into the seaway, eventually leading to the Atlantic Ocean. This historic lighthouse, listed on the National Registry of Historic Places, has an amazing view of the Lake and seaway and provides visitors with a fantastic place to catch a sunset.