It's the height of summer, and Upstate New York's beautiful sandy beaches are booming with visitors soaking up the sunshine.
Below, find the best 20 beaches in Upstate NY, from the Great Lakes to the Finger Lakes to the mountain Lakes, according to data from Yelp.com which uses star rating and number of reviews, among other factors, to rank each beach.
Don't Edit
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Karen Dennis (@queenkarenea) on
#20 Woodlawn Beach State Park (Blasdell, Erie County)
3 stars, 21 reviews
One visitor says: "Love feeling the soft sand ripples under your feet, the sound of kids and seagulls. Tiki bar next door had soothing Caribbean style music playing. Overall we had a Positive experience, we are beach lovers, and will be back this summer."
3580 Lakeshore Rd
Blasdell, NY 14219
Don't Edit
#19 Gallagher Beach (Buffalo, Erie County)
3 stars, 5 reviews
One visitor says: "Its not a gorgeous tropical beach, or even as nice as some of the beaches in Canada, but its very functional, and you don't have to go through TSA or cross the bridge to get there. To be clear, no real sand, lots of rocks, but with a chair and shoes you'll be fine."
Fuhrmann Blvd
Buffalo, NY 14203
Don't Edit
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Jennifer Castle (@jennifercastle) on
#18 Belleayre Beach (Pine Hill, Ulster County)
3 stars, 4 reviews
One visitor says: "If you're up in the area during the summer months, drop by Belleayre Beach at Pine Hill, which is located right next to Belleayre Ski Resort. Lay in the clean white sand specially brought in for this day use area."
33 Friendship Manor Rd
Pine Hill, NY 12465
Other categories: Boating, lakes
Don't Edit
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by City Girl In A Country World🤘🏻 (@swedishspritz) on
#17 Evangola State Park (Irving, Chautauqua County)
3.5 stars, 8 reviews
One visitor says: "The beach line is gorgeous with fantastic scenery, sandy beaches, and cliffs in the distance. You can swim, boat, or paddle. It's great."
10191 Old Lake Shore Rd
Irving, NY 14081
Don't Edit
Don't Edit
#16 Sodus Point Beach (Sodus Point, Wayne County)
4 stars, 4 reviews
One visitor says: "Nice little beach with soft sand and pebble shore and great view of the light house out on Lake Ontario. Park benches, pavilion with picnic tables and grill, playground."
8583 Wickham Blvd
Sodus Point, NY 14555
Don't Edit
#15 Hamlin Beach State Park (Hamlin, Monroe County)
4 stars, 18 reviews
One visitor says: "Darling family staff, clean and bountiful facilities, electric nearby each campground, beautiful trail ways and endless spotless beaches. Almost zero phone signal which was a blessing. Petite store for some essentials. The water was as clear as tap and the sand clean and soft."
Maintenance
Bldg Ser
Hamlin, NY 14464
Don't Edit
View this post on Instagram
Lake Placid perfect @rentlakeplacid
A post shared by Lake Placid Vacation Rentals (@rentlakeplacid) on
#14 Mirror Lake Public Beach (Lake Placid, Essex County)
4 stars, 2 reviews
One customer says: "Beautiful park where you can get in your kayak and go or sit on the beach and swim, highly recommend! Lots of people go there tho visited it when visiting a friend in college."
31 Parkside Dr
Lake Placid, NY 12946
Don't Edit
#13 Robert Moses State Park (Massena, St. Lawrence County)
4 stars, 2 reviews
One visitor says: "The beach and registration center were absolutely gorgeous. The beach was huge and clean. It had a grass area with benches for sun bathing or watching the sunset. So nice!"
19 Robinson Bay Rd
Massena, NY 13662
Other categories: Parks, campgrounds
Don't Edit
View this post on Instagram
Surviving the heat. Not going home til dark.
A post shared by Luke Ayres (@whook_ayres) on
#12 Town of Schroon Public Beach (Schroon Lake, Essex County)
4 stars, 3 reviews
One customer says: "This is a lovely, well-kept, FREE public beach! Usually nice & sandy with terraced lawns for sunbathers and picnickers. A short walk to public restrooms, a playground, public tennis courts, square dances in July & August on Wednesdays at 7 PM, Main St., & Stewart's."
Dock St
Schroon Lake, NY 12870
Don't Edit
Don't Edit
Scott Schild | sschild@newyorkup
#11 Ontario Beach Park (Rochester, Monroe County)
4 stars, 38 reviews
One visitor says: "It's easily my favorite beach area in this part of the world. It's spacious and gorgeous and vast and beautiful. It's on the shores of Lake Ontario and on a clear day you can't quite see the Toronto skyline to the North West, so don't bother looking, which makes me wonder why I mentioned it."
180 Beach Ave
Rochester, NY 14612
Other categories: Parks, playgrounds
Don't Edit
#10 Million Dollar Beach State Park (Lake George, Warren County)
4 stars, 18 reviews
One visitor says: "Nice clean beach with crystal clear water. There is a locker room with plenty of lockers for rent at just 75 cents. There are also showers with warm water which was a double plus when traveling with kids!"
US Hwy 9
Lake George, NY 12845
Don't Edit
View this post on Instagram
#bennettbeach #buffalo #forthofjuly #usa
A post shared by Andrea Zylinski (@ongezee) on
#9 Bennett Beach (Angola, Erie County)
4 stars, 9 reviews
One visitor says:
"*large swim area, larger than Woodlawn beach
*gradual slope, great for kids
*good sand, and sand extends far out
*free parking
*relaxed lifeguards, not a lot of whistling and shouting
*no sewage outflow, ala Woodlawn
*no residency requirement, ala Hamburg Beach
*small playground, and small picnic areas
*not a lot of motorboats around"
8276 Lake Shore Rd
Angola, NY 14006
Don't Edit
View this post on Instagram
No effect, ridiculous pretty. #travelblogger #workaway #wwoof #newyork #sunset_madness #sunset
A post shared by Sloths (@slothsjapan) on
#8 Sand Beach (Highland Lake, Sullivan County) - $
4.5 stars, 3 reviews
One visitor says: "This place was amazing. Small roped-in swimming area, clean water, picnic tables, a bar that had $7 pitchers and pretty good foot, families with well-behaved children, etc. Music playing from the bar. This is the sort of place that would make me move to the area."
348 Lakeview Dr
Highland Lake, NY 12743
Other categories: Boating, bars
Don't Edit
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Linda Appleby (@soulangel4u) on
#7 Hamburg Beach (Hamburg, Erie County)
4.5 stars, 3 reviews
One visitor says: "Love our beaches here on Lake Erie. Clean, good parking, rentals, snack shop! Beautiful views and super convenient!"
4432 Windsor Ter
Hamburg, NY 14075
Other categories: Surfing
Don't Edit
Don't Edit
#6 Nathaniel Cole Park (Harpursville, Broome County)
4 stars, 5 reviews
One visitor says: "I've always liked this place. I've only been here once as an adult, but I went many times as a kid and always had a good time. The lake seems clean as far as lakes go, and while I've never rented a boat here it's really cool that they're available."
1674 Colesville Rd
Harpursville, NY 13787
Other categories: Parks
Don't Edit
#5 Olcott Beach (Burt, Niagara County)
4.5 stars, 3 reviews
One visitor says: "Olcott is a really lovely place. On a clear day, from the lake shore, you can see right across to Toronto and clearly make out the CN Tower and the rest of the skyline. It's pretty magical. Not a lot of people know about Olcott so it's usually surprisingly quiet."
1617 Lockport-Olcott Rd
Burt, NY 14028
Don't Edit
Scott Schild | sschild@newyorkup
#4 Durand Eastman Park (Rochester, Monroe County)
4.5 stars, 27 reviews
One visitor says: "Durand Eastman is a large park with a diverse set of landscapes and facilities including a beach! A real, bonafide beach in Western NY which offers up some of the best sunset views in Rochester in any season."
1500 Lake Shore Blvd
Rochester, NY 14617
Other categories: Landmarks & Historical Buildings, Parks
Don't Edit
#3 Chautauqua Lake (Chautauqua, Chautauqua County)
5 stars, 2 reviews
One visitor says: "Amazing sunsets. Amazing fireworks. Amazing people. This lake is beautiful and serene and amazing in the summertime."
Chautauqua, NY
Don't Edit
Kevin Rivoli | syracuse.com
#2 Fair Haven Beach State Park (Fair Haven, Cayuga County)
4.5 stars, 7 reviews
One visitor says: "This is a great family park. You can swim at Lake Ontario, chill on the sand facing the lake, eat at their cafe, have a picnic with your family, or rent a kayak to go in the pond."
14985 State Park Rd
Fair Haven, NY 13064
Don't Edit
Don't Edit
View this post on Instagram
Buffalo Summer Adventure List: Catch the sunset at Wilkinson Point (Buffalo’s outer harbor)🌥
A post shared by Sarah Howard (@bucketlistsarah) on
#1 Wilkeson Pointe Park (Buffalo, Erie County)
5 stars, 16 reviews
One visitor says: "I think this may be my new favorite summer spot in Buffalo. On a nice sunny day, it's the perfect chill spot to hang out."
225 Fuhrmann Blvd
Buffalo, NY 14203
Other categories: Parks, fishing
Don't Edit
Scott Schild | sschild@syracuse.com
READ MORE: 39 fun places to swim in Upstate NY, from beaches to waterfalls, and more
Upstate New York can get hot during the peak of summer, but you never have to go too far to find somewhere to cool off.
Don't Edit
