Guest Author - Brenda Potter Reynolds

It’s definitely summer here in New York – the temperature was 97 degrees today! When the weather gets warm like this, we like to visit one of New York State’s wonderful state parks.

We’re fortunate to have several fine state parks in our area. Here's a run-down of four of them.

Selkirk Shores State Park, Pulaski
Selkirk Shores State Park boasts a large pavilion perfect for reunion, family picnics – even wedding receptions. Selkirk also has shaded picnic area and camping sites. The beach is rather small, though.

I’ve enjoyed many events at Selkirk, and I hear that the fishing is great there. The state park was named one of Reserve America’s Top Outdoor Locations 2005. It’s located on Route 3 in Port Ontario.

Fair Haven State Park, Fair Haven
One of my favorite state parks is Fair Haven, also located on Lake Ontario. There’s a shaded picnic area, a playground, a sandy beach, and a pond with paddleboat and canoes to rent. While canoeing Sterling Pond, my husband and I saw turtles, a blue heron, and wood ducks. Fair Haven also has cabins for rent, and there’s fishing available, too.

Sunsets on Lake Ontario, viewed from the park, are superb.

Westcott Beach State Park, Sackets Harbor
Westcott Beach State Park is a clean and well-maintained facility with campsites on both sides of Route 3. The western side fronts Henderson Bay on Lake Ontario while the eastern side consists of 40 sites up on a plateau. The road to the camping area on top is two miles long and boasts some awesome views of Lake Ontario, Sackets Harbor and the surrounding area. It’s worth the drive just for the views.

Southwick Beach State Park, Woodville
I’ve never camped at Southwick Beach State Park, but been there many times for picnics, reunions and get-togethers. Southwick’s has a large sandy beach and a picnic area nicely shaded with trees. Kids love the little store that sells ice cream, cold drinks and other necessities.

More Information

New York State has 176 beautiful state parks. Find out more about them at: State Parks.

The Empire Passport lets you enjoy most of New York's state parks, plus 55 Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) forest preserve areas for one price, $59 per season.

The passport is good from April 1 to March 31 of the next year, and covers one vehicle. See Empire Passport for more information.