New York

Lake Superior State Park

This is a very popular park-we photographed on a Wednesday at 2pm and you can see how crowded it is.  There is a small swim area that looked pretty shallow.  There is a playground, and boat rentals are available. http://parks.ny.gov/parks/87/details.aspx

Oquaga Creek State Park

This park has a large sand beach, and medium to large swim area.  Lovely green hills surround the park, and the water is a vibrant blue.  There are nice facilities, and concessions are available as well. http://nysparks.com/parks/27/details.aspx

Gilbert Lake State Park

This is a popular beach, and was crowded even on a Tuesday.  The swimming area is large for a lake, and seemed pretty fun with people diving off the platforms.  There is a small sand beach, and large lawn area. http://nysparks.com/parks/19/details.aspx 

Chenango Valley State Park

This park has an absolutely beautiful stream-fed pool, with brilliant jade water.  The whole park is very picturesque, and the water is so clear that you can see tiny fish flitting around the pool.  Overall it is a lovely area, with camping and cabin rentals, and a golf course. http://parks.ny.gov/parks/41/details.aspx  

Bowman Lake State Park

The park has a small sand beach and medium swim area.  The water is blue, but a little marshy.  There are kayak rentals and a playground available. http://www.nysparks.com/parks/76/details.aspx

Rushford Lake Beach

We could find very little information about this beach online, and it was closed when we visited.  We only located the beach through some message board posts, and some town office documents, and couldn’t find an official website. The sign says they are open from 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., but we arrived too early. […]

Park Station Recreation Area

This is a county park with a medium sand beach and swim area.  There are boat rentals and concessions available.  Lovely bucolic landscape, verdant, and there is something unique about the area that is very calming.  There are small rolling hills, and it almost looks like a painting. Maybe we were just here on a […]

Greenwood County Park

This is a pretty lakeside beach, with camping and boat rentals.  The swim area is medium to large, but sectioned off into rectangles.  We aren’t sure if dogs are allowed here. http://www.gobroomecounty.com/parks/greenwood

Dorchester Park

This is a beautiful town park on the bend of a reservoir.  There are expansive views, and boat rentals.  It seems like dogs are allowed in the park, but we aren’t sure. http://www.gobroomecounty.com/parks/directions

Alleghany State Park (Two Beaches)

Alleghany State Park has two beaches; Red House and Quaker.  We were able to photograph the Red House area, but Quaker was closed for the season by the time we got there on August 25th.  The ranger said that they always close Quaker early, and we aren’t able to provide any information for that location. […]