Follow Hannum road to the end, and you’ll arrive in a parking lot where you’ll see two paths to the left hand side-one leading uphill, and one leading down. Take the one leading down. This is a wide and clearly defined trail, but it appears to be prone to wash outs, and is fairly steep. […]
The swimming area was closed during our visit, but seemed to be fairly nice, though a little small. The buoyed area is about the size of a pool, and has a grass beach. Overall this park has updated and clean facilities, and pretty picnic areas. http://nysparks.com/parks/109/details.aspx
The beach was closed when we visited, and it looked like it might have been that way for awhile, so it is worth calling ahead. They do list themselves as having a swimming beach, so we aren’t sure what the deal is. The water was a cloudy tan, and we didn’t see anyone swimming, though […]
This beach is close to Zebro’s Restaurant, and just has a small parking area which is easy to miss. The sign says there is no lifeguard, and that by state law that means there is no swimming, but online people report swimming here… The beach is rather unremarkable, but a good place to picnic. http://www.tourchautauqua.com/Where-To-Play/Beaches/Barcelona-Harbor-Beach.aspx?mid=13438&c=25
This is a really pretty park that seems to be semi-abandoned…? There are signs saying not to swim when lifeguards aren’t present, but the lifeguard station looked shuttered. There is still public access though, and there are bathrooms, a playground, and sports fields. Call before coming if you want to find out about the beach. […]
This is a town park with a medium sized beach, and two lifeguard stations. The swimming area wasn’t roped off when we were there, so we don’t know how large it is. There is a picnic and pavilion area, bathrooms, and a playground. Next door is a lighthouse you can visit. http://www.dunkirktoday.com/city-offices/parks
Letchworth State Park is called the “The Grand Canyon of the East” and was voted the best state park in America by USA Today readers http://www.stargazette.com/story/news/local/2015/04/01/top-state-parks-usa/70781988/ The park has multiple waterfalls, lots of cabins to rent, camping, a restaurant, and gift shops. There is a lot to do here, and the falls are stunning. We started […]
There is a small to medium swim area, and a huge sand beach. This is a beautiful area, with turquoise water and stone cliffs, and there also appears to be some kind of ruin. There is a large picnic area, and the facilities are updated and well maintained. http://nysparks.com/parks/91/details.aspx
Eternal Flame Falls is really a wonder, and a very special place to visit. As the name implies, there is a natural fire burning continuously behind the falls. The falls are in Chestnut Ridge Park, which is actually quite large and has multiple entrances. Our coordinates lead to the official parking lot for the Eternal […]
This park is a “maybe swim.” Different sources list it as having swimming or not having swimming, or as being temporarily closed for blue-green algae. There wasn’t swimming when we visited, but sometimes the blue-green algae problem can persist for years. Call the town office ahead of time if you want to swim. This is […]