I went to the park today to look for "sea" glass. Admission is $9 per car unless you're military, then it's free. I parked in area 3 and began my hunt. There was one family there with kids playing in the sand and water. I did find a little bit of glass. Stopped on my way out to use the restroom and it was pretty disgusting. I guess no one had cleaned it yet from the weekend. I'm talking poop on toilet seats, in the sinks, etc. kind of disgusting. I then drove to area 5 and began my search here. There were 2 families here playing in the sand and water. Again, I found a little bit of glass and a few interesting pieces of rocks. If you're wanting to look for sea glass, make sure you look at the tidal charts first. Looking at low tide is optimal. Also, make sure you take a trash bag to haul your trash out with you. There are no trash cans, and there will likely be some litter on the beach. read more

Hamlin Beach State Park - A few treasures I found while walking along the beach. - Beaches Near Me - Hamlin, New York

Came here for a brief visit. Park entrance was $9. (Gasp). Park appears so run down. We parked in the first lot. Walked to more of a "beach area" since only large rocks were at this location. Weeds sprung up in concrete areas. Some playgrounds were the ones from 40+ years ago with literally a swing and a metal slide. Told the kids to make a mental note for when they call the new fun playgrounds boring. Sand was corse and rocky. Personally didn't enjoy this place. read more

Hamlin Beach State Park - Beaches Near Me - Hamlin, New York

Hamlin Beach is located East of Rochester on Ontario Lake. I first visited the beach with friends years ago on a Spring Day, and we had lots of fun. My friend was trying to walk on sandy rocky terrain with heels! Whenever I fell like driving a bit away from the crowded shores of the lake near the city and sitting quietly contemplating the water, waves, doggies running happy around, I come here. In the summer it must be crowded with families. read more

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Pretty nice spot upstate to do beach and get a swim. There's a wading area with lifeguards but also a spot further down the beach without supervision. The water was rather cold in Lake Ontario but nice for a dip, and I always love coming away with a body full of sand! read more

Hamlin Beach is a wonderful park to spend the day or camp for a couple days. The campground and facilities are well clean and well maintained. Amenities included Electric at the site, water, bathrooms, showers, several playgrounds, laundry and store. As of 9/15/2022 tent sites are $25/night (up to 6 people and 2 cars) and 6 pieces of wood for $5. Untreated is not allowed but you can bring store bought bundles. Each site has electric, fire pit and picnic tables. My family and I felt very safe and comfortable, we'll be back again soon. There are serveral place read more

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3 stars bc the bathroom and bath house are filthy, and the sludge and smell from the beach where the lifeguards are is just disgusting. The park itself is pretty and nice for a picnic and playground is new and modern. read more

Been here a few times for a day trip, usually visiting friends who are camping. The state park located on the shore of Lake Ontario about a 30 minute drive from Henrietta. Be-aware cell service is spotty through out the park. It cost us $6 to get into the park, make sure to grab a map...there are only 6 loops labeled A-F but the map will help you out. The campsites are a good size with lots of trees and bathrooms are scattered through out. I prefer just hanging out at the campsite with a cold drink and a hot fire going, but for others there are a lot of activities to take part in here. Hiking and biking trails are very popular. Visitors can launch boats,fishing, tennis and basketball courts... picnic facilities all around with beautiful views of the beach and lake. There is a cute little camp store, they had a few items mostly candy. Ice was basically sold out, so bring what you need. Next door is the rec center, great for kids with different activities and games. read more

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We camped here for the first time this summer. It will probably be our last time, here's why: ** Our site claimed to be level in the reservation system (site #182). That is important to us. The site was NOT EVEN CLOSE to level, it was a steep hill, downhill to get in. We've never asked to change sites anywhere, but immediately went back to the office to change sites. The park was booked. So we had to make do. ** The office staff was apathetic, almost rude. When I walked up to the desk, not even a hello, just a stare. The girl near-silently processed our check in and handed me our pass. Not even a "Do you know how to get to your site?" I had to ask, because we didn't, and annoyed she gave directions. She was young, clearly didn't care about giving even a modicum of decent customer service. ** SUPER BUGGY HERE. My husband and kids always wear bug spray. I usually don't. Bugs usually don't bother me much, guess my blood's not tasty. But here, I was eaten alive. We camped at 8 state parks, and this is the only one that had major bug issues, even when we wore spray. ** The bathrooms were DISGUSTING. Each day of our stay, the cleaners came and replenished the toilet paper. Thanks for that. But they never actually cleaned anything. NOTHING. The same disgusting used dental floss sat on the bathroom counter the entire 3 days we were there. ** The site next to us was LOUD, SMOKING, DRUGS, SWEARING party people. Park police did nothing to at least quiet them down, let alone stop them from straight-up breaking the law. Saddest thing was they had many small children with their group, too. :-( I gave two stars because there were a few decent things about this state park worth mentioning: ** The star of the show is the beach and Lake Ontario. There is a large shoreline to explore, which is in walking distance to the campground. The swimming area was fun, and reasonably clean. (Warning though, the bathrooms by the swimming area, again DISGUSTING; used baby diapers laying around and dumped food containers level of GROSS.) ** There is a nice food place near the beach called The Snack Shack. We only had some ice cream, but the food menu looked pretty good and people seemed happy there. ** There was live music on the beach one of the nights we were there. We had a fun time chilling out with some rockin' tunes. ** Our friends came to visit us one day. The site (although on a hill and loaded with bugs) was decent-sized, so we had plenty of room to cookout and entertain around the campfire. Overall, we will probably never be back here to camp. Maybe we'll come back for a beach day trip someday, but event that is a stretch considering how awful the bathrooms here are. If you come for the day and can hold it, maybe you'll enjoy yourself here. There are definitely way better state park camping options in the region though, so avoid camping here like the plague. read more

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Gorgeous little state park with beaches, lifeguards, playgrounds, bathrooms and one entry fee per car ($9 in summer 2022). Plenty of parking, grills, picnic tables. About 35 min from Brighton/Rochester. read more

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Absolutely loved this gem on Lake Ontario. Good size, private sites. Clean bathrooms. Playgrounds for kids. And the beach access is phenomenal. Stayed here in July 2022 and loved every minute! And oh my the sunset watching over Lake Ontario is perfect evening entertainment! We will be back read more

Hamlin Beach State Park - Beaches Near Me - Hamlin, New York

My friend and I went this afternoon and we paid 9 dollars to get into the beach and the man at the stand was not helpful at all with directions and so we got lost. Then when we were at the water we wanted to rinse off after in the outdoor showers and they were off. That's when we realized the drinking fountains were off as well and then we see 10 lifeguards standing around doing nothing. read more

Great park and campground. I used to camp here in the 1970's too. We always have fun at Hamlin Beach.

Love walking or riding our bikes through the park, especially in the spring and fall. In the summer it is great to sit on the beach or just hop in the lake to cool off. read more

The park is absolutely gorgeous. I walked by the beach and it is a very long walk. There are people running in the park and it is a awesome place to get exercise and enjoy the view. The water is Crystal clear and beautiful. Check out the photos a got during the walk, it's awesome! read more

Hamlin Beach State Park - Beaches Near Me - Hamlin, New York

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If you visit this park the night before your exam, it becomes "Cramming Beach State Park." And if you're a TV actress, then maybe it's "Lily Tomlin Beach State Park." And if you are sick of my reviews, it's only because I visit "Rambling Beach State Park" a lot. Hamlin Entertainment used to be all about Steven Spielberg. Then this state park came along, and everything changed forever. This is a really lovely state park. I'm giving it a 3 instead of a 5 for five reasons. (1) They charge $7 to get in, which I think is too much because this is in the middle of nowhere, and not a very popular tourist destination compared to many similar places. It's not the kind of place you'd expect to pay $7 to get in when there are free beaches in both directions as close as 10 mins away. Charge a couple of dollars if you have to, but 7 is a little annoying. (2) The guy taking my money gave me a really funny look and clearly wasn't enjoying being there. (3) There are a lotttttt of bugs here in the evenings when the sun is going down. Is watching the sunset worth a lot of mosquito bites and hundreds of gnats swarming you? It's your call. (4) It's not very clean, compared to other state parks. Including the water which looks a little chemical-y. (5) For a place that is charging you to get in, it's woefully neglected and looks honestly run down and not a place you'd want to bring a date or kids unless you're ignoring the land and focusing on the sea. Despite this negative commentary, it's still one of the most beautiful parks in the state n terms of the vista alone, with amazing views across Lake Ontario, and on a very clear day you can see Toronto's skyline to the North West, and Canada across the lake. Just about. If you have excellent eyesight. I've been here 3 or 4 times now. Most recently was just last week, although these days we usually park nearby and walk to the park to avoid the charge. It's a nice walk so we don't mind. It just seems unneccessary. And if you just want to wander around here, then skip it and go to Ambling Beach State Park instead. read more

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Super clean beach & this time of the year is perfect! No crowds. The weather is just right for a walk, picnic or pure relaxation. The views with picnic benches just by the water. Five areas total that you can make stops at. It's also family friendly for those with kids- it has child playgrounds. I haven't been here in the peak of summer-maybe it's crowded then but I'm not certain. I loved my experience there during this fall transition time. read more

Hamlin Beach State Park - Canadian geese here. You'll also see seagulls. I had wonderful videos but no video posts allowed here - Beaches Near Me - Hamlin, New York

Park is huge. Lots of free space to have your own thing going on. They have camping spots, a snack bar, and various enclosed and open air areas for you to use. Grills are all over the place. Nice place to spend a day relaxing read more

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Had I not ventured into the bathroom by the swimming beach to change, I would have given this place 4 or 5 stars. The snack bar serves surprisingly tasty food at reasonable prices. They just slap pre-formed burgers on the grill, yet they taste really good, so unlike the awful burgers we had at the overpriced Silo in Lewiston the other week. There's some great playground equipment in the grassy area before the sandy beach, including several tall slides and swings. The beach is open and spacious, with several lifeguards on duty. We didn't have to avoid too many piles of goose poo, nor did we notice any garbage. We didn't see any garbage cans either, which was weird and a little annoying. The sand at the top of the beach is a little coarse, but it's fine and silky at the water's edge. The sand in the water is full of rocks, and not nice, smooth stones like Olcott Beach. Then again, the water doesn't have a big algae problem right now either. Those bathrooms, though... Apparently all the park fee goes to is upkeep of the beach itself because the lady's room is foul. I've been in the most rustic of outhouses, and they were still nicer than this. I don't think it gets cleaned. Ever. Cobwebs all over the doorway. Toilet paper and worse on the floor and some of the seats. No shortage of fresh toilet paper, though, so obviously someone who works there has been inside. Come for a day trip and avoid the bathrooms. I wouldn't want to camp here unless there's cleaner facilities elsewhere. read more

Hamlin Beach State Park - Swimming - Beaches Near Me - Hamlin, New York

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As much as this place can be lacking in some areas, I love the scenery here. With it's position along Lake Ontario it has beautiful sunsets which that are enjoyable. Love using the paths to take morning long runs on the weekends. There are five areas which you can park and enjoy the shoreline. Not to mention there is the kayak and canoe landing on the east side of the park next to Yanty Creek. The only issue I have is more so with the patrons who don't follow the "take in - take out" policy. The park doesn't have any trash bins for people to toss their garbage. There are people who will just dump their stuff and not take it out like they should. read more

Lame. Way too uptight. Just wanted to hang out on the beach and swim a little. A storm had passed by and the closed the beach. Policy says if they have to wait thirty minutes from the last time they hear thunder to open the beach back up. After waiting about an hour, the storm had passed and was in Canada by now and we were sweating waiting to jump in the water. However, one of the teenage lifeguards claimed to hear thunder off in the distance so the the 30 minute clock was restarted. Nothin but blue skies all around, but too dangerous to even allow us on the sand. It was ridiculous. No, floaties, noodles, or god forbid, going outside the rope. Smell was horrible. Got be a better spot around. read more

This was a spur of the moment stop for us as we drove the scenic route from Rochester to Buffalo. I'm glad we stopped, this park on Lake Ontario is clean with gorgeous views and great walking trails. There is a $7 parking fee---which is more than reasonable if you plan to spend the day on the beach or walk the trails though it was a bit high four our 1 hour detour. Still, it's a nice stop and breaks up your drive if you're headed a similar path as there are great views but few stop on this stretch of road. read more

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Great park for hiking and picnics. Worth admission in the summer. I've been here numerous times and everytime has been a blast. bring your family and friends and enjoy the beautiful park. read more

The atmosphere here reminds me of summers many years ago that I spent at Charlotte beach when kids used to swim in the lake. Though those times have long gone from Charlotte, Hamlin still attracts a large number of families for summer recreation. During our most recent trip, we walked the length of the trail. It was a lovely walk with scenic views of Lake Ontario along the way. As a result, there's only one main trail. Entrance to Hamlin park is $7.00 per vehicle. Parking is plentiful and easily accessible from any of the various zones. There is a nice information center at the park with maps available and campground info. The campgrounds are separated from the main park and appear to require special entrance requirements from general park admission. Hamlin is organized into zones or a straight horizontal line following the lake. There are many pavilions, picnic tables and restrooms within each area. During peak months, only specific zones allow swimming and are outfitted with lifeguards, so check before going. There is also a snack bar available with ice cream and treats. Be sure to pack your own food and dine at one of the tables when visiting. Excellent visit! Bring the family along during the summer months. read more

On one hand I want to tell the world about this park and on the other hand I want to keep it a secret. It's a beautiful park. The best part is the sunsets. Great swimming areas, great walking paths and great shelters. I take my dog here on a regular basis and I even had my wedding here! They did recently renovate the main bathrooms. I believe there currently is damage to the east end due to the rising lake levels but I expect them to work on this in the summer. read more

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Great spot for camping. Big loops, good bath houses, spacious sites. Nice sandy beach to relax at.

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. read more

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Have loved camping here for over 10 years. This year was ruined by a VERY rude Park Ranger. Rude for no reason. Have heard many other complaints about him as well. He needs to be fired before no one camps here anymore! read more

All we wanted was a beach, open water, a place to lay down a blanket, and a pleasant vista. We weren't looking for waves, or the salt-air smell, or seashells. We weren't expecting soft-combed sand and were OK with wearing shoes to protect our feet while splashing around in the water close to shore. We drove forever to find this place - seemingly the only public land anywhere close to Rochester bordering lake Ontario - and found a wasteland. Neglected. Barren, concrete-covered, spiky dead-grass overrun land. Beaches completely covered with bird guano. Water so slimy and toxic looking that none of us dared stick in a toe. We wandered around for a little while trying to figure out how to salvage the trip. We failed. We left. We won't be back. read more

I grew up riding my bike at this park and enjoying the serenity that this beach offers over all others in Rochester. Bring your bikes, sunscreen, picnic basket, and kayaks. There are beautiful nature walks, bike trails, and serene ponds to explore. Never a dull moment at Hamlin beach. I would have given this five stars if it wasn't for their gross bathrooms read more

Hamlin Beach State Park - Beaches Near Me - Hamlin, New York

I came here not too long ago after one of Adam's coworkers suggested it. We figured it is always new to try somewhere else and it would be better than going to Charlotte. We made the trek there, it was a little too long for my liking but that is okay. There is a fee to get in something like $7 or $8 so not bad and that is the average NYS park fee to get in. The beach itself is somewhat small but pretty nice. There are lifeguards if that is important to you and there are areas buoyed showing you where you can swim and where you can't. I didn't go into the bathrooms so I am not sure how nice they are but it is nice that they actually have them. There is a lot of green space and there are grills for you to cook. Overall, it is an okay place to go. Kind of far but better than some of the closer areas. If Adam and I come again, we will be bringing food to cook and making it an entire day event. read more

Just when my California-bred self was beginning to drown in all the cornfields, this place was a breath of midly fresh, briney air--despite being a lake, we found a strip of beach (Area 3, I think it was), that still reminded me strongly of Monterey or Shellstone beach in Santa Cruz (out of sight of the boardwalk). The parking lot is really overgrown--you'd think the $6 entry fee would go towards repaving it. But past that, there are surprisingly well-kept buildings and bathrooms, good for birthday parties, and incredibly green park suddenly giving way to a shell-littered beach, not as rocky as some North Ca beaches I've been to, just perfect for laying down a blanket and splashing in the surf. Still a lake, so the water is dirty, so I wouldn't suggest swimming, but it seems like a nice quiet spot for a daytrip--which was just what the doctor ordered in our/my case. read more

This is an incredible park, well maintained and tons to do. The beach is clean and there are areas designated for fury four legged friends. The campsites are private and wooded which my family tends to enjoy. As with any outdoor area be sure to bring bug spray. read more

My family and I frequent Hamlin beach because it's hands down the nicest beach along Lake Ontario in Monroe or Orleans County. It's cleaner and less crowded than Durand for sure! However it's still not THAT clean. There is often garbage that has washed up on the beach, I even saw a tampon applicator once on the beach which is pretty disgusting. I wish it was a bit cleaner especially because the parking prices are pretty high. You would think they'd clean the majority garbage off the sand and maintain the parkway better with the money they charge just to park! There is something quite amazing about sitting on the clean parts of the beach listening to the sound of the waves and smelling the lakey scent on the air. There are a lot of trees around too which makes it quite a beautiful site! read more

Hamlin Beach State Park - Family at the beach - Beaches Near Me - Hamlin, New York

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By far the cleanest and classiest of all the Rochester-area beaches. Definitely worth the drive. The one thing for me (not that big of a deal) there's little / no cell signal out there at all so it's hard to meet people if you're arriving at different times... It's a huge park so you kind of have to work around the no cell signal thing. Again, that's no big deal. I love coming here. I actually like that they charge to get in. It's also not on the bus line like Charlotte beach & Durand beach so it's much less crowded. read more

Camping here Labor Day weekend and as the park is beautiful it lacks maintenance. The site we had needs work and was not clean when we arrived. The pad is not level and very rough along with the fire pit full of ash. The bathrooms are definitely discussing and look like they haven't been cleaned all season. I just watched a park attendant stop and check only the woman's restroom and not the men's. She walked in for 1 minute and came back to the truck never cleaning anything or emptying any garbage. She sat in the truck texting on her phone for about 15 minutes then drove away. Nobody has cleaned anything all weekend and it's disgusting. New York needs to take notes from PA's parks department as their facilities are very updated and cleaned thoroughly everyday. These facilities are the same as they were when I was a kid 40 years ago. read more

This is a beautiful state park along Lake Ontario, near Rochester. It has a small but pretty beach area, nice camping, and well-maintained facilities that appeared to have been built in 2009. It's very easy to make reservations online and they allow 1-night bookings, which some state parks nearby don't. I camped here for one weekday night during May and it was great. Not crowded, easy to check in and out, and extremely pretty. They have some events like movie nights for if that interests you. Definitely recommend it if you have a reason to camp in the area! read more

Hamlin Beach State Park - The beach on Lake Ontario. - Beaches Near Me - Hamlin, New York

Decent park located on a shitty, poluted lake. Not sure if you could expect much better in Rochester. Kodak et al. did a pretty good job of destroying the lakes around here. Lake Erie (Angola area near Buffalo) has some decent beaches if you're willing to make the drive. read more

If I could taste zero stars I would. We had 4 people at my site, and had Pandora playing on a cell phone which isn't loud at all. So we turned it down add the park police told us. Then we started the music again, but at half volume. And they were waiting and came back complaining about the music, then saw the beer pong table ( which all the cups were filled with water) and assumed we were all obnoxious drunk. And asked for everyone's id's and said that the next time they came around and heard us being too loud they would ticket us then arrest the site owner the next time. All for a cell phone that wasn't even playing as loud as we were talking. Will never camp here again...... read more

I like to go here due to the nice lakeside scenery in some spots. I am rating this high compared to the other public beaches in the area, keeping in mind that this is a great lakes beach, NOT an ocean side beach like so many other options in the Atlantic and Pacific ocean. Whether or not you like Hamlin, will be based on what you are looking for. If you are looking for anything besides a quiet beach experience, give Ontario Beach Park or Durand or some other options a try instead . This place does not have much if anything for amenities and is better suited for camping or a get away from the city day trip. I personally like this place best in early spring and late fall when there is less people around and things are quieter(they also don't always charge in fall/winter months). If you find a day in that time of year where you make your way out there and there is few to no people around, you will get a very relaxing time to unwind. The times where I have experienced this is the difference between a five and a four. read more

I don't even know where to begin. I took my 6 year old camping here this weekend. Being from Rochester its a quick ride. First of all, I was made to pay $7 to enter the park which was supposed to be covered by my camping fee. Then they refused to switch our site due to 1/3 of it being under water. Then, we had to pick up all the garbage, glass and cigarette butts that were all over the site. Not to mention the melted glass and tin foil in the fire pit. Power was transient, and came and went and fluctuated the amps going to my sons nebulizer. The bathrooms were laughable. The beach was full of litter and dogs. The neighboring site were full of college kids who played music way to loud and cursed and screamed on the first night. Then they had a DJ somewhere in the park playing loud rap music till 12am on the second night. I will say this. With the exception of a Park Police Officer that was WAAAAAAY to gung ho, the staff were pleasant and friendly, however, it did not deter from the rest of the issues. Never again read more