5 State Park Beaches in New York to Visit to Close Out Summer

As the sun sets on this summer, there’s no better place to soak up the last rays of the season than on one of New York’s iconic state-owned beaches. White sands and turquoise waters await, both along the Atlantic Ocean and on the shores of glacial lakes, where visitors can swim, sunbathe, and enjoy many more classic beach day activities at these amazing state park beaches:

1. Robert Moses State Park

With a shoreline of fine, white sand nearly five miles long, Robert Moses State Park is home to perhaps the most picturesque state-owned beach in New York State—and it’s my favorite of the kind. You can swim, boogie-board, surf, and surf-fish at any of the four lifeguard-staffed fields—each equipped with concession stands, shops, first aid offices, restrooms, and outdoor showers—while fields 2, 3, and 4 have picnic areas complete with park grills and tables. There’s an 18-hole Pitch & Putt Golf Course on field 2, while field 5 is the gateway to Fire Island, with a climb up the majestic Fire Island Lighthouse available to the public at the end of a ¾-mile walk.

2. Jones Beach State Park

This is the longest beach in the state, with 6.5 miles of shoreline that, with the exception of the small stretch on Zach’s Bay, runs along the Atlantic. It’s designed on the theme of an ocean liner, and boasts ship-like railing on the boardwalk, trash cans resembling ship funnels, and water fountains controlled by the ship's pilot wheels. Visitors can swim, surf, fish, bike, boardwalk stroll, bird, eat at one of the many concessions, enjoy the WildPlay Adventure Park, attend concerts at Northwell Health Theatre, and engage in countless other activities.

3. Orient Beach State Park

Located on the eastern tip of the north fork of Long Island, I like visiting this beach as it feels like you're swimming and sunbathing on the edge of the world, as the Atlantic Ocean expands unbroken out from the sand and across the horizon. Orient Beach was recently added as a United States Light House Society Passport Stamp Location, where patrons can view four lighthouses: Orient Point Lighthouse, Plum Island Lighthouse, Long Beach Bar Lighthouse, and the Cedar Island Lighthouse, as well as get their Lighthouse Passport stamped. After working up your appetite in the water, visit the charming village of Orient and sample a few (dozen) of the famous local oysters.

4. Glimmerglass State Park

This park overlooks Otsego Lake, the "Glimmerglass" of James Fenimore Cooper's series of novels, Leatherstocking Tales. It’s a glacial lake like the Finger Lakes, but it’s part of a different watershed and therefore, not a Finger Lake itself. The clean, multiple lifeguard-staffed beach is ideal for families, who can score lunch from the concessions and sit in one of the picnicking areas, look out over the turquoise water on a sunny day and around at the rolling green hills, and swear they’re relaxing on the shores of a European alpine lake.

5. Seneca Lake State Park

Largest and deepest of the eleven glacial lakes, Seneca is perfect for swimmers—but also for boating enthusiasts, with 132 electric slips and 84 non-electric slips, and transient slips available at both marinas. There are also concessions and picnic areas near the beach at the north end of the park, as well as a 100-jet sprayground that kids of all ages will love. For the adults, the park is right along the Seneca Lake Wine Trail, as the body of water’s microclimate affects the region's weather and is particularly good for grape growing, so you can visit a few of the surrounding vineyards after a few hours on the gorgeous lake.

Planning one last beach day of the season with your friends or family? Save and share this article so you know the best state park beaches to visit to close out this summer—and where to visit to kick off the next one.