Fair Haven Beach State Park

Parking: For camping, follow the signs and veer right into the office to check-in. For day visitors, keep heading north on the park road until you hit the beach area. There is a large lot on the west side of the inlet, and two lots on the east. On hot days these are packed. If you can’t get a spot there, head back and turn right onto Sabin Dr. It will branch to a parking lot on the left, and then continuing down the main path will lead to more parking. Avoid parking in the boat launch area unless you have a trailer.

To go further in the park, loop around the pond on the park road to find a small lot next to cabins 34 & 35. There’s another small lot just as the park road passes the maintenance area and branches out to a service road on the right (off-limits). This is about as close as you can get to the bluffs with a car if you are a day visitor.

STERLING WEATHER

One of the state’s premier parks, Fair Haven Beach is one of those parks that seems to be known for just one thing (the beach) but ends up being so much more. From the 1500 ft of sandy shoreline on Lake Ontario, it also features Sterling Pond and Creek for paddling and fishing, two sets of beautiful glacial bluffs, miles of wooded trails, a massive campground with rustic cottages, picnic tables and grills all over the park, and an 18 hole state owned and operated golf course next door.

Because of its location (away from the municipal discharges of any city), the lake’s waters at Fair Haven don’t suffer from the constant closures seen in parks west (such as Durand Eastman). While erosion of the shoreline poses a problem for the future of the park, you wouldn’t notice from the often-packed beach area, where kids are often joyfully shouting, people are playing volleyball, and everyone is soaking in the sun and the sound of the waves.

Beyond the beach, the shoreline extends eastward within the park, becoming a pebble beach as it approaches the bluffs. While not as grand as the Chimney Bluffs, they are always a grand backdrop to the swimming area and even better up close. Atop the bluffs are wooded hiking trails and shaded campgrounds, a favorite for camping families who come here yearly. The park has 182 campsites, 33 cabins, and 4 cottages in total with some of the best facilities in the state. Two colonies of campsites hug Sterling Pond and its marshes, where several species of birds can be spotted. The wetlands here are an important stopover for migrating bird species and the undeveloped land is home to many native critters that visitors are sure to spot. In one afternoon visit, I spotted salamanders, muskrats, white-tailed deer, and a mink. If you are visiting, bring your binoculars and scout the marshes. Better yet, rent a canoe or kayak at the pond and get close.

The fun doesn’t stop after summer. The park is open all year and surprisingly gets a decent amount of winter traffic. With a heated enclosed shelter, cross country skiing, sledding, and ice fishing are increasing in popularity, and Fair Haven is becoming much more than just beach.

The village of Fair Haven got its start as a port in the mid 1800s. In 1872 the Southern Central Railroad opened up the port to large land shipments of coal, for which a large 1500 ft wooden trestle was built (at the present-day State Park boat launch). The railway, taken over in 1885 by the Lehigh Valley Railroad, also carried grain and ice. North Fair Haven Station was located where Grant’s Vacation Park exists today, and the shipping terminal is now a parking lot and picnic area south of the State Park boat ramp.

Fair Haven not only grew with commerce but also its gorgeous shoreline drew quite a bit of interest from downstate. Unfortunately, the sandy beaches on Lake Ontario were private, and the village’s only municipal waterfront park, Ontario Park, was on the bay. At the beginning of the 20th-century, residents saw the growing economy and notoriety of the beaches and landscape and hoped to turn Fair Haven into a bustling city. Part of that effort was establishing a public beach park.

In 1923 the state park was proposed and land acquisition started, albeit slowly. While much of the area was unsettled plots in north Fair Haven, and a large tract of wooded land east of Sterling Bay, framed homes were packed up by the beach. D.S. Cole, one of the village’s first settlers sold some of the largest plots of land to the state in the effort. More properties were acquired over time, eventually including some homes near the beach that serve as cottages today and the railway coal trestle. Construction of roads and other facilities began in 1927.

From 1934 to 1942, the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC) was active at the park, improving infrastructure by building roads, guest cabins, facilities, and constructing erosion-fighting barriers along the shoreline. A surviving original CCC cabin can be found adjacent to the park office. Afterward, the CCC camp was used to house German Prisoners of war from 1944 to 1945.

In the interactive map, I marked three trails, some of which are a combination of 2 or more connecting trails based on the park map. I recommend taking 1 of the 2 trails that run along the lake.

Beach Trail
Difficulty: Moderate, mostly because of uneven ground (sand and stones), dwindling beach due to erosion, and a few scrambles across the bluff face.

Distance: About a mile one way.

Markings: None. Just follow the Lake Ontario shoreline east.

Trail Guide: Due to water levels and erosion, this trail’s difficulty may change, or the trail may become inaccessible.

1. From the sandy beach/swimming area, follow the shoreline east.
2. The trail will pass by the first set of bluffs, where the trail will cut into them slightly (rising above the shore a bit).
3. After the bluffs, it will open up to a stone beach with Lake Ontario to the northwest and a marsh to the southeast. Continue down the beach, passing two old jetties along the way.
4. At the mile point, you will reach a larger, more open set of bluffs. Continue until the bluffs end.
5. At that point, you can turn around and go back, or turn into the trail in the woods at the end of the bluffs and take the Lakeview Trail back.

Maps: See the interactive map below. Trail map.

Lakeview Trail
Difficulty: Moderate, mostly because of uneven ground (sand and stones), dwindling beach due to erosion, and moderate changes in gradient.

Distance: Just over a mile one way.

Markings: Blazes in the wooded area.

Trail Guide: The trail begins at the park road and parking area near the maintenance station (map).

1. Follow the service road north through the woods for about 0.7 mile. It will reach a stony beach at the lake.
2. Continue on the beach for about 1/3 mile and you will reach the bluffs.
3. The trail cuts back into the woods on the other side of the bluffs.
4. This wooded section loops around the bluff hill and back to the beach at the beginning of the bluffs.
5. Head back the way you came.

Maps: See the interactive map below. Trail map.

Bluff Nature Trail
Difficulty: Moderate due to  gradient.

Distance: 0.7 mile loop.

Markings: Blazes in the wooded area.

Trail Guide: The trail begins at the park road near cabins 34 and 35.

From the park road head east into the woods. At about a 5th of a mile, you will reach a junction. Either direction enters the loop, so it doesn’t matter which way you go. Follow the trail through the camping area and you’ll head up and down the bluffs and back to this point.

Maps: See the interactive map below. Trail map.

Fishing is allowed at the park. Prime spots include the shoreline along the pond anywhere near the park road. At the north near the beach parking lots is a popular area to access the pond. The old concrete pier at the west end of the first bluff is a good spot to fish on the lake.

Glacial Drumlins

Drumlins are egg-shaped mounds of clay, silt, gravel, and boulders left by glacial movement and the erosion of the bedrock those glaciers move across. They typically are elongated in the direction of flow and are found in groups or “fields.”  Western NY and the Finger Lakes are so full of them, we just think of them as normal hills in these parts.
The bluff here at Fair Haven, and the larger bluffs at Chimney Bluff State Park are drumlin hills that have been cut into by erosion (primarily by the lake’s waters). Take a look at this terrain map of all the drumlins from the Chimney Bluffs to Stiffs Bluff at Fair Haven. Then zoom out and see how many stretch across Finger Lakes and Western New York. Are there any drumlin fields where you live?

Sterling Renaissance Festival

Not too far east from the park, the Sterling Renaissance Festival has been operating a seasonal medieval fair for 45 years. With excellent performances, an abundance of scrumptious dishes and desserts, and shops featuring one-of-a-kind items, it is a must-see for anyone in Upstate New York. It’s open from July 4 weekend through mid-August, unless there is a pandemic.

Sterling Nature Center

Further east of Fair Haven is this 1400 acre natural park, consisting of wetlands, lakeshore, over 10 hiking trails, and another set of bluffs. The Nature Center offers programs and demonstrations throughout the year. Fair Haven is best for beaches and amenities, while the Sterling Nature Center and Preserve is a less developed park.

Colloca Estate Winery

This beautiful winery and vineyard is located on the other side of Little Sodus Bay and is worth a stop to pick up a few refreshments for your day at the beach. The estate allows guests to lay down a blanket and enjoy wine and cheese with beautiful views of the waterfront. There’s also an outdoor bar and eatery.

Sunsets

• The angle of the shore (towards the west) gives this park a nice vantage point for Lake Ontario sunsets.

Exposing for Beaches

• Digital camera sensors tend to see flecks of glare from water and sand and turns down the automatic exposure to compensate. This usually results in an overly dark scene. Keep an eye on this and be prepared to use exposure compensation to keep the beach looking bright and hot. Phone photographers can try tapping dark spots in the scene to get the camera to adjust exposure correctly.

The Bluffs

• When photographing the bluffs, try to use layering in your scene to convey depth. Stones and driftwood in the foreground and people standing next to the bluffs in the background work really well.
• Get your feet wet and (safely) step out into the water a little to get a wider shot. Use the shoreline as a foreground element.
• If shooting from the beach, the sky will end up being a great background element. Dramatic clouds will make for some amazing shots.

Birds

• The park is an important habitat for marshland species and a stopover for migrating birds. From purple sandpipers and red-throated loons to bald eagles, and owls, if you get there early enough and have some patience, you can spot a wide variety of species.
• Bring a long lens.
• I know of good spots for birds, but there may be more. Sterling Pond, which the park road wraps around is easily accessible from many points. Along the shore of Lake Ontario by the Jetties and where the shore is sandwiched between the lake and the marsh is an ideal spot for migrating birds.

More tips

• See the Articles and Message Board sections for more photography tips.

Fair Haven Beach State Park
14985 State Park Road
Fair Haven, NY 13064
Phone: (315) 947-5205
[email protected]
Camping reservations