Seabreeze Pier and Beach

Looking straight down the pier towards the beacon and Lake Ontario at Seabreeze.

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Location / Directions / Maps

Location: On Lake Ontario; near Irondequoit Bay; northeast of the City of Rochester; town of Irondequoit; Monroe County; New York.

Maps: Google Map; Topographic; Interactive map

GPS Coordinates:

Parking area: (N 43.23488 /W 77.53473)
End of pier: (N 43.23828 / W 77.53347)

Directions: From NY-104, get off at the Culver Rd exit in Irondequoit. Head north on Culver Rd for about 3.5 miles. After Culver passes Seabreeze Amusement park it will approach the lake and turn right. Pass the Bill Gray’s restaurant (on the right) and some homes on the left. Just before you get to the swing bridge (which may be closed for the season) the parking area will be on your left. Or use Google Maps.

Parking: The lot right at the beach has space for 8 cars. Alternatively, across Culver Rd is a larger lot with room for 16 cars. In summer, all of the lots around here will fill up quickly.

Weather

ROCHESTER WEATHER

Algae-covered rocks along the pier at Seabreeze. The photo is captured at a low angle making the relatively small rocks look large like a rocky coastline.

Information / Accessibility / Accommodations

Typical Seasons/Hours: Daylight hours. Year-round.

Admission: Free.

Best time to visit: Summer weekdays.

Time: 30 minutes.

Handicap accessibility: A paved walk leads from the parking area to the ends of the swing bridge and also up the pier.

Pets: Allowed on a leash (which is a county law).

Swimming: Officially swimming is not allowed here. There are no lifeguards and the beach is not monitored for bacterial contamination. Folks do swim here. Obviously, use caution if you make that choice.

Boat launch: This is a part of the Irondequoit Bay State Marine Park. A boat launch is located directly across the street. You can hand launch craft into Lake Ontario from the beach here.

Camping: Not allowed. No facilities.

Accommodations: There’s a restroom next to the parking lot. The Irondequoit Bay State Marine Park has boat launches. Nearby are several local eateries. Marge’s Lakeside Inn, which is a bar, is located a few houses down. Seabreeze Amusement park is just down the road. Swimming is allowed at nearby Durand Eastman Park.

Small waves hitting the shore at Seabreeze Beach.

Description

The pier at Seabreeze is a favorite spot for locals to catch a summer sunset over the lake. The adjacent beach, a little-known part of the Irondequoit Bay State Marine Park, is a 2-acre slice of sandy lakefront property at the junction of Lake Ontario and Irondequoit Bay, right next to the heavily-trafficked pier and boat launch. From the parking area, there are three ways to go: south to the bay, north on the paved trail to see the swing bridge and head out onto the pier, or across the sandy beach to get your feet wet in Lake Ontario. At only 2 acres, the spot is not large at all, and the pier can get pretty packed on hot summer weekends. If you manage to get there when there are no crowds, it can be quite peaceful and offer some of the best sunsets to be had in the area.

The Irondequoit Bay Outlet at Seabreeze Pier (on the left)

Tree-lined trail leading from the parking area to Seabreeze Pier on Lake Ontario and Irondequoit Bay.

A view looking down the side of Seabreeze Pier, past algae-covered stones, out at Lake Ontario

History

British forces, under the command of Brigadier General John Prideaux, camped on this very spot for 2 days during the Prideaux Campaign in July of 1759 (a part of the French and Indian War). The campaign ran from Oswego to Four Mile Creek to prepare for an attack on Fort Niagara, which was held by the French at the time. On this spot, British soldiers camped and ran drills, while their ships docked in the bay. The campaign eventually reached Fort Niagara, and while John Prideaux was killed, the French eventually capitulated.

In 1879, Seabreeze Park opened on a plot of land just south of here, formerly where the city’s sewage disposal was located. A neighboring park, known as “Boardwalk Park” was built shortly after on the north side of Culver Rd. Due to a land dispute with the Rochester Suburban Railway Company in the early 1900s, it was relocated to the south side of Culver Rd. It eventually went out of business in the 1950s. The water park of Seabreeze now exists in that location. Homes and cottages sprung up in its original location on the lake where Boardwalk Park once was. Seabreeze Amusement Park has continued operation for over 140 years.

A historical marker on the beach commemorating the Seneca Tribe of the Iroquois, the "Keepers of the western door"

Hiking / Walking Trails

Difficulty: Easy. Paved path.

Distance: A few hundred feet.

Markings: None.

Description: This is a very small beach and pier. From the parking area, you can head right through the opening in the trees and walk on the sand to the lake, or head over to the paved walkway near the Irondequoit Bay outlet. The paved path leads past the swing bridge and down the pier. That’s all there is to it.

Maps: See the interactive map below.

Seabreeze Pier and Beach Interactive Map

Fishing

Fishing is allowed at the pier. It’s not a very wide area, so be cautious of other people.

A view of the graffiti-covered beacon at the end of the pier and Lake Ontario in the background.

Interesting Stuff

World’s Greatest Cheeseburger?

Local favorite Bill Gray’s claims to be the “Home of the World’s Greatest Cheeseburger.” The Irondequoit location is within walking distance of the beach. I’ve tried it and, while good, it’s simply not the world’s greatest. Not even close.

Irondequoit Bay Outlet Bridge (IBOB)

The swing bridge was built to span the outlet of the bay for vehicular traffic in winter months, while opening for marine traffic in the warmer seasons. It swings into the storage position on April 1st, and to the in-use position (open to vehicular traffic) on November 1st.

When it opened in 1998, the Bobtail Swing Truss Bridge won two engineering awards. It replaced a two-lane bridge on timber pile supports that spanned the outlet from 1929 to 1985.