Lakeside State Park Campground
Katherine P.
Reviewed Aug. 30, 2018

Pleasant Views, Needs Upgrades

We wanted to have a nice camping experience in a quieter area, and this place delivered on that. It's located kind of in the middle of nowhere, on the bluffs above Lake Ontario. It's a nice drive on the Lake Ontario Parkway, which abruptly ends here at the park.

We have a dog, and only certain loops are dog friendly. We ended up in Loop D, Site 20. All the other sites on the lake had been reserved, but 20 has a nice view of the water through the trees, and it's nicely sheltered from the wind. It is mostly packed gravel, which was sort of an issue for our tent (nice, gravelly area in the vestibule which wasn't that comfy) and for putting our dog on a tie out - the gravel basically kept us from using it, because we couldn't screw it into the ground.

We stayed on a Wednesday and Thursday night, which had some advantages (it was nice and quiet) and some disadvantages (the Camp Store is open from 3-8 Monday-Thurs, so we had to travel around the area to find firewood.)

There is no beach access here, but your reservation stub gives you access to Hamlin Beach State Park, which has a beach, and if you want to look at the 30-mile point lighthouse, you also get access to Golden Hill State Park.

There's a lot of nice paths to walk on, and mowed meadows with pretty views of the lake. There are playgrounds near each loop, and there's a fully functioning Camp Store, when it's open.

The shower/bathrooms are kinda old and could use an upgrade. They're perfectly functional, but the disabled one looked like it was in poor repair, and the stalls don't lock that well. I wasn't particularly worried about anyone running off with my stuff, but there's less privacy than other NYS campgrounds.

Overall, this is a nice, quiet park and a good place to hang out.

SiteD20
Month of VisitSeptember
  • Review photo of Lakeside State Park Campground by Katherine P., August 30, 2018
  • Review photo of Lakeside State Park Campground by Katherine P., August 30, 2018
  • Review photo of Lakeside State Park Campground by Katherine P., August 30, 2018
  • Review photo of Lakeside State Park Campground by Katherine P., August 30, 2018