As a born and bred New Englander, I’m definitely an “ocean beach” snob. Give me waves and salty air over, well, a sometimes questionable lake beach experience. I thought my first trek to a Rochester-area lake had traumatized me for life. I don’t know if it was the green lake sludge or putrid lake smell that scarred me the most, but it was bad.

After visiting Kershaw Park Beach in Canandaigua, Ontario County, I changed my mind.

Is it really “hidden?”

No – it’s right at the north tip of Canandaigua Lake, near the bustling heart of the City of Canandaigua.

Then, what’s the “secret”?

I didn’t realize how relaxing a beach trip can be! It was just my boys, ages 2 and 5, and me. Usually, with ocean beaches, I’m constantly following my kiddos into the water, making sure they stay safe. I don’t want fierce ocean waves dragging my extremely lightweight 2-year-old out to sea!

I love playing with my boys in the water. But – WOW! How nice it was to lounge on a beach towel, watching them splash and swim! The water was super calm (no waves!) as they played in a roped-off swimming area under a lifeguard’s watchful eyes. The water was also clean—no scary green lake sludge!

Favorite Parts

We went right as the beach opened at 10 a.m. on a Monday; for the first 30 to 45 minutes, we had the beach practically to ourselves. There’s even a grassy area if you don’t like getting too sandy.

You can buy food–ice cream, pretzels, nachos, etc. The surrounding park  includes walking paths around the lake, a playground and picnic tables.

The views were breathtaking. Puffy white clouds dotted the clear blue skies. Powerboats, sailboats and paddle boarders bobbed about in the area outside the roped-off swimming area. Lake homes and the rolling hills of nearby towns hugged the shoreline

The Details

Season: May 27, 2017 to Sept. 4, 2017
Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily (hours are different in June)

Price: Resident tags are $1 per person. For non-residents, it’s $5 for an adult and $2 for a child (ages 6-18), and free for kids 5 and under.

For more information, go to: http://www.canandaiguanewyork.gov/index.asp?SEC=97D1D0A4-3F38-4499-8D39-600155294C96&Type=B_BASIC

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Joy Auch

Joy lives in Ontario County with her boys (two sons and her hubby). She runs to stay sane and spends lots of time with her boys splashing in their creek and catching frogs and snails. She is a New England native who promises not to share her sports allegiances, although as an alumna of Syracuse University, she loves (loves) SU sports! Joy is a corporate communications manager at Excellus BlueCross BlueShield.

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