Rochester (New York) beaches and boating · Beaches and boating in Rochester (New York)
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Beaches and boating in Rochester (New York)
Beaches and boating in Rochester (New York)
For a city with so many waterways, it's surprising that waterfront activities are so far down the list for most visitors. True, neither the river nor the canal is suitable for swimming (and the lake only barely so), but boating can be a great way to spend an afternoon.
There are two beaches in the city proper:
Durand-Eastman Park, . Apr-Oct: 7AM-11PM; Nov-Mar: M-Th 7AM-4PM, F-Su 7AM-11PM. George Eastman and Dr. Henry Durand donated their summer-cottage lakefront properties to the city in 1909, and the park is now a popular summer getaway for everyone. Its beach is open for swimming during the summer, and it's less often closed due to water conditions than Ontario Beach. Also has a golf course and other standard park amenities. �
Ontario Beach Park, 4650 Lake Ave (Lake Ontario State Parkway or Route 104 to Lake Ave, north to the lake). Located at the northernmost reaches of the city, Ontario Beach is the most popular beach area in Rochester. Swimming is open 11AM-7PM daily during the summer, unless water conditions are unacceptable (which happens about half the time, sadly), but there are other things to do. In particular, the 1905 Dentzel carousel should not be missed. �
Boats can be launched at the Port of Rochester where the river empties into the lake; on Irondequoit Bay; or along the canal in many surrounding suburbs like Pittsford and Fairport.
If you don't have your own boat, there are a couple of nice cruises available, including the Sam Patch replica packet boat in Pittsford. For boats departing from the city:
Harbor Town Belle, 1000 N River St, ☎ +1-800-836-8930, . daily 12PM, 3PM, 6PM. This 80-foot paddlewheeler recalls the heyday of the Mississippi riverboats. It docks at the Port of Rochester and cruises both up the river and out onto the lake. Lunch and dinner cruises available, including specialty packages. Fall foliage cruise in October. Adults $12, under 10 $6. �
Mary Jemison River Boat, office: 12 Schoen Pl, Pittsford (departs Corn Hill Landing, 301 Exchange Blvd), ☎ +1 585 262-5661, . early May - late Oct. The Mary Jemison, run by Corn Hill Navigation, departs from and returns to Corn Hill Landing, just south of downtown. It takes a 90-minute cruise up the river to the canal and back, with historical information provided by an on-board narrator. Lunch and dinner cruises available. �
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Rochester (New York) Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.