Home > Recreation > State ParksBeechwood State Parkjust west of 7563 Lake Rd. Sodus, NY 14551 315-947-5205 Services: C,K,M,Y,BB,CC
LocationThe entrance to the park is an unmarked gravel driveway immediately to the west of the Maxwell Creek Inn (7563 Lake Rd., Sodus, NY 14551), both of which are on the north side of the road. The northern boundary of the park is the shore of Lake Ontario, and the eastern boundary is Maxwell Creek. (The creek is also known as Salmon Creek, however, there are other Salmon creeks in the area, a reference to the fact that salmon from the lake use the creek for spawning.)
HistoryBeechwood is 150 acres of undeveloped, unmarked land with 3,500 ft./1,067 m. of shoreline along Lake Ontario. It was, until a few years ago, a Girl Scout camp. The buildings are still standing, some more than others. Explore them at your own risk. What There Is NotThere are no facilities of any kind, especially bathroom facilities. There are no docks or formal launch areas. There are no signs or marked trails.
There is no beach. There certainly was a beach at one time, the typical Lake Ontario beach with small and large stones (the larger ones being known as cobblestones) underlaid with sand. However, there have recently been a number of landslides, and the beach is now covered with downed trees, sand, and rocks that have fallen from the bluffs. These are dangerous and shouldn't be climbed.
What There IsWithin easy walking distance of the car park is a flat, muddy area that can be used for the launching of kayaks and canoes into Maxwell Creek just before it enters Maxwell Bay. The Bay exits into Lake Ontario.
There are roughly 2 mi./3.2 km. of mowed trail that are excellent for easy walking, snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing. This includes what used to be the main road into the camp, which was gravel at the time but is now mowed grass shaded by tall trees.
There are many gorgeous very tall and very large trees, especially black cherry, beech, and tamarack. There are also numerous wildflowers, both native and non-native. There is a wide variety of wildlife, and birding is good, especially during migration.
This is a wonderful place to picnic despite the lack of tables.
There is biking along Lake Road that is easy to moderate in difficulty and scenic with many cobblestone homes and orchards in the area. NearbyOn the east side of Maxwell Creek Inn is a driveway leading to the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's fishing access site for Maxwell Bay. It has a parking lot, a short trail, and spots from which to launch kayaks and canoes into the bay.
Directly across the road from the inn is a paved parking lot. From the rear of the lot is a narrow dirt trail that runs along (upstream) Maxwell Creek. If you follow this upstream a short ways, you will come to a beautiful waterfall. This land is owned by Wayne County and is open to the public.
Directly across from the old entrance to the camp is School House Country Store at 7290 Lake Road. This is a gift shop in a lovely one-room schoolhouse. Within Easy Driving Distance
Map: The only map of the park appears to be one in Take a Hike by Rich and Sue Freeman (see below), and that one is slightly out of date. See also: http://footprintpress.com/paddling/SalmonCreek.htm Key to ServicesA-Beach B-Biking C-Boat Launch Sites
E-Cabins F-Camper Recreation G-Campsites H-Dockage I-Dumping Station J-Empire Passport Accepted K-Fishing L-Food M-Hiking N-Marina O-Nature Trail P-Pavilions Q-Picnic Tables R-Playground S-Playing Fields T-Powerboats U-Recreation Programs V-Showers W-Sledding X-Snowmobiling Y-Snowshoeing Z-Tent/Trailer Sites AA-Vacation Rentals BB-X-Country Skiing CC-Scenic Views DD-All above
Updated 13 July 2009 |
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D-Boat Rentals
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