Hempstead Lake State Park — Attraction in Town of Hempstead

Thanks to the park map and the photo posted on the NYS Park System website, I have decided to checked this park out to see if it's somewhere closer home to relax and to enjoy a hot meal by a manicured lakeside in with family and/or acquaintances. It is not.

The park ground is generally well kept and mosquito-free. There is a huge cobweb outside the restroom but it is very clean within. There is a sausage in one of the grill stands and quite a few of these are unswept but those probably do not add up enough to bar enjoyment. The facilities are, however, all far removed from the lake.

A few very run down picnic tables are dumped by the southern side of the Northeast Pond. The area is intended for model boat maniacs who probably are expected to care about nothing but their model boats. There are tables only, no grills. Water in the pond looks murky.

I hiked the Hempstead Lake Trail on the side where all the facilities are located. I gathered so little view of the lake from among the tree branches that I decided not to waste my time finishing the trail on the opposite side of the lake where there are no facilities. There are access paths that lead down to the lakeside. Those give a generous dose of lakeview. Do expect to cater for mosquitoes if you contemplate quiet enjoyment of the lake for a couple of minutes down there. A couple of these are quite badly littered.

Things could be different on the trail I did not travel. It does appear that the lake is there to regulate the...

Upon pulling in to the parking lot, you are greeted with a sign of 4 things that are prohibited. 2 of them are Alcohol, and another is loud music. There was a lot of both of these, and Park staff did absolutely NOTHING about it. There were several ice cream trucks that played that traditional ice cream truck sound all throughout my time there, and out of respect for the rules, my music was at a decent volume, but couldn't hear it over an ice cream truck further away. As the late comers came in, the park was flooded with families playing all different kinds of music of Hispanic culture and each one of them had it on max volume so I had to hear a messy mix from all over that just sounded like noise..... and not the good kind. I couldn't go anywhere without a bunch of people that don't watch their kids (or their dogs), but instead lean back on a hammock with Coronas in their hand yelling "EYYY MAN, HIYA DOOIIN?!" as if I knew them or something. It was ridiculous how neglectful staff are to that, and I'm grateful to never have to see the inside of that...

Quiet park with lots to offer. There are Lakes, basketball courts, fishing, lots of hiking or riding a bike, playgrounds, a carosuel. there's a whole lot. Parking is $8 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. from april 1 til columbus day (weekdays are free before and after the prime season - memorial to labor day). You can also access the park by foot or bicycle via eagle ave and lakeside dr. (Added 3/18/22) --- the state began a construction project in the fall and they have made great improvements since then. Legit openings in the fence to the beach on the Southeast side of Hempstead lake and brand new stairways down to the beach all over the east side of the lake, a very large fishing dock with a capacity of probably about 20 or 30 people on the west side, an overlook walking path on the west side along with a great canoe/ kayak launch. Both the overlook and the kayak launch are wheelchair accessible. For bikers and joggers they are in the process of making a bike jogging path along lake Road to also slow down the traffic that easily goes 40-50 mph at...