Fair Haven Beach State Park — Attraction in Town of Sterling

Beaches! Water is shallow a decent distance from shore. So it’s usually nice and not freezing cold water until you get out further and it gets cooler but still sooo nice. All sandy! There is a short walk from the paved walkway to the water thru the sand. Nothing like the ocean walks!

Beaches again! The sand is SO SOFT. You have the option to go to a beach that is monitored with a lifeguard BUT no toys allowed in the water. Example is pool noodles, boogie boards, balls and so on. There is a wheelchair accessible pad down to get to the water in the lifeguard section.

Beaches again again… The non life guard water is for the rebels. The beaches (2+ others-nothing big, none of them are HUGE but good sized!) anyways, the beaches without the lifeguard is a RESPECTFUL free for all. People of all ages are in that water so if you play ball or use the boogie board, be respectful of the people around you. There was always enough room for people when I went. The water is so clear.

Public! Nobody was out of control or acting crazy, it’s monitored by park officials. You can bring in your food/junk/whatever but when throwing it in the public garbages, they are separated with cans vs garbage. Everyone used the garbages properly and didn’t trash the beaches. Probably best to bring a bag to put things in if you’ll have a decent amount of trash.

Pets! Watch out for dog shhhhhht. Animals are allowed. BUT for the love of god pick up their CRAP. Or ask someone if they have something. Be smart and prepared if you bring your pet. Obviously leashed at all times. Dogs have gone in the water but were on a longer leash and away from most of the people.

Bathrooms! Holy bathrooms. There are several good sized lodges with many bathrooms. They also have showers but you need to bring your own stuff. They do have a couple wheelchair accessible bathrooms/family bathrooms separate from the others. That one also has a shower inside the room as well. So it’s really convenient for all people. There’s a paved walkway. It goes a decent distance along the waterway. I haven’t traveled it all the way so I don’t kno how far it goes but it goes!

Parking SUCKS. Just take any spot you can. Don’t double park. It’s not that far of a walk at all tho. There are several parking lots. Each accessible to each beach.

Food! Don’t guarantee there are any foods there. I would bring your own. There was a “store” but ended up just being a lodge. No food. Not open. It’s being used for private parties or nothing. You cannot get food when I went.

Bluffs! I’m not sure if you can walk to the bluffs or whatever they’re called. You can see them at a distance but I doubt they make a walkway

Fishing! You can fish but it’s not very productive unless you have a little boat (yes boats are allowed but you have to clean it prior to entering water. OR ELSE! But I didn’t catch anything. Bites but nothing more during shore fishing. There’s also not much room on the shore to fish. I don’t kno how good fishing is out in the deeper water.

Cost! It’s a public park so there is a fee to get in. I think it was like 9$? It could vary. Cash or card but if there’s no attendant, you may only be in luck with a card. I would bring exact cash and a debit/credit card. Prices subject to change I assume. This was summer 2025

Smoking! Whatever you smoke, if you do, do not do it on the beach around people. If anyone did smoke, they did it away from others and disposed properly.

Playground! I don’t think there’s a playground, if there is I didn’t notice it. There may be one but I cant confirm nor deny. I was too focused on the water. Maybe there was one actually. I don’t kno. Sorry!

Camping! Contact the park as there are campsites available. There are also passes for year round or lifetime access.

Think that’s all?

I couldn’t find the pics I took so here’s one I guess. Yes this was taken...

Updated May 31 2021- In the past I did a review for a camping site. This is an update of a cabin site. This is my experience with cabin #21. Amenities vary from cabin to cabin. Ranging from rustic, without heat, to having a stove and a refrigerator. Be mindful when booking your cabin if you have specific needs.

Cabin 21: (see photos) The back of the cabin faces the road, creating a more private experience Refrigerator Electric Baseboard Heat 2 sets of bunk beds. One set of single beds, one with single on top and full size on the bottom. 2 ceiling fans, one on each side of the cabin, with their own control to adjust on/off and fan speed. Built in table/counter Several light fixtures. 1 on the wall by the table, one near each bed, and one on the ceiling on each side of the cabin. Each with its own switch Several electrical outlets, many with USB ports. Large, secluded outdoor area with fire ring

The cabin is listed as handicapped accessible, and it does have a ramp, but a person with mobility issues may still have difficulty. The beds (even the lower bunk) are a big high off the floor, and the walk to the restrooms is not paved and is uneven.

If you are looking to enjoy nature in a well kept friendly atmosphere, you need to look no further than Fair Haven Beach State Park, nestled on the shores of Little Sodus Bay, Lake Ontario. Our campsite was well groomed. Milkweed lined the back of the site, which invited Monarch butterflies. The pond on the grounds is home to several swans and we had the pleasure of viewing a swan family with cygnets. The trails are easy to hike to people of little to moderate hiking experience. Probably not much of a challenge to more experienced hikers.

We stayed at campsite 55, which was listed as full shade, but in reality it has a good mix of sun and shade. Electric is available at this site, but not all sites have electric.

Nice beach, with lifeguards and well kept, clean beach house/shower. Be sure to go down to the beach area at day's end for an unforgettable...

The non-electric campsites are very secluded, flat, and quiet; I was pleasantly surprised. I did look at the electric camp sites, and they seem noisier, packed, and busier. I would suggest a non-electric campsite if you can self-sustain.

The park itself is very nice. Lots of amenities; sandy beach with swimming, cabins, cottages, camp store, cafe, boating, and more. My only real complaint about the camp itself is that the dumpsters for the Drumlin Loop (non-electric) are in a really stupid spot, they should be near the dump station.

The staff in the office, and the staff at the gates, aren't quite as friendly or accomodating as other state parks I've stayed at. My daughter wasn't camping with us or staying for more than 10 minutes, but we had her run us some supplies from home during a thunderstorm. She had her 1 year old baby with her, during a thunderstorm, and they wouldn't let her into the park without paying the day use fee of $9. They suggested she go into the office and register the vehicle as camping with us to avoid the fee, but that was really stupid to suggest a newborn mother to walk to the office with her baby during a thunderstorm and pouring rain. She tried reasoning with the gate keeper, but he just kept repeating "pay me $9" over and over. I know policies are policies, but sometimes an employee needs to use their discretion (and their brain) and do what's best. Also she only brought $8 with her because their website, phone recording, says the fee is $8 but when you get there, a small sign says the fee is $9.

All in all, it's a great park to camp at, I highly recommend it. Just don't expect to get any visitors to your camp site. I stayed at Selkirk Shores state park a few days prior to coming here, and they had no problems at all with letting visitors in, and didn't charge any fees. The people there are a bit older and wiser though, not teenage kids that can't think for...