Golden Hill State Park

Golden Hills is a small New York State Park right on the shores of Lake Ontario. It is in the middle of nowhere, which adds to its charm. If you need a place to relax and unwind with a spectacular view, you can't beat this place.

I would recommend making reservations online (do the per-registration you are emailed after you make your payment) and trying to get on the loop closest to the lake. These sites are treed, pull through, have 50 amp electric and water. Once parked, you have only the loop road and a nice grassy area between you and the lake. You can sit and watch the water and passing freighters all day long if you wish!

There are other camping loops that don't quite have the full-on view of the water, but are still nice. They vary as to water and electric, you'll have to check the campground website. The public space right along the lake shore will still give you the view. There are also a number of primitive sites for tent camping. Most of the sites along the lake are fairly level, but we positioned our motor home to avoid hitting the trees with our awning, and found ourselves on a slope. So bring some extra pads for leveling just in case.

The park also boasts a very nice playground, some hiking trails, yurts, nice new bathrooms, a decent dump station, and a boat launch (about 1 mile east of the camping area). I didn't see any swim area. The Thirty Mile Point Lighthouse is right in the campground! You can tour the lighthouse for $1 per person. The attached museum is free.

If the conditions are right, you can see Toronto across the lake. In the area is the Niagara Wine Trail with wineries close by.

We didn't try OTA television, although someone mentioned getting Toronto stations in their RV. Verizon Cell Service was weak. My cell phone booster didn't boost the signal at all. I found if I put my phone (as a hot spot) in the window of the RV, I could pick up a weak 4G, 1 or 2 bar signal most of the time. That was enough for Internet. But if we wanted to talk on the phone, we typically drove to the entrance of the campground. The phone would only occasionally work in the RV for voice. Walking the 20 feet from the RV to the edge of the lake resulted in no service. Yes, it's that touchy!

This is one of those campgrounds you hesitate to review because you don't want to let the word get out. It was that nice and relaxing. We'll be back.

Initially I was ready to give Golden Hill a 4-star rating but how a situation was handled with a belligerent camper lowered my rating to a 2-star.

Positives – Great location! Right on the shore of Lake Ontario with incredible lake views, the sunrises and sunsets were breathtaking, and a beautiful lighthouse & lighthouse keeper’s house that you can tour for only $1. Our tour guide was excellent. There is a building onsite that contains the history of the lighthouse as well as a small library for campers including games and kids books, very well done. Lake view sites cost more but do have nice views. The bathroom/shower house closest to the lighthouse is newer, spacious and is quite nice, 3 nice showers and a “unisex/handicapped” room with toilet, sink and shower (the outside could use a good cleaning though, coated in bugs and bird droppings) and has an added bonus of a laundry room with 2 washers and 2 dryers, $1.50 a load with the option for a heavy wash cycle for $1.75. Used them all and they worked A-OK! There is a 2nd bathroom/shower facility near the check in booth/office that was reasonably clean but older and of course, not as nice as the new building. The staff that checked us in was friendly. There is a dump station on-site and drinking water available throughout the park.
Note: sites 15, 16, 17, 18 appear on the campground map to be close enough to the shoreline to offer lake views (not considered premium sites) but they are sloped downward and you have to cross the road to see the lake.

Negatives – We weren’t told at check in that because of the unusually hot weather generator use would not be restricted to the usual 9 A.M. – 11 A.M. and 5 P.M. – 9 P.M. & generator hours are not posted, poor communication. We were wondering why the camper across the road was running their generator 24 hours a day.

Here’s the reason for the 2-star rating: A family/group moved into a yurt behind us, set up 3 tents (tents are not allowed on yurt sites) I counted at least 13 people ranging in age from small children to 2 to 4 adults (well beyond the site limit). They used extremely profane language throughout the day, spoke offensively to 2 young boys walking near their site, set off fireworks the night of July 3rd (fireworks are illegal in the park), continued to be loud and use profane language well beyond the 10 P.M. “quiet time” & I won’t bore you with the other issues, but the list is long.

The onsite volunteers spoke to them about the violations & shared with us that one/some of the adults were smoking marijuana at the time, the park ranger/warden was contacted to act on the violations and he never showed up, a law enforcement officer came and spoke to them but took no action. The morning of their departure (they were allowed to stay the entire 2 nights they reserved) they were extremely unruly, very loud before 6 A.M. and carried on in an offensive manner that disrupted the entire park. The lady in the yurt next door even came out & asked them if they were aware of the park’s quiet hours. To top it all off, they set off several bricks of firecrackers as they left the park, one in front of their neighbor who asked them to quiet down and the other in front of the volunteer’s site.

In my opinion the Park Manger should have nipped this in the bud because of the number of serious violations, and the repeated warnings given without their compliance and insisted that either a park official or local law enforcement remove these people immediately. Their decision to not remove these troublemakers certainly did not protect, nor respect, the peaceful environment other campers who follow the rules expect and pay for. Shame on them!

The volunteers told us nothing this extreme has ever happened before and they were extremely apologetic, so this is not likely the norm, but I feel paid park management, should be trained and prepared to act promptly and effectively when these types of serious disruptions arise.

Also, shame on the law enforcement officer that had the authority to pursue and resolve the matter but did nothing.

Lovely park, but it wasn’t worth the drama, we won’t be returning.

The camp hosts were very accommodating and opened the lighthouse for us so we could take sunset pictures from the viewing platform. They were also generous and enthusiastic in sharing what they knew about the history of the lighthouse. There were several church references, but no actual proselytizing.

We enjoyed the lakefront view from our shaded site along the bluff, and fellow campers were quiet and appropriately friendly during our Mon-Wed. stay. We saw some wildlife - a raccoon, a green heron, and several spotted leopard frogs - and enjoyed easy hikes through meadows, shrubs, woods, and along the lake and streams. The Drake archaeological dig at the eastern edge of the park was also interesting.

There is a second new bathroom in service next to the old, shuttered facility near the playground and campground office. It doesn't have laundry or a family/unisex bathroom, but was modern, clean, well-lit, and thankfully air-conditioned during a very hot time.

But.

Dairy odors are an issue, depending on which way the wind is blowing. If there's no wind, then the odors settle more heavily.

The campground office was closed before 5 when we went to get ice.

Lastly, we were awakened by mowers mowing *right* outside our open windows one morning, which startled and puzzled us. This is the first time we've *ever* experienced large mowers mowing a site while it was occupied, particularly so close to the rig, and it seems an incredibly unwelcoming practice. We also observed that the staff duplicated efforts, with first one mower and then another mowing the same sites, same sections. That's an inappropriate use of taxpayers/ratepayers monies.

Oddly, the grass at the marina parking area that same day was longer than it should have been for good tick control. You'd think they would've mowed that portion of the park first, so as not to disturb campers. And since there is So. Much. Grass., we were hearing mowers all day long, even when we were across the inlet and in the woods. The inappropriateness of the mowing timing/location, etc. is a deal breaker for us and we likely won't return.

We had 1 bar on Verizon in the morning, "no service" in the afternoon and evening, even with a cell booster. The AT&T phone was able to connect anytime it was within range of the booster.

After a bit of a back-roads drive NW from Rochester, we arrived at the park on a Tuesday (9/11) and there were only a handful of campers. The drive along the lake was gorgeous, but a bit bumpy. Also, there were several low bridges with clearances under 12 feet. (hence the 3-star 'access' rating) The last few turns took you through large orchards and dairy farms (are we going the right way?!).

Since the lake-front sites were $5 more per night and some did not have water, we selected an open field back-in site the next (last) row back with 30 amp + water. FYI, there's also a non-refundable $9 booking fee. It was a nice level spot with a lot of space on either side and behind, and a great view of the lake!

At dusk and dawn several deer were grazing behind us in the tree-bordered field (ripe apples on the ground). And the stars on the cool clear nights were amazing. During the day, visit one or more of several wineries and orchards in the fertile great lakes area.

This park was converted from federal to state land as part of a program to maintain historical sites. It was one of several lighthouses on Lake Ontario in the heyday of water freight shipping. The lighthouse and keepers' home is wonderfully maintained and provides daily tours ($2). The house itself can also be rented! The campground also has yurts for rent (two are handicap accessible) plus two nice bathhouses.

We'd definitely go back again if up that way (we are from NY & have family there). If coming in the summer pay more for water front or middle/park area for shade trees as it can get hot and humid.

This was a great and quiet campground when we were there. We did not have any problems with unruly guests or noise. We did book far in advance in the "B" area so maybe that was the reason. We watched the sun set over Lake Ontario each night. The campground was well kept and the staff was pleasant. We also visited the lighthouse on the property, which our daughter loved. We also visited Niagara Falls from this location and it was about 50 minutes by car. We had visited Niagara Falls before so it was good to be close but yet outside the busyness of the falls.

If you visit Niagara Falls, be sure to bring your passport so you can go on the Canadian side. The US side is awesome but getting the Canadian vantage point completes the experience.

Golden Hill State Park is located in Western New York in the Town of Summerset, right on the south shore of Lake Ontario. The park is one of the smaller state parks in New York, just 510 acres, but it packs a lot of value for its size, with hiking trails throughout the park, a boat launch and a lighthouse.

The top draw at Golden Hill State Park is the Thirty-Mile Point Lighthouse. The original lighthouse was decommissioned in 1958 by the US Coast Guard and replaced by an ugly tower with an electric light (that since has also been decommissioned). Today the lighthouse is open daily for tours between 2 & 4 PM at the bargain price of $1 for adults and .50 for children. We did get a chance to tour the lighthouse and enjoy the great views from the light tower. Having grown up and spending my summers on lake Ontario in sight of the lighthouse light, this was something I have been looking forward to doing for a long time.

During our stay, we enjoyed hiking on the trails with our dogs, Monty and Zephyr. The trails are well maintained and mostly shaded by the woods, which was a cool relief on a hot day. One night we drove into Barker for hamburgers at “In The Mix Brewing and Creamery”. It is a micro-brewery that specializes in beer-infused ice cream.

The campground has 59 campsites that vary from full-hookup to boondock sites. Our site had water and 30 amp electric, and we paid $21 per night. Our site was out in an open field with no shade. It had a gravel pad and included a picnic table and fire ring. The best sites are 1-12 (full hook-up) and 36-45 (electric). They offer shade with views of the lake and of the lighthouse. I would caution families with young children that there is a steep embankment leading to the lake next to these sites.

Campground amenities include a lighthouse-themed playground, well-maintained hiking trails, disc golf, fishing, and boating. Swimming in the lake is not available at the park. The campground has 3 comfort stations, 2 of them with showers. A laundry area is available in one of the comfort stations. The lighthouse includes a cottage that is available for rent, and there are 6 yurts that can be rented.

We had a very peaceful and relaxing stay at Golden Hill State Park, and we look forward to returning again in the future. To see more of our stay at Golden Hill State Park, please be sure to check out our video on our YouTube Channel - “Zephyr Travels”.

See you down the road …Zephyr

My husband and I arrived early for our reservation and lucky for us the spot was ready at no extra charge. Everyone we encountered was really kind and helpful. The nights were super peaceful and we really enjoyed being so close to Lake Ontario and all the stars. It was a bit out of the way but we really liked that.

We arrived around 6pm and the camp host was able to accommodate us in an overflow site that even had electrical. The campground grounds were well kept there was a view of the lake from most of the sites. The builds could use some attention and updating.

Overlooking Lake Ontario, this state park campground is flat with some open and some shaded sites. Reasonably priced at $29 a night for Water/Electric, my only complaint is the addition fee for an out of state camper. Makes sense to me if they let residents make reservations earlier, but why make out of state campers less likely to stay due to cost? We were here on a Wednesday and Thursday. While it was fairly well occupied, there were plenty of vacancies that could be filled by out of state campers.

The park is small and quiet. Nice sites mostly level with many shade trees. Waterfront sites have great view of Lake Ontario. Bring binoculars to see the ships going by. Spotlessly clean restrooms with nice showers. Clean small coin laundry available. One of our favorite campsites of a 5 thousand mile trip.