What a great park with an absolutely stunning beach area! I was pleasantly surprised to learn about this place... even tho I've lived here all my life lol! Had some family photos taken here, the location was recommended by the photographer. We meet at the parking area near the white lady castle area. We walked down to the water where there's a small opening... and bam you are greeted with the beach area. Super happy with the area and how it became the perfect backdrop for our photos! read more

See all

On July 30th, while swimming at Durand Beach on Lake Ontario, I noticed a man hiding behind a tree watching women and masturbating. I got out of the water and, from a distance, he exposed his genitals to me. He is tall, with a strong build and dark skin. I recommend that visitors stay alert and that the beach administration increase security. read more

We are elderly and were appalled to find that there are no accessible walkways down to the beach. Rochester --- you can and should do better!! read more

I grew up in Rochester and never fully explored this park. We did a mid day hike around Eastman and Durand lake. We were comforted by all of the shade and it was so full of life. Birds, turtles, bullfrogs and fellow walkers and their dogs. Only downside is the parking. We had to park on the lake side parking lot and crossing the street was a little scary! Next time we're making a full day of it and having a picnic on the beach! read more

See all

There has always been something about a beach/woodlands that I love. Beaches, the water calm the nerves, as the woods do. Many people take a chair and just relax by the water, I have! Plus I've always enjoyed seeing the types of things that drift ashore. Quite often you'll see part of a tree, a board that has been out in the water for quite sometime. It tells a story. :) I may also say the wildlife that you see is beautiful. Plus the many faces of the water due to to weather, nice sky views telling us whats in the forecast. You see the many faces of Mother Nature here. I made a video not long ago at Durand's, enjoy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCRLOKRMhTQ read more

See all

I have yet to take in the full splendor of this park and explore it appropriately, but I have taken some amazing beachside walks with my dog during quarantine! I know there are trails, nature areas, and so much more to explore in this sprawling park - but just the beach walk itself is lovely if you're in a pinch for time and don't want to bust out a map. Parking for the beach is fairly easy with little parking lots and street parking lining the entire beachfront. I will say Lakeshore Blvd is NOT particularly pedestrian friendly, and folks just run across the street at random intervals. This happened on both my way in and out, so just be hyper aware of your surrounding whether you're in a car or walking. This is a long beach with plenty of room to spread out and enjoy Lake Ontario. I don't think pets are technically allowed in the beach area (per signs) yet MANY people had their pups down in the water cooling off from a hot day. I am looking forward to going back to enjoy all of the small trails and lake walks and taking in more of this stunning park! read more

This park is definitely one of Rochester's best-kept secrets. Shh! Don't tell anyone. Seriously though - there is a great variety of experience you can have here. 1. Trails - from the paved path along the shore, to the variety of trails around the smaller lakes/ponds, you can definitely get a good walk or hike in. Don't be afraid to explore and discover all sorts of nooks and crannies in the park. 2. The arboretum. Are you familiar with this? While not quite the same as Highland Park - nature enthusiasts will thoroughly enjoy the variety and beauty of the trees in this park. It really has been designed with relaxation in mind. On a recent trip here, my friend and I admired the magnolias, pines, and cherries. There is even a section for rhododendrons that I have been meaning to check out. Spring in the park is a rainbow of colors and scents. And there never seems to be that many people here. You can actually get away from civilization and relax, which you can't really experience at Highland as the lilacs get ready to bloom. And while there aren't as many lilacs as Highland, there are some, and you can enjoy them all the same! 3. Winter activities - x-country skiing, snowshoeing, sledding (there is a perfect hill for young children just off of Zoo Road. We've even seen some people playing ice hockey in the dead of winter when the ponds have frozen over. What else? Beach. Playground. Pavilions. Scenic Overlooks. Wildlife. It's a perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. read more

See all

Due to the increasing amount of rain this year, the water level was way too high for swimming this year. The beach is usually closed about half the time due to high bacteria or something like that. There are so many trails I have yet to explore at this "park". When it's hot, go to the trail towards Culver Rd, it's shaded by a ton of trees. When it's cooler, I tend to stay on the trail right by the water. The longer trail from Culver Rd to St. Paul Blvd is a nice straight shot. It's good for walking the pups, biking, and running. This trail is hilly if you are running. I ran this way a lot to help myself train for a 5K. There are grills to BBQ in the summer. It gets quite busy in the summer. Boats are in the water just hanging out by the beach. There are less than handful of port-o-potties on the longer trail. Check yourself and your dogs for deer ticks. I haven't had a problem but I have heard it from others. Please clean up after your pups, the garbage cans are right there. I love taking my dog here! The sunset is beyond gorgeous. Enjoy the scenery and breath in some fresh air. read more

Durand Eastman park is one of 4 area parks that is regularly groomed for skate skiing and traditional track nordic skiing. There are miles of trails and once the trails have been groomed, skied and packed in, the snow sticks around a while. My husband and I are avid cross-country skiers and we have skied all over the park, including across the pond (when it is frozen, of course), in the wooded ridge trails, all over the golf fairways, and on both sides of the road, including in areas that are not groomed. The park is beautiful, quiet, with ample parking, and when the temps are good, it is about the best you can get. When is the best time to go? We have been in morning and in afternoon, on weekdays and weekends, and the park is so big, it never feels crowded. There are trails for all levels of skiers, and lots of options for experiencing elevation changes. Note that there are no lights here though, so night skiing is only an option if you have your own head lamps. Prepare for the beauty of the park, maybe some wild animal sightings, and a great workout! read more

Perfect New Year's Day walk location to start the year off right! Enjoyed the paved walking trail and wooded area. It was nice to see so many other people (and dogs) out with the same idea, presumably. read more

Durand Durand was a fantastic band from Birmingham in the 1980s. They had amazing hits like "Girls On Beach" and "Hungry Like The Sunbathers", as well as "Wild Beach" and "A View To A Sunset." I really loved them, until they changed their name to "Dune-run Dune-run" and started playing Beach Boys covers. This is one of my local beaches and I come here all the time. I was here most recently about 2 weeks before I posted this review. I checked into it. Durand Eastman Park is a beautiful, long, skinny (like a lot of the girls that sunbathe here) beach. It's so picturesque and lovely, especially in the summer time. The rest of the year it can get bitterly nightmarishly cold. Because of the amazing sunrise and sunset (it faces North, so you get a bit of both) and the big park with lots of space to the south of the beach, and the free parking, and so on, it should really be a 5. The only reason it scores 4 is because it is absolutely filthy. You will find everything on this beach from beer bottles to remnants of lots and lots of people smoking. Also there's not much space on it, so it tends to be overcrowded on nice days at peak times. You won't have much private space. For that, I recommend heading a few miles west, crossing the river in Irondeqoit, and checking out Ontario State Beach. And I did once live out West you know. But these days I'm more of an Eastman. read more

Durand Eastman Park - Beaches Near Me - Rochester, New York

See all

So we came to this beach because our first choice was closed for some odd reason. This was a nice little beach and a really cool park in general. They have a small section open for swimming, smaller than most actually. This wasn't that bad though. At first I thought it was awesome because you have a treelike behind you and open water in front of you, that actually caused issues though. So a few of the major glaring problems they have we will go over. First and foremost, The gps will take you to private property and I had to call and ask people for directions. They have multiple large parking lots without details on where to park to go swim. Another issue is the bugs are terrible here. I mean we were getting swarmed by gnats constant. This was probably due to the woods behind us. The beach itself is in rough shape. There were a ton of twigs and rocks all over the beach which was just meh. Also it's hard to get sun when the trees behind you are causing you to be covered in shade. Not a bad place, but not the best. read more

Beautiful views and quite a lot of swimmers. Serene and peaceful. The sunset was stunning. Many people just walking and with dogs; joggers. Families. Beware, a woman stole the car keys of a swimmer. She searched through her clothes and by the time the swimmeer came out she was gone. The thief was walking by the beach alone dressed in black pants & top. read more

See all

Stopped here with a friend that I visited for a NYD walk. Have fond memories of coming here with a book in the summer. Despite the grey skies and light fog, it was a very enjoyable walk. read more

The beach was closed for swimming and I'm not sure why. Access to the beach from the parking lot required walking downhill through a steep path but later we found a safer path further down the parking lot. The beachfront was narrow and the sand was rocky with debris. I would not go back. There must be better beaches in Lake Ontario. read more

This park is absolutely beautiful. Great trails and good for picnicking. Nice walking trail over the bridge. Gets some great exercising. Great for cross country skiing in the winter. The park has a lot of history about the white lady. Fun story to read. Great place for an outdoor wedding. read more

Durand-Eastman Park is a year-round attraction that we are lucky to have here in Rochester. Cross-country skiing, snow shoeing, and sledding in winter (they actually track the snow for skiing). Hiking, golf, fishing, picnicking, and hanging out at the beach (assuming the water level recedes in the future) the rest of the year. This park is huge so you might want to go to the Monroe County website to print out a map before hiking or skiing or you may end up lost! A real natural treasure in Rochester. read more

Despite not being the fanciest spot for a summer outing, it is worth a trip every once in a while. I've enjoyed a handful of beach days at Durand. Although the shoreline is slim and often riddled with lake debris (shells, rocks and sticks), it can be a welcome spot for an afternoon hangout with friends. The sun shines and the sand is warm. Sip on some coronas (from a plastic cup, of course) and grill up some hot dogs and burgers. That's the extent of my visits and I always enjoy myself. I don't advise going in the water. While it's beautiful to look at, it's not so clean. A natural word of warning for any Lake Ontario beachgoer. read more

Beautiful park for all seasons. Great trails. Lots of wildlife. Love walking around the ponds. read more

Durand Eastman Park - Sweet baby deer at Durand Eastman Park June 2017. - Beaches Near Me - Rochester, New York

See all

We took a drive down and walked through the park. We saw deer walking through. It was magical. It's almost like you forget you're in the middle of Rochester. It's like a fairy garden. The kids loved seeing the deer. We took a walk down the trails. Can't wait for some warmer weather to explore more of the park. read more

Durand Eastman Park - Beaches Near Me - Rochester, New York

My husband came here while I played with our boys at the Strong Museum. He was enchanted and anxious for us to return with him. Even though it was a Saturday afternoon, the area we chose wasn't crowded at all. We weren't in the designated swim area, but there were several people parasailing. We also saw a few jet skis and boats, as well as a small dog swimming in a life vest. The water is really choppy. The beach is a long strip of super soft sand in front of a tree line, which helps block the sun. There is some debris like broken twigs and shells, but nothing major, and we didn't see any trash or broken glass in our general area. There's also a playground and nature trail. My husband can't wait to return despite the long drive. I have a hard enough time dragging him to Buffalo, let alone Rochester, so that's kind of a big deal. read more

This is just an incredible Park. Direct access to Lake Ontario. Great beaches picnic areas, a golf course. It's just a hidden gem. read more

See all

I absolutely LOVE Durand Eastman Park. In my opinion, it's a "hidden gem" with many little perks - including a hut with snacks/coffee, an Abbott's ice cream, many great picnic spots on green grass under large trees, and the BEST old fashioned carousel. My 3 year-old LOVES that there are more animals than just horses, but also pigs, birds, cows... you name it! I haven't gone swimming there - we usually just take a day trip during the spring/summer/fall and enjoy a walk along the water - but I highly recommend exploring the Park on a nice day. read more

Durand Eastman Park is a very large park at the northern end of Rochester. It's sprawling and gigantic, with lots of different types of venues and areas. The place that we spent the most time is at the large kid's playground in the forested area. I wish we'd gotten to spend more time here to do exploring. The trees are large and there seem to be a lot of trails that wind out and around the ravines. There's a beach area at the lake that is very popular. This is an area that you could spend an entire day just wandering and exploring. read more

It's a small beach so it can be a bit more quiet which is good or bad depending on what you want. You won't know if it smells bad or not till you get there from the dead fish or algae. The hiking trails are fairly easy and well defined. There's a couple of swampy ponds which will attract the mosquitoes. Mountain biking isn't allowed so I'm forced to run there. The trail running is fairly good. read more

Don't believe the bad reviews, come see, and smell for yourself. Durand Eastman is a wonderful oasis of nature, many planned gardens and different species of flora and fauna. It is not uncommon to find deer, wild turkeys, heron and many other wild animals. During a recent trail run, I saw a beautiful great blue heron fishing on Eastman Lake. Unfortunately, it was wary of my presence and kept lumbering off with a giant echoing cackle whenever I was approaching. I also watched a gull dive violently into the glass still lake for its breakfast. Pretty fun to watch. There are lots of unmarked trails, and many of them just seem to peter out inexplicably, but there is also a network of three maintained trails, blazed by color, yellow, blue and red. A very basic trail map is available on the county park web site. The Eastman Lake (yellow) trail, begins on Lake Shore Blvd. at the Northwest corner of Eastman Lake. It meanders in mostly gentle fashion around the Lake, and is the longest of the three trails, at roughly 1.5 miles. It ends a few hundred yards short of Lake Shore Blvd. on Log Cabin Road. Directly across Log Cabin is the start of the Durand Lake (blue) trail which circumnavigates Durand Lake. Similar in length to the yellow trail, but more technical. As you near the end of the West side of the Lake, you can turn left to continue on around Durand Lake, or pick up the Trott Lake (red) trail, which takes you uphill and back out onto Log Cabin for a couple hundred yards before taking you back into the woods for a twisty and technical circuit around the East side of Trott Lake. It is less than a mile in length, and before you know it, you are back at the junction for the blue trail, which will take you back up to Lake Shore Blvd. along the East side of Durand lake. The entire length of all three trails is under 3.5 miles for a one way jaunt. At the end of the blue trail, you could simply walk west a half mile or so along Lake Shore Blvd. back to the Eastman Lake trailhead, or just change course and head back to follow the three trails in reverse order. An out and back on the three trails is a pretty good workout at nearly 7 miles. Trailheads are not very well marked, but not terribly hard to find either. Tree blazes are infrequent, but navigable. I'd like to see better trailhead signage and more frequent trail blazes to make these trails a bit more user friendly. The woods are peaceful and quiet, save for the occasional scurrying of unseen furry animals in the brush, frogs bellowing, or a fish jumping. Birds will also make themselves known. It is a really tranquil place to spend an early evening or early morning walk. Even on warm days, the tree canopy provides ample cooling. There are numerous labelled gardens off the driveable park roads Of Log Cabin, Zoo and Pine Valley. There are some wonderful shaded picnic shelters which can be reserved and places for young and old to meander and play. A great spot for bird watching or just escaping the rush of everday life. The beach area across Lake Shore Blvd is often maligned for the algae problems, ill mannered visitors, and closed beaches. However, we were contented last night when we opted for an impromptu picnic and found the beach open, with no foul smells, and a decent and well behaved mixed crowd of people enjoying the waterfront. Temps were perfect to spread a blanket and enjoy the shoreline sights and sounds. Sunrise is probably the best time to hit the beach as it is usually deserted, and provides for amazing colorful photo ops. Usually very few people around, except for dog walkers. Sunset is nice also but it sets more over land than water. The bike trail along the shore is well paved and maintained and wide enough to be shared by runners, walkers, bladers, and cyclists alike. There are picnic tables, porto-johns and many grassy places on the lush green lawn between the road and the beach to spread a blanket, along with picnic tables and grills in some areas. A few fitness stations were added this year along the paved path, if you want to add to your workout. Fall is absolutely amazing in the park and shouldn't be missed. A veritable explosion of colors can be seen around the lakes with many million dollar vistas in mid-October. Seabreeze is just a couple miles east and Charlotte just a couple miles west. Access the park via Lake Shore Blvd from Saint Paul, King's Highway or Culver. read more

See all

Looking out to the choppy Ontario great lake, Durand Eastman offered the best of both worlds, the leisure stroll along the waterfront or the brisk walk (or to some a heaveful hike) through the wilderness. By February, the lakes within the park were frozen over. If one was brave enough, walking on top of the frozen water would have been an estatic experience (at least for a Californian like me). The park itself was plentiful of snow and wintry trees but scarce of visitors. Taking on an unbeaten path, I had a feeling I was the only one in this whole 977 acres worth of land. Bring your skis so you can ski along the walkway while taking in the freshness of nature. It was a perfect activity to end a long and stressful week I had here in Rochester. read more

See all

Did the 1.5-2 mile loop around Eastman Lake which had few hills, lots of shade, great for birdwatching or listening. We ended up traversing around the edge of the golf course to reconnect to the trail. read more

Such a cool park! We came to hike along the lake shore trail and it was beautiful. There is a ton of parking and it was super easy to find the trail. It was a fairly easy trail and a good distance. I liked that it went along the lake and into some more wooded areas. read more

Durand Eastman Park - Beaches Near Me - Rochester, New York

See all

Durand Eastman is a large park with a diverse set of landscapes and facilities including a beach! A real, bonafide beach in Western NY which offers up some of the best sunset views in Rochester in any season. For a real adventurous treat, snowshoe or throw some traction cleats on your hiking boots to check out the ice dunes during the winter, but be careful not to climb on them and stay on shore. Fierce and stunning! Warm summer days and nights are busy along the shore but offer up a festive vibe with families or groups of friends grilling at the picnic tables, couples strolling along the beach, and people exercising or walking their dogs. Aside from the beach, this park also offers up a golf course, multiple park shelters available for rental, multiple playgrounds, an arboretum that rivals Highland Park during the spring (there are lots of cherry trees which smell amazing when they're blossoming and also a grove of magnolia trees), two small lakes to fish and multiple ponds, and many excellent hiking trails of various difficulty levels. There is really something for anyone at this park and until recently, I'd never ventured away from the beach and was unaware of how many options this park has. For a good preview of the park, drive up Zoo Rd, park and take a walk during the spring to check out the arboretum. Or if the road is open you'll make a loop down Pine Valley Road where you'll feel like you've escaped to the Adirondacks. A quick starter hike can begin at the bottom of Log Cabin Road on the Eastman Lake trail. Start at the bottom, walk along the lake (check out Owen's Point, too), head up the hill when you reach the end of the lake, and you can walk back down Log Cabin Rd to your car. read more

See all

The lake is visible from here. Smells like duck shit and dead fish. read more

See all

A wonderful natural resource and a gorgeous beach so close to the City of Rochester. The sand is super soft and there is a lot of room for long walks and also to be alone. read more

See all

Lovely park for picnicing, swimming, hiking. We love bringing our dog Stella here for walks.

I love this place!!! I was here so many times and seen so many things... One time my cousin and I seen this biker guy getting this lady off in the bushes with his hand. They totally left when they noticed we were looking on...lmfao I guess we killed they're vibe. Anyways I think it's way cleaner than Charlotte and definitely less ghetto. Try it out! read more

Cleaner than Charlotte... Still not that clean though. Pretty nice around sunset on a hot summer day. You can bring your dog but only to Lot D. It can get pretty crowded at times but all-in-all it's a decent place. Worth visiting once. read more

Scenic Durand Eastman Park is adjacent to Lake Ontario and it's a jewel of Monroe County. There are many trails within the park that make it perfect for hiking any time of year. It's a great place to bring a camera and your (leashed) dogs. read more