Park History

The most prominent feature of Hamlin Beach State Park is the bluff area at the West End, known as Devil’s Nose. The origin of its name is unknown but it is noted on maps dating to 1802.

The Nose was at one time 150 feet high and reached three quarters of a mile northward into the lake. The shoal or reef that extends beyond the Nose is over a mile and a half long and has been avoided by lake sailors for centuries.

Though tales of ships sunk off Devil’s Nose are unsubstantiated, ships have been stuck on the shoal and local legend has it that caves and passages near the Nose were used by smugglers during prohibition days.

High water and erosion forced the closing of the area to the public in the early 1970’s due to dangerous conditions but has been reopened with the trails further away from the shoreline. Please avoid the cliff edge as it is severely undercut and dangerous. The Devil’s Nose, as it has for centuries, still remains a landmark for sailors as they pass on the lake to the north.

Northwest Park was developed as part of the Monroe County Parks System in 1928, and became Hamlin Beach State Park some ten years later, on January 1, 1938. Its establishment was primarily in demand of local residents and others who came to enjoy the clear water and sandy beaches.

Much of the construction of the park can be traced to the work of the Civilian Conservation Corp (CCC), who broke ground for their camp at the southeast corner of the park in June, 1935. During the next six years, the young men of the CCC constructed six buildings in the park and reclaimed some 90 acres of swamp area in the east woods of the park.

Development during the post-war years brought the parking lot capacity to some 2,500 cars. Work on the extension of the Lake Ontario State Parkway brought more and more visitors to the park. By 1962 the park included more than 1,100 acres. During 1967 a 264-site camping area was added.

High lake waters caused a continual problem with erosion, to the point where the destructive storms in the spring of 1973 resulted in major erosion of all the beaches in the park. Emergency state and federal funding helped complete a project to repair and replace the beaches and stabilize the area to prevent further damage. The work was completed in 1975. Also, during these years some 700,000 trout and salmon were stocked in the waters offshore. In 1977 the first stages of an environmental education center in the Yanty Creek Marsh area were completed, resulting in the Yanty Creek Nature Trail located at the east end of the park. This trail, just short of a mile in length, is a self-guided trail.

Today, the State Park at Hamlin Beach meets the recreational needs of residents throughout Monroe and Orleans Counties as well as Western New York State.  Picnic areas are used by patrons for group outings, company picnics and reunions. Visitors can enjoy this unique resource for recreation and relaxation.