Belmont Lake State Park

Description

Belmont Lake State Park is located at Exit 38 of the Southern State Parkway, in North Babylon.The large, paved parking lot has a total of 12 handicapped spaces close to the playgrounds and restroom pavilion. One playground is dedicated for ages 2 - 5, the other for ages 5 - 12.

One can walk completely around the lake - a total of approximately 1 1/4 miles. Part of it is paved, part is finely packed gravel. There is a total of 7 1/2 miles of trails. There are pedal-boats, kayaks, and rowboats for rent. One can fish in the lake. There are picnic areas and a good number of benches throughout the park.

Restrooms are multi-stall, with a large, handicapped-accessible stall close to the entrance. There is a wheelchair-accessible sink and baby-changing station.

Checklist

• Attraction Type:  parks, kid-friendly
• Surface of lot:  paved
• Distance to venue:  close
• Transportation to venue offered:  na
• Terrain:  flat
• Places to rest:  benches and picnic tables throughout the park
• Paths and walkways:  paved and firm, packed gravel
• Doors:  na
• Number of floors:  na
• Elevators:  na
• Ramps:  to rental boat dock
• Steps and staircases:  na
• Width of aisles:  ample space throughout
• Places to sit:  benches, picnic tables and benches
• Location of restrooms:  in free-standing concession building
• Type of restroom:  multi-stall, with large, handicapped-accessible stall near entrance; wheelchair-accessible sink
• Ease of entry and exit:  easy
• Available food services:  concession closed
• Friendliness of staff:  friendly and helpful
• Baby changing station:  yes
• Point of Contact:  Roberta Rosenberg

Read More

It had been more than 25 years since we last visited Belmont Lake State Park, where we went pedal boating on my birthday.  Having passed it many times driving along the Southern State Parkway, we decided to revisit it today, with the idea of a boat ride in mind. It is easy to get to ( Exit 38 ), off the Southern State Parkway. If you do not have an Empire Pass, there is a parking fee as of May 1st. 

Beyond the fee booth is the large, paved parking area. The nine handicapped spaces close to the two playgrounds, with  three others a bit farther away. Between the two playgrounds is the concession and restroom building. Concessions are not open at this time. The multi-stall  restrooms have a large handicapped stall closest to the entrance. There is a wheelchair accessible sink and baby-changing station. 

The 463 acre park has the 26 acre lake within it. The trail around the lake is about 1 1/4 miles. In total there are 7 1/2 miles of trails in the park. If you begin at the pedal boat area and go to the left, it is paved until you reach the large, white building that houses the Regional Headquarters of the NYS Parks System. Continuing from there, the ground is firm, packed gravel. Considering the strollers and scooters we saw, navigating this with a wheelchair should be doable. If not, you can always go back the way you came.  Either way, the walk is lovely, with benches for resting and taking in the view of the lake. We saw a number of people fishing. Apparently, if you are lucky, you can catch trout or bass in these waters. 

I was pleasantly surprised by the two appealing playgrounds. one on either side of the concession building, The one for younger kids (ages 2-5) seems to be accessible (including two handicapped swings). The other is for older kids (designated for ages 5 – 12).  There are benches and picnic areas close by.

After watching the kids in the playgrounds, we made our way to the pedal boat area. Rowboats and kayaks are also available to rent. Our intention was to go for a nostalgic ride, but Mother Nature, did not allow that to happen. Although the weather channel said there was a 1% chance of rain, that 1% rained on us. As we made our way back to the car, we vowed to return for that pedal boat ride another day.

As always, we at Destination:Accessible advise you to visit a venue’s website, http://www.parksny.gov">www.parksny.gov, when planning a visit to “know before you go.”

Location

Nearby