Buffalo's autumn skyline viewed from Erie Basin Marina.

Great Lakes state

New York

Two Great Lakes, Niagara country and the Thousand Islands.

Photo: Reading Tom from Reading, UK · CC BY 2.0

Autumnal skyline view from Erie Basin Marina, Buffalo, New York, October 2012.jpg by Reading Tom from Reading, UK · CC BY 2.0. Resized and converted to WebP; display crops vary.

Meet the coast

About the New York Great Lakes coast

New York borders Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, including the Niagara River corridor.

CountryUnited States
Great Lakes shoreline Lake Erie Lake Ontario
In this guide7 places to explore

Live · New York

What's going on right now.

Weather, alerts, the water, the sky and local headlines, gathered from official sources as you read.

Gathering the latest conditions…

National Weather Service Environment Canada NOAA buoy observations Aurora forecast

Live data from the U.S. National Weather Service, Environment and Climate Change Canada, NOAA's National Data Buoy Center and Space Weather Prediction Center; headlines link to the publishers. Sun and moon times are calculated. Conditions change quickly—check official forecasts before going on the water. Not for navigation.

Highlights

Two Great Lakes, Niagara country and drumlin bluffs.

Plan your time

Settle in, eat well, travel smart.

A taste of the region.

  • Buffalo wings and beef on weck
  • Rochester's late-night 'garbage plate'
  • Lake Erie and Finger Lakes wineries nearby

Know before you go.

  • The Niagara crossings and Peace Bridge can have long border waits on summer weekends.
  • Chimney Bluffs' clay cliffs are actively eroding — stay well back from the edge.
  • Lake Ontario's south shore is a lake-effect snowbelt; winter driving can change quickly.
I LOVE NY

Get your bearings

Explore this coast.

Loading the map. The links and itinerary below are always available.

Towns Lighthouses Parks Grouped pins expand when selected.

3 of 7 places mapped. 4 remain in the list without a map pin. Unverified locations and precise shipwreck sites are not plotted. Pins are representative locations, not verified entrances.

Black-and-white basemap by OpenStreetMap. Great Lakes highlighted in color. Hold Ctrl (or Command) while scrolling to zoom. Use two fingers on touch screens.

Lake outlines: Natural Earth (public domain). Town centers: GeoNames (CC BY 4.0). Not for navigation.

Along the shore

Places to visit in New York.

All places
Coastal town New York · Lake Erie Buffalo The eastern end of Lake Erie, where grain-elevator heritage meets a renewed waterfront. Explore place
Photo: Reading Tom from Reading, UK · CC BY 2.0

Autumnal skyline view from Erie Basin Marina, Buffalo, New York, October 2012.jpg by Reading Tom from Reading, UK · CC BY 2.0. Resized and converted to WebP; display crops vary.

Lighthouse New York · Lake Ontario Charlotte-Genesee Lighthouse A historic tower above Rochester's Lake Ontario river mouth. Explore place
Photo: Leslie L. Gregg · CC BY-SA 4.0

Genesee Lighthouse with Flags.jpg by Leslie L. Gregg · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and converted to WebP; display crops vary.

State Park New York · Lake Ontario Chimney Bluffs State Park Sculpted earthen bluffs above New York's Lake Ontario shore. Explore place
Photo: Antepenultimate · CC BY-SA 4.0

Chimney Bluffs State Park 2009.JPG by Antepenultimate · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and converted to WebP; display crops vary.

Lighthouse New York · Lake Erie Dunkirk Lighthouse A New York Lake Erie light station with maritime and veterans' collections. Explore place
Photo: Chris Rycroft from Madison, Wisconsin, United States · CC BY 2.0

Dunkirk Lighthouse (53861095325).jpg by Chris Rycroft from Madison, Wisconsin, United States · CC BY 2.0. Resized and converted to WebP; display crops vary.

State Park New York · Lake Ontario Fair Haven Beach State Park New York's Lake Ontario beach and campground landscape beside Little Sodus Bay. Explore place
Photo: Andre Carrotflower · CC BY-SA 4.0

Fair Haven Beach State Park - 20221027 - 09 - dramatic shoreline.jpg by Andre Carrotflower · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and converted to WebP; display crops vary.

Coastal town New York · Lake Ontario Oswego A historic Lake Ontario port where the Oswego River reaches the lake. Explore place
Photo: Andre Carrotflower · CC BY-SA 4.0

From the Oswego River Bridge looking toward Lake Ontario, Oswego, New York - 20210221.jpg by Andre Carrotflower · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and converted to WebP; display crops vary.

Coastal town New York · Lake Ontario Rochester A Genesee River city with a Lake Ontario shoreline at Charlotte. Explore place
Photo: Andre Carrotflower · CC BY-SA 4.0

Ontario Beach Park, Rochester, New York - 20201018 - 03.jpg by Andre Carrotflower · CC BY-SA 4.0. Resized and converted to WebP; display crops vary.