The best beach in Clinton County — a long crescent of fine sand on Cumberland Bay, with shallow water, no waves to speak of, and views east across Lake Champlain to Vermont and the Green Mountains. The water is genuinely warm in July and August (mid-20s°C, much warmer than the Atlantic at the same latitude), and the swim is one of the local summer institutions.
The park has lifeguards in season, picnic tables, a snack bar, and a 200-pitch lakeside campground that books out months in advance for the long weekends. The walking trail along the bluff at the southern end leads to Crab Island Lighthouse views and the somber Crab Island Cemetery, where the British and American dead from the 1814 battle were buried.