Lake Welch

Unbelievable that people are so messy!! Arrived very early, 1st of 4 cars. Website said open at 7am. Gate was opened 7:30ish. Used the drone to look at inside park to pick a spot. We paid $10 (per car), and just driving to the parking spot, the amount of GARBAGE all over lot was unbelievable. (We should have left.). VULTURES, huge and soo many, literally these birds were everywhere because of the garbage. Now the people “vultures”, you think this was a race, everyone running to get the perfect spot. Garbage everywhere, vultures and yes the geese. This place was truly unbelievable. As the beautiful day progressed, yes the staff arrived and cleaned, the vultures took flight and PEOPLE were coming and coming and coming!! Social distancing out the window and competition with music began. NEVER AGAIN. Oh, NO alcohol but people drank, maybe if they fine those who choose not to corporate they can pay the staff a little more or hire more. I wish I had taken photos because a picture is worth a thousand words.

Nice little man made beach, in season has plenty of lifeguards on duty. it does get very crowded especially on the weekends. beach is always clean and well taken care of. because its a lake and not an ocean the water is very calm perfect for young kids to splash and play in.

Heart place for bbq in the summer! be sure to come early to get bench and grill if you need them.

Beach is only open on the weekends

Horrible. Over crowded and the life guards had it almost closed. They had the people in one set area like if they were animals. It was so Full of people even though we got there at 7am. The tables and everything were taken and the people there had more than one table. Which was not fair. Let’s not forget about hygiene, the bathrooms were disgusting and so was the area. If you want peace and serenity , choose else where. Not the place to feel good and actually spend time with family.

Go there early and leave early. It gets very crowded, but it was the 4th of July when i went. It took 30 minutes just to leave that area. It is a nice place though. If you do go, go with friends or family. Try to have different people bring things. Don't forget to have that cooker lol. Food food food. What's cool is, even if all the grills in the park are taken, you can bring your own. The area is close to the lake. Just get there early to grab a nice spot

Lovely lake in Harriman State Park. Beach with facilities, multiple picnic areas, and camping available in season. Boat launch (non motorized, permit required). Great for X-country skiing (winter permitting). Some good cycling in the area as well.

Clean space with life guard

Small but clean shower open pls take your garbage with you don't leave everywhere be responsible and educate make the difference is only one world where we are after this everything will be gong.

Love this lake primarily for its proximity to NYC~ only 1 hour or less depending on traffic. Beach itself is okey. Relatively clean & water has no smell with Lifeguards , showers & changing area. Entrance is 10 bucks per car. Theres a bbq area & area for swimming. Could get packed on the weekends. we always come before 11a that way we can enjoy some peace & quiet before the majority of the crowd arrives. Not the best lake, but if you just want a few hours or a day in the water without sitting in your car for hours, this will do.

I wasnt too impressed with Lake Welch. I found the lake to be too rocky and not very clear. I didn't have any desire to get in the water. There's a lot of parking room space in the lot and you don't have to walk too far to get from the parking lot to the lake. You can grill and bbq which is nice but, I wish the actual lake was better to swim in.

There had to be parking for five hundred cars in the first lot and as our walk and chase revealed, there's another parking lot further up the way, also mammoth in parking lot proportions. And with tall life guard chairs (currently unmanned) and with panaramic views of sloping green treed mountains, fine sand and clean looking water - I had full faith that I'd certainly enjoy myself and the wheels of a return trip were already turning in a positive motion. Then we walked around a bit and the wheels came to a screeching halt in my head with metal sparked shards flying all around me due to the (gotta say it) kinda ghetto people populating the initial portion of the park. Music so loud I is sounded like 115th and Amsterdam Ave at 3:00am on a summer Saturday night. The lawn wackers screamed and trimmings, dust, rock shrapnel and pollen covered most points of entryway, something a basic mower was far better suited for in many ways. About fifty young children crying and screaming and nobody seemed all that interested in attending to them - so those two noises continued indefinitely and combined. Smoke billowing out from public grills like the towering inferno, random hot coals smouldering in the green grass well away from the designated hot coals deposit area. And much if this was against all posted signs of rule and although there was enforcement, they seemed to be bopping along to the tunes and catching some raps. Now I can't blame the park on the flying teeth, but they were in full flight and in your nose, ears and made life without a beekeeping suit rather uncomfortable.

If you're looking for the "Smaller Crowds" Lake Welch should be just fine on Weekdays! If you prefer the Rowdiness and Everything Else that comes with Large Diverse Crowds, then Weekends are your Option! As for me and my house, I'll take A Weekday Everytime! Yep, it really is that Simple!

Went here for the beach and for a cookout and ot was a great time. They have a separate area to picnic ad yoy can bring your own BBQ. People had grills and so did I. Also went on the beach and relaxed and had a great time. The water was nice and most importantly, the beach was also amazing. I will definitely come back here aging to this place.

Súper A Mai sing plays and beautiful I recomendé for all families that they want to have a nice day

We really like it here. Have been coming for the past several summers but only on week days. Thanks to friends and fellow yelpers I know to stay away on a weekend unless I want to be jam-packed like a bunch of sardines. Unlike other reviews I've never found the lake to be dirty. Maybe I've just been lucky but people definitely throw their trash in the garbage cans and I don't find random off putting things floating around. The water is murky so don't expect to be able to see everything around you. When entering in they list the quality of water so you always know what you're getting in terms of algae etc. I haven't used the grilling facilities but there is a park area before entering the lake where you can grill with lots of park benches etc. it's usually packed with people, music going and friends and family hanging out. We just usually jet right to the lake find a spot and jump in the water. $10 to park your car and it's super easy to get to the beach just a 1-2 min walk if that. They allow coolers - soft and hard which is nice so you can pack drinks, snacks and lunch. During Covid they are only allowing 60% capacity of cars entering. So first come first serve. This past week when we went 90% of people were wearing masks until they plopped down and found their spot to chill. Masks required at the snack and grill bar. People were more than 6ft apart on the beach so totally comfortable. Also the lake was wide enough that you could find your spot in the water and we did not feel crowded at all. Great times!

Don't let racist reviews discourage you from coming here. Like any beach you should get here early and ideally on weekdays to avoid large crowds. Grassy Bbq area is kinda cramped but the sandy beach is big enough and more lifeguards came on after 1pm today which opened up the swimming area some more. Water is nice, not salty. Lifeguards on duty until 6pm. Only con really is the loud music from some beach goers but you'd deal with that any any other beach too‍

Feels like south Bronx here Not clean Over crowded Loud music playing Feels more like a dusty bay than a lake

PROS 1. Super Latino (Dominicans, Puerto Ricans, Central Americans and South Americans) Friendly. It feels like a HUGE Family BBQ Lake Party. Vacation Campo Vibes! 2. Many Scattered Grills to BBQ. 3. Arriving Early is Highly Recommended (8am to 11am) for Parking, Beach Seating and Grill Grabs. 4. Sandy Beach Like Lake.

Had a huge group of friends come out and didn't take much pics but all of the videos posted through Instagram, we decided to bring out the tent, beach chairs, grill, ribs, hot dogs, burgers you name it we possibly had it. Lol the good thing about the lake we had our small speaker playing , everyone practice social distancing and had a great time. Lake was clean and we all had a great time and the staff of the lake were super friendly.

Just over an hour and 30 minutes away from queens, this lake is worth every mile. We came here on a Sunday morning, left around 8AM and got there around 10AM. If you're planning to come here and get a good spot on the grassy areas, you neeeed to leave way earlier. At 10 am almost the whole grassy area close to the water was filled. The sand area leading to the water was also quite a bit filled up but we managed to get a spot. The only thing I regret was not brining and umbrella or tent or some short of shade. The sun was a killer and there was zero trees or breeze to ease it up. I got like 4 shades darker after this trip. However, the water is to die for and the views once in the water... amazing! It water is so clear and clean and it was so crisp, felt really nice! If you came swim, and you swim out to the blocked off area, the view there is amazing. I didn't want to come out of the water!! Tips: 1) bring an umbrella, tent, some sort of shade. 2) No water does needed, there are no rocky areas in the water 3) park rangers actively circle the sand area and if they see your alcohol, they will ask you to pour it out. So package your alcohol appropriately 4) COME HERE! The water is beautiful

Came during the week with my 2 year old. Really not as bad as I expected! I read that it gets kinda gross and all of NYC comes up. The guy at the booth said yea for holidays, a little bit on weekends. The sand is clean and the water is clear. People playing their music annoys me but they do it at Jones beach and Robert Moses beach too so I can deal. Yea, it would be nice if they had a few more lifeguards on staff but the ones they do have seem to really be on their game. Definitely will be back!

This is a beautiful place but the quality of human being that comes here is so very low. I have been coming here for a few weeks on week days trying to avoid crowds. I have been observing a family of ducks with several ducklings, they are my favorite thing at the park and today I saw three children throwing rocks at the ducklings and when I told them to leave the ducks alone their father, a grown man in the presence of two other grown men, got up and cursed me out, a single female alone. What a low life excuse for a man, curse out a woman so his savage children can continue to bully baby animals, a rock to the head of a duckling would kill it. Why aren't park employees paying attention to this? So upsetting.

I guess it's fine if you have small kids and don't want movement of water. However if you're an adult and you want some fun, excitement ..look further. The 'sand' is dark and flat. Not like a beach where there's dimension if that makes sense. The water is murky and nasty, it's shallow mostly and no movement. It's just meh. And you have to pay $10 to get in which is not worth it imo. Go somewhere else. It's also a bit dirty

Restrooms are available. The children loved swimming here. There were lifeguards on duty. Parking was $10.00. The beach had some garbage. But overall, it was a fun time at Lake Welch Beach!

Great place to take kids for a swim or play on the beach. The water is warm clear and shallow unless you swim to the deep. They sell fast food and beer at the lake. Highly recommend!!

I have enjoyed every time I've been here, this has been my family go to lake since i was a kid. Very big space for picnics and to have BBQ's. The only bad thing that i didn't like is even though it is a big place it gets very crowded at times, some people don't respect space, obviously your not gonna have a whole area to yourself but respect the space where people are and not try to take over. That is my only complain. Other then that it's great.

3.5 stars.... This is the biggest beach at a lake I've ever been to (or seen), it's huge. Unfortunately all the picnic tables (and there are many) were taken by huge groups of BBQers and the beach was full of New Yorkers. The people here were even less diverse than Coney Island, I think me and my girlfriend were two of the only white people here when we happened to go last summer. The parking lot costs a few dollars so make sure to bring a little cash with you (they also have a concession stand here with a few items). What I did like besides the huge beach that was much cleaner than Coney Island was that because it's a lake the water was much warmer than the ocean and isn't salty (you're just missing out on the waves) so you can actually go swimming in the summer without freezing. I love Harriman State Park and this beach is just another reason to take the short drive up north for the day.

After reading other reviews, I learned that there are two very different groups with two very different opinions on this. People coming from NYC seem to like it. The local folks believe it's ruined by the city slickers, and it looks like many of them hate families, especially the kids. I have some roots in both groups. I'm from a rural area, but I now live in Manhattan. I also have a child. I think Lake Welch is great, but it does have some faults. I've never seen all of the life guard stations open. Not even during busy weekends. I really wish they'd fix that. How much does it cost to get a 16 year old to sit on a big chair with a whistle? Come on. There are also a lot of idiots there, but it's a public park. People are stupid and I hate them. They are in fewer numbers during the week. All in all, I gave this Lake Welch four stars because there isn't an option for 3.5 so I rounded up, and because it's cheap, conveniently located, relatively clean compared to city options, and the staff is also much friendlier than their city dwelling counterparts. It's not perfect, but it's a nice for a day trip.

The water is decently clean. The sand as well. It was very family oriented. It's more so a place to bring your family to BBQ. Not so much for hanging out with your friends for a quick get away. It was really loud as well as crowded.

I've been here before and it tends to get over crowded on the weekends. This was the first time that I've ever come during the week and it was perfect. There were just enough people, the weather was nice, and the best part was that there was no waiting on long lines to use the restrooms or to purchase something at the snack bar. All in all, my boyfriend and I had a nice and relaxing day and it was well worth the drive up from the City. If you've never been here before I recommend visiting at least once and judging for yourself. You might be pleasantly surprised. I gave it a three star rating because I took into consideration the cleanliness of the lake.

If I did a one word review it would be, OVERCROWDED! I've been to Lake Welch for fishing countless times and the one time I tried the beach/picnic park area was my last time. This place gets way overcrowded with a lot of people from the NYC area. Get there after 9am & you can forget about using anything that is available by the parks department (i.e. grills).

My favorite secret place in New York State simple beautiful. Easy to get to the lake an hour driving from the Bronx worthy BBQ grill available, bathrooms, shower room, and spacious parking $10 for parking.

This place is amazing! I took my two kids 5&7 years old. It was a wind day! It wasn't too busy and even the snack bar was reasonably priced! We will definitely be going back!!

This used to be such a nice secluded place to go with your family. Unfortunately this place has fallen victim to overcrowding, littering and loud noises. It's a shame Sebago Beach was never restored. The water is murky and has people's garbage floating around. One reviewer called it ghetto and unfortunately I will have to agree.

JUST NO. Ridiculously overcrowded. Dirty. Suffocating amounts of BBQ smoke. Felt unsafe even in the parking lot. Water stagnant and full of dirty kids. Try never.

My Favorite Place to be in for the summer , I look forward to it every year , peaceful , clean water, great energy , AVOID WEEKENDS if you do not enjoy waiting and a bunch of hispanics being loud and smoking hookah ! I am one of those , so to speak ! anyways i really enjoy it over here , everything is access and enjoyable in small groups or with family and friends!

First time here and I'm definitely not coming back here. Super dirty and crowded with loud music everywhere.

nah cause i had a dog and the person you paying to be able to come in said the dog doesn't bother he can come we had him near us and never bother and some white employee said we weren't allowed to bring a dog and we told him they said we could and he didn't care he said 15 min he had to be gone and we saw many other people that he did not say anything to them feel like he was being a boy racist but the beach is overall good

My family and I went to Lake Welch today. My in laws now live out of New York and haven't been to the lake in 20 years so they were excited for the trip. While there was plenty of parking and was not crowded, I would suggest to anyone to go during the week. Unfortunately if you have another option I would say go to your alternative plan. The lake was a disappointment and it was extremely dirty. There was garbage everywhere. We got there at 8:45am and all the garbage cans were also full. The only reason why I give it 3 stars is because I spent the day with our family. We did not get food from the shop but happily used the BBQs.

5/15/21. Reviewing swimming trips to Lake Welch late May, early June 2020, water temps 62 deg to 68 deg. $10 car admission. When there are many lifeguards, then more sections are open and easier for distance swimmers to swim along the outer rope. (on May 25, 2020, we swam along the entire 1/4 mile of outer rope, but the water was 62 deg., darn cold for swimming, but doable). But on weekends and during the week, if only a half dozen or so lifeguards, then there are far too few open "sections" and/or far too many people within each section to swim "lengths" along the outer rope. But if you don't mind crowds, this place is fine. There's plenty of loud music, and the smell of charcoal fires on the surrounding grass areas, because of multiple dozens of groups setting up picnics. But putting down a blanket on the sandy beach is pretty nice, and you can watch your kids that way, as well as take a refreshing dip, with a sandy bottom. Using the restrooms was fine, since they were generally clean, and close to the beach. Parking was easy.

So this summer I bought my Empire Passport so that I could experience some of the many wonderful parks that NYS has to offer. On a hot summers day like today, I usually head to Jones beach which is about a 45 min drive from my apt in Brooklyn. But today I felt like something different, I wanted to chill out at a lake and decided to drive upstate 1.5hrs (with tolls) to Harriman State Park. I thought as this was upstate it would be calm and more family orientated. I was so wrong. The park is full of HUGE, LOAD family gatherings flarring up their BBQs, the beach part was packed with families and not all of the lifeguard stations were open (on a Sunday in the middle of a heatwave....really?!?) so the water was SOO packed. Besides the water being packed it was full of floating rubbish along the shore line. And there was alot of this on the beach too, there was not many trash cans around. Unlike the other reviewer I felt like I was in Coney Island, packed and dirty, really not my scene. The Views itself are beautiful, next time I would prefer to go boating or hiking rather than the beach, not the nicest experience.

Folks do not visit this place. This is a man made beach that was made wrong. First the sand is not soft like sand should be, instead they put this rough gravel that is horrible to walk on. Next, they confine you to a sectioned off area in the water where everybody is standing shoulder to shoulder on top of each other. Finally, the kind of people that it attracts are not the kind you want to be with. If you want a nice beach to visit - go elsewhere. The people in charge should do something about making this a better place.

Been to this spot twice. Once last year and last weekend. Eight bucks to park your car which is reasonable. I think you are much better off BBQing here as opposed to buying the overpriced food. I paid 3 bucks for a slice of pizza that tasted like cardboard. Sure enough I spotted the slices sitting under a dreaded heat lamp. Keeping it warm but flavorless. Pretzels were also hard as a rock. Did get to try the black bean burger and it was the only edible thing I ate. Stick to burger and fry type of stuff if you are not grilling. And I must also mention no alcohol allowed off the patio section and beer is 5 bucks! Wish it was possible byob but it is prohibited. Lots of cops and security. Any item they could possibly charge you for they can and will! They are price gauging people for sure. Now onto the lake. This place is super packed inside and outside of the water. Lots of kids and families everywhere. If this bothers you don't bother coming here. I'm ok with it but it can be annoying. Kind of wish you could swim out further but rope cuts you off at around the 50 ft mark. When I'm swimming here I'm praying to god no kids pee in the water, although I'm sure some do. The kids always add a gross factor but they are hard to escape from anywhere! Not the greatest place but it's nice for BBQing and day trips. I realistically would come here once or twice in a year.

this place is the most dirty beach you can ever find. the grounds are filthy. people come here to be obnoxiously loud and no one respects anyones privacy. the bathrooms are grotesque. the mass population here are hispanics and being white I feel like I'm always gawked at. I'd rather go over the bridge and go to a westchester beach without question if I can't make it to montauk, asbury, or pleasant.

3 stars feels about right. Came here on Labor day for the first time. $8 to park, but you're able to bring all your own food and drinks as well as use their grills to BBQ, so you could make a nice cheap day of it. Seeing as it was Labor day, you'd think they'd have all of the lake sections open for swimming. Unfortunately half the lake was "closed", so hundreds of people were packed like sardines in the other half. Not much point in going swimming if there's no room to actually swim. This was a womp womp situation for me, but I'm sure I would've enjoyed it much more if I hadn't gone on one of their busiest days. $5 for domestic, $6 for imported beers. You're not allowed to bring your own alcohol so if ya wanna get tipsy you're stuck with that. I tried their black bean burger which wasn't too bad, and props to them for having a veg option. They also have other typical snacks and sandwiches, all at pretty good prices. Only trouble was waiting on the long line, but then again, it was Labor day. I will definitely return, hopefully on a less busy day so I can enjoy the refreshing beauty of the lake without feeling claustrophobic. Will update if so. See ya then, Lake Welch.

Jeeze, never read reviews before going today with my 3 kids (7,6&5). Glad I didn't. It did feel crowded for these times, but maybe most places do now. The people were nice. Respectful for space on the beach. The water was crowded. It was clean enough. I didn't feel grossed out, some litter on the beach. But mostly cups kids made use of playing in the sand and water. The life guards were on point, blowing whistles and calling for back up for those not complying. (As in hanging on the ropes, being on each others shoulders, entering water that wasn't with life guards etc...) We only went from car to beach, so I can't speak for the facilities. The BBQ area was full, families with families... but we like seeing people enjoy their time together. Kids playing and making friends is always nice. Music wasn't too bothersome. We had a great couple of hours. I am from the Bronx. I do wish people wore masks walking around, we did. Still 4* worthy.

2 reviews, the first is 5 stars, the second is 1 star, but if there was a five, it will be 3 stars. The first time I stopped here with no previous plan. I was driving to the outlet and felt I want some nature. It was Monday morning, and i had the lake almost to myself. It was an amazing day. The second time was 3 weeks after, sunny Sunday. The opposite, crowded, noisy, smokey and not that great fun. I guess each person should decide what kind of experience he prefer. To each his own. So morning weekday for the peace, weekend for the BBQ party.

Great park to go hiking in the area. Perfect little lake for kids to play. I don't recommend on weekends bc it gets overcrowded but weekdays are chill.

This little find is such a gem in the middle of the woods! Granted, it's not everyday that I might find myself driving an hour or so up north for a beach by the lake, but omg, if you want to hike? And lay out? This is PERFECT! You can totally tell the sand is not real - well, knowing the beach is man-made, you can than totally see that it isn't real. The water was clear - it reminded me of Caribbean water, just a little less "bluey-clear" but do you EVER get to see your tooties so clear in the Atlantic?? Uh uh.... Though, I will admit, there was some unappealing things - i think a pigeons wing was one where the water meets the beach - you can see the sand turning a bit rusty too, so I was unsure if it was polluted water or not .... The park also has picnic benches and tables, making it a great spot Def a place I'll wander to on a summer day if in the mood to hike - than just relax, swim and tan at the beach!

I love this lake the secret is to avoid the weekends. If your here on the weekends you will want yo hang yourself best dates with my experience is Tuesday and Wednesday.

It was very crowded,there was trash in the parking lot. And it was my first time there. I didn't really like it.

Decent. Arrived at noon on a Sunday in July after a rainy weekend and parked with no issue. $10/car. Beach is very expansive and crowded but it's still a good, easy, and fun experience. Was having a great time till the group next to us started lighting up "illegal substances" and the smell ruined our experience, so we left earlier than planned.

This place has potential, but desperately needs attention. The grounds where the picnic tables and grills are placed is extremely neglected and covered in litter. The beach is nice and seems clean as well as the water. The beach is a great large size, plenty of room to spread out but it seems that there are never enough life guards on duty for the amount of people present during peak days to swim. There is usually always a majority of the water closed off. The state needs to take action and fund more money towards renovations and clean up at lake Welch. I think this lake could prosper if more funding and attention was given to the park.

It's really like a 2.5, but I suppose that rounds up to a 3. When you think of an afternoon on a lake I can pretty much guarantee that you are not envisioning the experience of Lake Welch Beach. We thought we were heading to a sleepy little swimming hole an hour or so outside of the city. We arrived at a very busy and very crowded lake. Be prepared for such things as heavy, heavy crowds, cookouts galore going on (GA-LORE!), some group with a radio blaring every 20-30 feet or so. Not the ideal picture. It was a bit of a shock when we stepped onto the beach. I thought I was in the twilight zone - this was not really where we had come, was it? Honestly, putting all that aside, the water was clean, the bathrooms were clean, our family had a nice time, and it was an easy drive. Undecided if we would make the effort to go back on a weekend again, but I'm curious as to what a mid-week experience would be like.

This place is loud, crowded and a bit dirty. There was human feces floating in the lake water. Nice for families who don't mind the noise

I hd a pretty good time here on a cloudy late summer Sunday, but the park rangers are a bit too vigilant on the alcohol restrictions. We escaped scrutiny because we were with some kids, but our neighbors weren't so lucky. I'd imagine a sunnier weekend day would bring heavier crowds. Another negative is the parking fee. Its proximity to most of Rockland is really its only strong suit.