Best National Parks Near Rochester, NY
About 260 miles to the southwest along the southern shore of Lake Erie, you'll find Cuyahoga Valley National Park. The park features more than 100 waterfalls and draws more than 2 million visitors each year. While hiking the 125 miles of trails, you can also see varied wildlife, wildflowers, and even a scenic railroad. The fishing is quite good in the 100-mile-long river, so you should make sure that everyone who wants to fish has a valid Ohio fishing license. There are also many rules regarding fishing, so be sure to check those out.
Thousand Islands National Park is only 190 miles east and north of Rochester, NY. It's just across the Thousand Islands Bridge in Ontario, so you'll need to have a passport for everyone in your group to visit it. The park is tiny at just a little more than 9 acres, but there are 21 islands to explore by boat and terrific fishing in the St. Lawrence River. You can cast your line for salmon, bass, trout, walleye, and even the river's apex predator, the muskellunge. Be sure that you have the right Ontario fishing licenses. Being so small, Thousand Islands National Park only has three hiking trails of any note, and they're all fairly short and easy. However, they offer great views of the river and the eastern end of Lake Ontario.
Those are the only two national parks that are near to Rochester, NY. However, if you don't mind a much-longer drive through New York and New England, then you can take the 643-mile route to Acadia National Park in Maine. Despite its remote location, it's one of the most popular national parks in the entire country with more than 3 million visitors annually. The 158 miles of hiking trials and bunches of available activities are quite a draw. You can fish, camp, hunt, and ride horses throughout the park, especially on the 45 miles of carriage roads. Acadia National Park is the oldest national park in the United States east of the Mississippi River.
Popular State Parks Near Rochester, NY
Hamlin Beach State Park is just 30 miles from Rochester, NY. You can explore the marsh at the eastern edge of the park by following the self-guided hiking trail that runs through it. There are 6 miles of additional trails within the park, and the campground has 264 campsites, all of which are suitable for RVs. All of the campsites also have full hookups.
It's 60 miles to Stony Brook State Park from Rochester, NY. Sports fans will love the baseball, volleyball, basketball, and tennis facilities inside the park. Families with children will likewise enjoy the multiple playgrounds. You can camp at one of the 88 dry campsites too. During the winter, the park's many hiking trails become snowmobile and snowshoe tracks, and cross-country skiing is also popular.
It takes a little less than an hour to cover the 40 miles to Lakeside State Park. The campground at this state park is quite large at 274 campsites, many of which have electrical hookups. There are a few short hiking trails within the park, but the park's biggest draw is the pair of world-class disc golf courses. They both showcase the wonderful scenery along the shore of Lake Ontario. As far as the trails go, you can ride snowmobiles and do cross-country skiing during the winter.
Must-see Monuments and Landmarks Near Rochester, NY
You'll find the Theodore Roosevelt National Inaugural Site 74 miles west of Rochester, NY, in Buffalo, NY. After President McKinley's assassination, then Vice-President Theodore Roosevelt had to take the oath of office quickly. He was in Buffalo at the time, and he was sworn in at the location that is now the national site. The site is dedicated to three things: the City of Buffalo, President Roosevelt, and the upheavals caused by McKinley's assassination in 1901.
The distance to the Women's Rights National Historical Park is 41 miles. It is the site where, in 1848, more than 100 women and men met to discuss women's rights with an eye toward educational equality and the right to vote. Aside from the visitor center, there are historical homes that are available in season for you to visit. There are family-appropriate educational talks every day on both women's rights and the rights of others.
Harriet Tubman National Historical Park is 61 miles from Rochester, NY. Although the end of the Underground Railroad is in Dresden, Ontario, Harriet Tubman spent the last years of her life at the site of this historical park. The park comprises 32 acres, and you can explore both the home where she lived and the Thompson American Methodist Episcopal Church where she attended services. You can also visit her grave to pay your respects.
RVshare’s Top Picks for Nearby RV Parks & Campgrounds
Junius Ponds Cabins and Campgrounds provides roomy RV-specific campsites with full hookups 40 miles from Rochester, NY. You can shower while you're there, and there are full restrooms available. There's a swimming pool, complimentary Wi-Fi, and an on-site laundry facility as well.
The aforementioned campground at Hamlin Beach State Park, which is 29 miles from Rochester, NY, is one of the best in the area not only because it has full hookups but also because of its boat launches and available pavilions. The showers, restrooms, and playgrounds are all popular amenities.
It's also 29 miles to Red Rock Ponds, which provides full hookups at its 242 RV-specific campsites. The beach, showers, and campground store all offer comfort and convenience while the convenient on-site laundry facility lets you clean your clothes without leaving the campground. Red Rock Ponds is also only 15 miles from the Medina Railway Museum.
RV Dump Stations Near Rochester, NY
The Lockport Wastewater Treatment plant is about 60 miles from Rochester, NY. It's well-placed, too, and only about another 12 miles from Niagara Falls. There is no charge to use this dump station.
It's about 80 miles to the Watkins Glen International Raceway, which is a world-famous racetrack that used to host Formula One races. Using any camping facilities, including the dump station, requires that you buy a ticket to the raceway. This dump station is also free to use.
Colton RV and Marine is also 80 miles from Rochester, NY. It's an RV dealership, so it has repair facilities as well as the dump station if you need them. You don't have to pay to use this dump station.
