Evangola State Park

Evangola State Park
Evangola State Park is located in New York
Evangola State Park
Location of Evangola State Park within New York State
TypeState park
Location10191 Old Lake Shore Road
Irving, New York[1]
Nearest cityFarnham, New York
Coordinates42°36′05″N 79°04′57″W / 42.6015°N 79.0826°W / 42.6015; -79.0826
Area733 acres (2.97 km2)
Created1954 (1954)
Operated byNew York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Visitors139,804 (in 2014)[2]
OpenAll year
Camp sites80
WebsiteEvangola State Park

Evangola State Park is a 733-acre (2.97 km2) state park in southern Erie County, New York, United States. The park is located west of the Village of Farnham, at the border of the Town of Brant and the Town of Evans. The park, which opened in 1954, fronts on Lake Erie, and has a large swimming beach bordered by cliffs of Angola shale.[3]

Park overlooking beach in winter near flagstand
Park overlooking beach in winter near flagstand

Park description

Evangola State Park is open year-round from dawn to dusk, and offers a beach, picnic tables and pavilions, seasonal pheasant and small game hunting, hiking and biking, nature trails (park wildlife includes white-tailed deer, raccoons, turkey, and red-tailed hawks), a playground and playing fields (baseball, tennis, basketball), a disc golf course, fishing, ice-fishing, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing.[4] The park's swimming beach was identified as the second-least polluted beach in Erie County based on water sampling in 2013.[5]

From mid-April to late October, 80 campsites are available for public use, offering both tent options and trailer sites. Flush toilets and hot showers are available in the park. There is also 5 yurts that sleeps six.[4] In 2007, Evangola was named one of the Top 100 campgrounds in the nation by ReserveAmerica.[6]

The park is also available for weddings, and includes a gazebo overlooking Lake Erie. There is also a 125-person banquet room overlooking the beach. The park hosts the Tomato Festival each year on the last full weekend of August.

The park also offers a variety of programs led by park naturalists. Programs include nature hikes, dragonfly surveying, bird watching, sandcastle contests, nature center workshops, fishing programs and marsh studies. All programs are free of charge and usually meet at the Nature Center located in the campground area.

New York State Route 5 passes through the eastern part of the park.

See also

References

  1. ^ NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation. "Evangola State Park - Getting There". Parks.ny.gov. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  2. ^ "State Park Annual Attendance Figures by Facility: Beginning 2003". Data.ny.gov. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  3. ^ "About Evangola". Friends of Evangola State Park. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  4. ^ a b NYS Office of Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation. "Evangola State Park". Parks.ny.gov. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  5. ^ "Testing The Waters 2014 - A Guide to Water Quality at Vacation Beaches - State Summary - New York". Natural Resources Defense Council. 2014. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  6. ^ "America's 'Top 100 Family Campgrounds' Announced by ReserveAmerica". PRNewswire. May 3, 2007. Retrieved August 9, 2015.