🌤 Weather at Golden Beach Campground and Day Use Area by season
| Spring | Summer | Fall | Winter |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16–68 °F | 50–79 °F | 25–71 °F | 6–33 °F |
Each range runs from the coldest monthly average low to the warmest monthly average high in that season (1991-2020 climate normals), measured at Big Moose 3 SE, 14 mi away, elevation 1,760 ft. Conditions at the park can differ from the station, especially where elevation differs — check a forecast before you go.
Golden Beach Campground and Day Use Area is a campground and day use area on the southeast shore of Raquette Lake in Hamilton County, New York, run by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). It is not a state park, even though it is sometimes searched as “Golden Beach State Park”. The campground opened in 1931.
Quick Facts
| State | New York |
| County | Hamilton |
| Managed by | NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) |
| Lake | Raquette Lake |
| Campsites | About 200 (204 in DEC’s 2024 management plan) |
| Opened | 1931 |
Location & Getting There
The campground is on New York State Route 28, about 3 miles east of the hamlet of Raquette Lake. The park’s coordinates are 43.8169, -74.5940.
Things to Do
DEC describes the campsites as large, well forested and private, with room for everything from tents to 40-foot RVs. Golden Beach has one of the largest natural swimming beaches in the area, with a picnic area right next to it. You can rent canoes and boats in the hamlet of Raquette Lake, and the lake offers good fishing. Outside the camping season DEC runs no formal recreation here, but people use the area for cross-country skiing.
Visitor Tips
DEC sets the camping and day-use fees for its campgrounds and takes reservations through ReserveAmerica; check the DEC campground page for this season’s dates and rates. Bring only untreated firewood from within 50 miles of the campground, as New York’s firewood regulation requires. As of October 2026.
Explore More Parks in New York
Golden Beach Campground and Day Use Area is one of the campgrounds run by DEC, not a state park. Discover more parks in our Best State Parks in New York guide, or use our Park Finder to search by activity, location, or features.
Nearby Attractions
The hamlet of Raquette Lake, 3 miles west on Route 28, has restaurants, boat rentals and scenic cruises on the lake. The Adirondack Experience museum at Blue Mountain Lake is 8 miles east, and the Adirondack interpretive center at Newcomb is 30 miles east.
Keep exploring: The closest neighbor is Nicks Lake Campground and Day Use Area (within about an hour’s drive).
Park Location
Plan your gear for Golden Beach Campground and Day Use Area
From our editorial guides, matched to this park’s activities:
