Sylvan Beach, on the eastern shore of Oneida Lake in the middle of New York State, has long had a reputation as an idyllic summer vacation spot for the entire family. Now it boasts one of the state’s newest summer resorts — The Cove at Sylvan Beach — with 70 lakeside cottages and condos that come complete with their own pontoon boats for exploring the lake and canal.
The village could be a set of a movie: a perfect mile-long white sand beach, breathtaking sunsets, a fish filled lake, an old-fashioned amusement park, a 136-year-old beachfront chapel, and the bustling Erie Canal.
It was indeed a movie set back in 1968 when a budding young actress strolled along the beach, danced in the water, sat in front of a campfire on the beach, and kissed her co-star in the pews of the historic church.
The actress was Liza Minnelli and the film, released a year later, was The Sterile Cuckoo. Local children took a week off from school to watch the filming. The film made Minnelli a star.
Film director Alan J. Pakula explained to critic Roger Ebert why he chose the resort town for shooting: “Look at this place. We found this whole world here, waiting for a movie to be shot in it.”
Sylvan Beach tourism folks like to say that the village is “at the corner of beach and canal.” It is truly both a canal and a lake village which is a special distinction. If the wind is up on the lake, there is the connecting Erie Canal for boating and fishing.
The village will celebrate its canal heritage with its annual Canal Fest Weekend Aug. 11-13. There will be water ski demonstrations, a boat parade, live music, craft vendors, outdoor movies, and fireworks.
Measuring approximately 22 miles long by one to five miles wide, Oneida Lake is the largest lake entirely within New York State borders. During the summer, bass, perch, and walleye are quite active. Fish Creek empties into Oneida Lake at Sylvan Beach and serves as the spawning stream for walleye. One of the best places to catch walleye is at the canal’s entry to the lake at Sylvan Beach.
The Sylvan Beach Amusement Park, just steps from the canal and lake, is one of the oldest in the country. Admission is free and it’s fun to just walk over and enjoy a few rides. There are all day unlimited tickets or visitors can buy individual ride tickets. Fans of Crystal Beach Park will feel at home here — the lake, the beach, and the atmosphere conjure up images of the long-closed Canadian park.
Sylvan Beach was known as the Playground of Central New York in the 1940s and 1950s when big named entertainers - including Frank Sinatra, Harry James, Nat “King” Cole, Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey - all played here and found their way to Eddie’s Restaurant where the Stewart family has been serving guests since 1934. Check out the Italian specials, homemade pies, or the “Original Hot Ham Sandwich.”
The Cove at Sylvan Beach was recently named one of the 12 best places to visit in the world by Good Housekeeping Magazine. Operated by the Oneida Nation in partnership with Benchmark Development, it opened last year in the former Mariner’s Landing Marina and mobile home park overlooking Fish Creek. The group also operates nearby Turning Stone Resort Casino as well as The Lake House at Sylvan Beach.
Our three-bedroom waterfront cottage had it all: three bedrooms with five beds in all, two bathrooms, two TVs, fully equipped kitchen, washing machine and dryer, gas grill, fire pit with wood available for cooking your smores, and a covered front porch. There is a large, heated pool, and an innovative children’s play area. There are nightly community events on weekdays during the season including ice cream socials, movie nights, cornhole tournaments, BBQ dinners, and sunset yoga on the beach.
Be sure to check out the Sylvan Beach Supply Co. for groceries and the well-stocked ice cream counter. Sundaes are a specialty of the house. It prides itself on being home to one of the largest candy walls in Upstate New York with more than 2,000 pounds of candy available in 80 different varieties. The store also offers grab-and-go items from Turning Stone restaurants. Take your ice cream treats outside and relax on the deck overlooking the water.
It would be an ideal choice for a multi-generational family vacation or a family reunion. The Cove is not only family-friendly but also dog-friendly and the staff was gracious and accommodating. My Lab Sam needed help getting on board our pontoon boat and Thaddeus, an always helpful staffer, was happy to help.
Best of all for water lovers like us, there was our boat docked in front. The captain of the boat must have a New York State Boating Safety Certificate before taking to the waters. The course can be done online. There is also an array of other boats for rent including kayaks, paddleboats, water bikes, and canoes, as well as ski and fishing boats and fishing gear.
Cruising along the calm Erie Canal and even into the lake was easy but I was worried about the docking part of our water excursion. No need to worry. Just call the Cove harbor and two staffers were waiting for us and under their direction it was the a near perfect docking.
Just two miles from Sylvan Beach is Verona Beach State Park with camping, beaches, swimming, and more fishing. Verona Beach is also home to a lighthouse with a Buffalo connection. In 1915 a Buffalo company built the three identical Oneida Lake lighthouses.
Each lighthouse is reminiscent of a towering candlestick that is 80 feet high and set upon a square base. The lanterns are made of bronze and all sheet metal is spun copper. The upper platform is ringed by a wrought iron latticed railing and is reached by climbing five stairways within the tower.
Fort Stanwix in nearby Rome had disappeared under the streets until the National Park Service re-erected the fort on its original foundations following plans retrieved from archives in England. This federal bicentennial project is today a free, family-friendly, fun history-filled stop just a half hour drive from Sylvan Beach.
Located on the homelands of the Six Nations Confederacy which include an ancient trail that connected the Atlantic Ocean with Lake Ontario, Stanwix became known as “the fort that never surrendered.” Under the command of Col. Gansevoort, the soldiers and civilians successfully repelled a prolonged siege in August 1777 by British, German, Loyalist, Canadian and American Native American troops.
This success was an important step leading to the dramatic surrender of Gen. John Burgoyne at Saratoga — changing the course of the Revolutionary War in favor of the colonial rebels.
There is a wide range of activities within the fort, including ranger led tours, canon and musket firing demonstrations, Junior Ranger programs, park movies, build a fort, play with historic toys, have your dog become a BARK! Ranger (dogs are welcome here) and even join the Continental Army for a day.
Everyone is invited to dress up like a real colonial person. Learn about the vital role the Oneidas played fighting alongside the colonial troops during the Revolutionary War. You can also add your artwork to the Coloring Wall.
The fort sits within the heart of Rome, also known as the birthplace of the Erie Canal. Construction on the original canal began nearby on July 4, 1817, to replace the trail that Fort Stanwix was originally built to protect. This canal built from 1817 to 1825, bypassed Oneida Lake since there were no motors and boats were towed by mules or horses, impossible on lakes. However, the lake was linked to the canal by the Oneida River and two Oneida Lake Canals.
Just a half hour drive from Rome is Herkimer, home to Erie Canal Cruises. The cruise operates from Gems Along the Mohawk, a visitors’ center that has it all. It is just off the Herkimer Thruway Exit 30 and includes a gift shop stocked with locally made items from throughout Central New York. It also includes the Waterfront Grill that is open for lunch and dinner, and offers grand views of the canal. Service and food for our pre-cruise lunch was befitting the wonderful scenery.
There are also exhibits marking the Erie Canal’s bicentennial. There is a working 1817 stump puller, an ingenious device that pulled tree stumps — vital for the canal’s construction. There are also murals of the three canals: the original canal, the enlarged canal, and today’s canal. The Canal Innovation Exhibit features exhibit items on loan from the Erie Canal Museum in Syracuse including period implements, tools, and canal boat models.
Our boat named Lil’ Diamond was under the command of Capt. Kari as we headed east for our 90-minute cruise through the Mohawk Valley. This is a very rural part of the state and the canal. We spotted a pair of bald eagles and a blue heron.
We passed the Fort Herkimer Church, one of the oldest surviving churches in the state. It is also known as the Reformed Protestant Dutch Church of German Flatts and was built in 1767 and expanded in 1812. The church is open for services four times a year: Easter sunrise, July 4 Celebration, Thanksgiving, and the Sunday before Christmas.
The highlight of the relaxing cruise is surely going through Lock 18 at Jacksonburg, one of the last remaining locks operating with the more than 100-year-old original equipment. As our boat entered the lock, we watched as the gates closed and suddenly the lock house seemed to rise in the air as the lock walls creeped up along the vessel while it was being lowered 20 feet. It is always an amazing experience — the locks and canal totally changed the course of history.
Travel Tip of the Month: For information on Sylvan Beach visit sylvanbeachny.com. For Oneida County visit oneidacountytopurism.com or call 800-426-3132. For the Cove at Sylvan Beach visit covesylvanbeach.com or call 315-356-1840. From now until August 26 there is a minimum one week stay and from Aug. 27-Oct. 1 there is a minimum two-night stay.
For Fort Stanwix visit nps.gov or call 315-338-7730. For Erie Canal Cruises visit eriecanalcruises.com or call 315-717-0350.
Deborah Williams lives in Holland, NY and is a veteran travel writer whose work has appeared in national and international publications. She is the recipient of the Society of American Travel Writers’ Lowell Thomas Gold Travel Writing Award.