One of my favorite summertime activities here in the Adirondacks is taking my kids and spending the day at the beach. We love to go to the public beach in Speculator. This is the beach I grew up on and I want my children to have the same fond memories that I do. The great thing about the beach in Speculator is that it is close to just about everything in town, which opens up your day to endless fun!
We usually start our day by heading to the Speculator Pavilion. It has a large parking lot with plenty of spaces, and it is directly across the street from the public beach. There is a basketball court, a baseball diamond, a covered pavilion with picnic tables, a small beach launch that is great for canoes and kayaks, and more. There are also public restrooms, which are a great thing to have handy when you have kids in tow! We usually start out by spending a little time on the Sacandaga Pathway. We explore the woods looking for different plants and animals. There are also two river overlooks where, if you are lucky, you might spot a paddler or two enjoying the river.
Then we head to the playground to swing, slide, and climb. This is one of my kid's favorite playgrounds. One of the coolest features here is Route 66—a village of small buildings modeled after businesses and a church. There is a post office with real vintage post office boxes, a barber shop, a church, and more.
Once we are done swinging and sliding, we go to the beach! We spread out our towels and the kids head for the water while I get some sun. The beach has a couple of benches and picnic tables, but I recommend bringing your own chair. There is also a buoyed-off area designated for swimming with a large platform in the deep end that is great for the kids to jump off of. There is also a lifeguard at the beach, which makes me feel more secure.
Usually around noon we take a break for a little lunch. I'll usually pack some pb&j's, or stop at Mountain Market on the drive in to town to pick up some freshly made subs. We picnic and lay in the sun for a little while before going back into the water.
Once we finish swimming, we make sure to thoroughly rinse off and towel dry. Nobody wants duck itch! (Please don't feed the ducks!) Then we check off the final thing on our to-do list before heading home—ice cream at Lakeside Licks! You can't skip out on the soft serve with gummy bears.
While Speculator is our go-to spot, we have great beaches through all our great little towns:
Come stay with us and check them out for yourself! We also have great shopping and dining.
