Sole at Woodlawn Beach

This state park has a beachfront and offers a variety of amenities such as a full bar, eatery, general store, and rental spaces. The best time to visit is during the summer when you can enjoy free live music, shop at small vendors, grab ice cream and lemonade from local businesses, and play volleyball on the beach. The park is also a popular spot for weddings, with ceremonies held on the beach from April to October. It has become a hidden gem in Buffalo. One of the highlights is WYRK country night on Tuesdays, with line dancing and a lively crowd. There are also cornhole and beach volleyball leagues, as well as other sand bar games. The beach bar is a great spot to relax right by the water, offering a full bar and frozen drinks. The staff is friendly and skilled at making drinks. Parking is free from September to June, with deals available through NYS Parks. Check their website for more information.

This beach in Buffalo NY is one of my favorites. It has a great bar, sandy beach, and fewer rocks and debris than other beaches nearby.

This public beach is really nice. It has real sand and is a beautiful spot to take a leisurely walk and relax.

I think the name "Sole at Woodlawn Beach" for the state park at Woodlawn is misleading. I don't visit the bar that runs the food concession there, I just come for the beach and park. The beach has a large stretch of nice sand, dunes, a swimming area, and picnic spots. It's a great beach, only a 10-minute drive from downtown Buffalo, and it's never too crowded. It's even better now that the beach bar is gone, so there's no more loud music. Another recent change is that people can now access the water outside of the swimming area for activities like boating, playing ball, splashing around, or parasurfing on windy days. This gives people more freedom, but they do so at their own risk, allowing lifeguards to focus on keeping swimmers safe in the designated area.

We visited Solé at Woodlawn Beach for the first time and had a good experience overall. Upon arrival, there is a parking attendant who charges $7 for parking. The parking lot was a decent size and well-paved, but quite crowded. There is a yellow building with bathrooms, an event area, gift shop, and the Solé Bar and Grill at the back, where they have live music, cornhole, and seating in the sand for a true beach vibe while enjoying drinks and food. There was plenty of seating, including at the bar, and the staff was very friendly. They also had a small merchandise setup with Buffalo jerseys and clothing, adding to the great atmosphere. The food was a bit pricey and portions were small, but that's to be expected given the beachfront location. To access the beach, you can go around either side of the yellow building, with walk pads and a ramp on one side to help you get there. The beach has a lot of rules, so it's best to read them before visiting. Smoking, vaping, dogs, and alcohol are not allowed, and there are plenty of police around to enforce this. There were some large dead fish on the beach shore, which wasn't the best sight, but overall, it was a fun and cool place to visit if you've never been before. I would recommend checking it out.