Most travellers passing through western New York are chasing Niagara Falls. But along State Route 5, about half an hour south of Buffalo, sits Evangola State Park — 733 acres of shale cliffs, sandy beach and quiet woodland on the shore of Lake Erie that most visitors drive straight past.

The centrepiece is a naturally formed beach framed by Angola shale cliffs, which give the shoreline a tucked-away, almost private feel. Lake Erie is the second smallest of the Great Lakes, yet from the water's edge it stretches well past the horizon, so a swim here genuinely feels ocean-like — minus the salt. Lifeguards are on duty daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. through the summer season, with swimming running until Labor Day.

Camping is a big part of the draw. There are 82 sites, half with electrical hookups, plus rentable cabins and yurts — all bookable via Reserve America and open from mid-May to mid-October. Facilities go well beyond the basics: showers, tennis and basketball courts, ball fields, playgrounds and plenty of picnic spots. September and October are arguably the sweet spot, when the foliage turns and wildflowers are still on show.

One quirky highlight is the Wild Buck Disc Golf Course, a laid-back route through the woods that's worth playing even if you've never thrown a disc. A small store between holes 5 and 6 sells discs and camping supplies, and you don't need a campsite booking to play.

The park also has an unexpected backstory. Before becoming a state park in 1954, it was known as Camp Forty Acres, a YWCA-run recreation site where women working in wartime defence factories — across racial lines, notably for the era — could take holidays during World War II. The Evangola Nature Center, housed in a building that started life as a YWCA in 1929, covers this history and runs seasonal events like wildflower walks and scavenger hunts.

Winter transforms the place, too. The Rim Trail follows the cliffline past windswept icicles, and 3.5 miles of Snowmobile Trail double as routes for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing once the Great Lakes snow arrives.

Practically speaking, it's easy to reach: just under 30 miles from Buffalo, and there's even a public bus link, the NFTA-Metro Lakeshore Express, from the city. For anyone road-tripping along Lake Erie's New York shore, or pairing a day at the beach with a cheap base near Buffalo, Evangola delivers a lot for very little.

Story based on reporting from Explore.com.