Welcome to Wilson, NY

Overview

Wilson is a town in north-central Niagara County, bordered to the north by Lake Ontario, to the east by Newfane, to the south by Cambria (and a small part of Lewiston) and to the west by Porter. The town of Wilson includes several hamlets and a village also named Wilson. Some of the communities here are “shoreline hamlets” like Coolidge Beach, Hopkins Beach and Roosevelt Beach. Wilson-Tuscarora State Park, which has a beach, hiking trails and a disc golf course and offers canoeing, swimming, hunting and fishing, is in Wilson. With the town’s location on the shores of Lake Ontario, fishing and boating are big here.


Essentials

Wilson has several restaurants, mainly near the waterfront, and a variety of small stores, like an IGA grocery store, a pharmacy, a corner store and a hardware shop. For larger groceries, Top’s Friendly Markets has stores in Lockport (about 17 miles southeast) and in Lewiston (about 18 miles southwest). The closest Wegmans supermarket is a bit of a drive, about 25 miles south on Alberta Drive in Amherst.



Recreation & Entertainment

Lake Ontario is the major attraction, so boating and fishing are major entertainment draws in Wilson. The town’s “sleepy” character in winter changes dramatically in the summer, when vacationers and boaters flock to the area. The town hosts annual events like the Wilson Harbor Invitational Fishing Tournament, a 5K Salmon Run and a triathlon, a wine-tasting fair and the popular “Field Day,” which is a fundraising carnival with a parade.



Transportation & Traffic

Route 18 runs east-west through the northern part of town. Route 425 is the main north-south highway here. (Waterfront transportation, of course, is busy here in the warm-weather months. Wilson has several marinas and boat launches as well as charter options.)



Pros & Cons

You’re right on the shores of Lake Ontario here, and the lake is the major attraction. Vacationers and boaters of all sorts liven up this community in the summer. Wilson has a state park and several places to swim and picnic. This is a busy, active town with lots of community activities and events. The village has a decent variety of dining and shopping choices, and others are nearby.