If you love the freeing nature of outdoor adventure, Green Lakes State Park is the perfect spot to unwind for people of all ages. It’s one of my family’s favorite weekend getaways because it offers a wide variety of activities to fill up your days. Green Lakes State Park is a beautiful, well tended park oasis located in Upstate New York, just east of Syracuse. Here are 10 reasons you should visit Green Lakes State Park:
1. It’s inexpensive
Nowadays, with inflation swiftly rising, high price tags can easily put a damper on what you choose to do with your limited free time. Lucky for all of us, Green Lakes State Park is an affordable way to get out there and enjoy nature on any budget. The entrance fee is per vehicle per day, so your whole family can visit for a nominal fee ($10/car at the time this article was written). The entrance fee includes parking, beach, and trail access. Visitors to the park can certainly spend the day at the park without spending more than the entrance fee. Of course, if you’re interested in some of the other activities discussed below there will be additional fees.
2. Campgrounds
If you’re looking to visit for longer than just a day trip, you can also choose to camp right at the park for an additional fee. Advance reservations are always a good idea to secure your campsite ahead of travel. For the current season (2022), the cost of a campsite varies between $18 and $36 per site. Cabins are also available for rent with the stipulations that the minimum age to hold a reservation is 21, and during peak season can only be rented for 7 or 14 day stretches.
3. Beach (lifeguard included)
Don’t forget your beach towel and sunscreen! Families or friends looking for a place to cool off have the option of swimming in the designated beach area on the eastern end of Green Lake. Beach hours are generally 11am to 7pm from the end of May through early September, be sure to check the park website before your visit. The beach is easily accessible from both main parking lots, which also offer handicapped parking. When you’re done swimming, the bathhouse offers a private place to change out of your wet bathing suit and into your hiking gear for an unforgettable walk around the lakes.
A great adventure exploring around Green Lakes State Park for the kiddos!
Oasis of nature just outside of Syracuse, NY
Glistening blue-green water from every view and being surrounded by majestic trees is nature at its finest.
4. Easy stroll around 2 lakes
For me, a hike is all about the view, and let me tell you, this hike offers fabulous views. True to its name, Green Lakes State Park consists of 2 uniquely colored, as you’ve probably inferred, green lakes. From pretty much anywhere on the trail around the lakes you can enjoy gazing at the magnificent blue-green shade of the calm meromictic lake waters. The unpaved trail meanders through upland forest hugging the lake’s edge, and with almost no elevation change, it’s an activity for all ages. Though most of the trail is unpaved, it is soft underfoot with relatively few roots and rocks to inadvertently trip over. You can take a self-guided tour by reading the placards placed sporadically along the trail to learn more about the history of the park and its unique history and features. If you look carefully you are likely to see fish swimming near the calm lake surface.
You can even bring a jogging stroller to easily traverse the trail with your young children or elderly tiny dog. We’ve taken our Bob stroller along on quite a few of our Green Lakes outings and it is definitely a bonus to have it with us. The large wheels glide easily along the trail making the trip with the kiddos much more enjoyable. The stroller even has a space under the seat for a small backpack so you can easily bring snacks and water along. Make sure to bring bug spray to repel any nasty insect surprises as tick encounters have been on the rise in the US in recent years. You can never be too careful.
5. The Beach House: Concession stand
When you’re finished hiking, or while you’re enjoying the beach you can visit the Beach House concession stand. They offer snacks and drinks for purchase to park visitors. If you’d like to take a seat while you enjoy your treats, you can utilize the tables located in front of the Beach House or the picnic tables situated adjacent to the beach. There’s plenty of opportunity to people watch from either location and take in the beautiful scenery of the forested lake. You can also visit the public restaurant, Yard Grille located at the golf course clubhouse for a more substantial meal.
6. Perfectly placed bathrooms
It’s not the most glamorous topic to discuss, and some of you may poo poo this (pun intended)… but for some of us, myself included, knowing that there are plenty of opportunities to visit the lavatory is just plain reassuring. Don’t worry about being forced to choose between your morning coffee and a great time at the park. At Green Lakes you can rest assured that your desire for that morning coffee won’t interfere too much with your outdoor experience here. There are restrooms at the Beach House, at the main parking lot, and there’s also one available on the trail between Green and Round lakes. That last one happens to be a pit toilet, so you’ll want to plan on bringing hand sanitizer along.
True Natural Beauty
From the serene lake to the surrounding forested hills,
nature should be experienced and embraced by all.
7. Boat rentals
Visitors to the Green Lakes State Park also have the option to rent a variety of boats to spend some time out on the water of Green Lake. Since the lakes have delicate ecosystems private boats are disallowed, but you can choose to rent a rowboat ($10/hr), kayak ($10/hr), tandem kayak ($15/hr), or crystal bottom tandem kayak ($20/hr) at the park boat launch. (Prices current as of the date this article was published).
8. Playground
The playground is in the perfect location adjacent to the eastern shore of Green Lake and is only a short walk from both parking lots. Families can enjoy the beach, the playground, and an outdoor picnic area with charcoal grills without packing up and moving locations. The playground has an area with shorter slides for younger children and another larger area for older kids to climb, spin, and slide to their heart’s content.
9. Sports
For those visitors interested in sports, the park offers a wide variety. Available at the park is an 18 hole golf course complete with clubhouse, proshop, and a restaurant. If that’s not your thing, you can try your hand at disk/frisbee golf. Bird enthusiasts bring your binoculars because Green Lakes is a hotspot for all sorts of feathered friends. You can even download a bird checklist on the park website, and according to their checklist, over 170 bird species have been sited within the park. On any given day, people can be seen fishing along the Lake shore, so grab your rod and enjoy your favorite pastime on one of the most beautiful lakes in NYS. Be aware that fishing is only permitted on Green Lake and not Round Lake. During New York State’s seemingly never ending winter, guests can enjoy snowshoeing and cross country skiing along the 15 miles of trails within the park.
10. Dogs Allowed
If your kid is of the four legged variety, you’ll be ecstatic to learn that fido can join in on your outdoor adventure at Green Lakes State Park. Dogs are welcome in day use areas as long as they are leashed (6’ or shorter). We’re cat people (I know…I know, blasphemy!), but we visited the park with my parents and their elderly dachshund and he thoroughly enjoyed sniffing out new scents on the lake trail and cruising along in the jogging stroller. Be sure to pay attention to signs within the park since there are places your fuzzy friend can’t enter; buildings and guarded beaches, for example. Make sure your dog is up to date on his/her rabies vaccination and bring proof of this along with you because it must be presented to park employees upon request. Visit the Green Lakes State Park website for complete details to be certain you’re following park rules with regards to your doggo. *Safety tip – be sure to inspect your dog for ticks after all outdoor adventures to avoid any unwanted surprises.
So what are you waiting for? Get out there and enjoy this oasis and don’t forget to come back here and share your comments below about your trip! For those of you that have been to Green Lakes State Park before, feel free to share your comments below as well!
Additional information can be accessed here:
Address:
7900 Green Lakes Rd, Fayetteville, NY 13066
Fun for the kids
Go explore nature!!
Loved your write-up! ❤️ Keep it up!