Green Lakes State Park, New York
Campsite name: Green Lakes State Park, New York
Camping type: Frontcountry Campground
Campsite opening hours: 8 am to 9 pm, 7 days per week during the open season
Booking Link: You can reserve sites nine months in advance.
Fees: From $15 to $37 for a campsite or $154 to $1400 for a cabin, cottage or yurt per week + a non-refundable reservation fee of $7.25 is applicable for all reservations.
Facilities: Green Lakes State Park is located east of Syracuse in upstate New York. The park includes a beach, rowboat rentals, cabins and campsites, food stores, a golf course, trails, picnic tables and pavilions, a playground, showers and a dumping station.
The park is pet friendly however a maximum of two pets is allowed per campsite and day-use areas. Pets must be supervised at all times. Unfortunately pets are not permitted in playgrounds, buildings, a golf course, boardwalks, pools or lifeguarded beaches.
Pinewoods Campground:
Featuring 72 campsites that have both water and 50-amp hookups, this is the most popular spot for RV campers. Some sites also have sewer hookups. Sites here can cater for rigs 40 to 60 feet long. There are also toilets and showers available with running water.
Rolling Hills Campground:
This area has 70 primitive campsites that can cater for trailers or rigs between 20 to 40 feet in length. There are no utilities at these sites however modern restrooms with running water and hot showers are only a short walk away. Round lake is nearby if you want to enjoy some fishing.
Cabins:
There are seven large cabins available for four people each. Even pets are allowed to stay in the cabins with you. With three large rooms, kitchen, living room and bedroom, you will have lots of room to sit back and relax. With an electric stove, fridge, screened porch and fireplace all inside. Outside there is a fire ring with a grill for cooking and a large picnic table for outside eating and entertaining. All cabins are a short walk to both Round and Green Lakes.
Camping Month: May through to the beginning of September typically.
Gear: Depending if you are staying overnight in a tent, cabin or RV will change the gear that you need to bring with you to stay at Green Lakes State Park.
Bug spray or repellent is a must pack for this area. Especially in the summer months, the bugs can be annoying in this area.
Food: Multiple picnic tables and pavilions are available as eating or entertaining areas. There are five pavilions and rooms that can be reserved. The prices range from $150 to $600 and can accommodate 40 to 100 people per space.
Within ten miles of the park is a mall if additional food is required to be purchased.
Lookout Spot: The best viewpoint in the Green Lakes State Park is visible when walking or biking around the beautiful glacial lakes. The Round Lakes trail provides you with consistent water views the entire way.
Activities: Visitors can partake in a huge variety of activities including biking, boating, fishing, hiking, golfing, frisbee golf, boating, swimming, camping and even hunting. Within ten miles of the Green Lakes State Park, there are baseball and softball fields, mall, a museum and convenience stores.
The 18-hole Green Lakes State Park Golf course was designed by Robert Trent Jones. During the winter months, visitors can snowshoe and there are 15 miles of cross-country ski trails to be used.
Due to the sensitive nature of the Green and Round Lakes no private boats, canoes or kayaks are allowed. Vessels can be rented from the boathouse which is open Saturdays and Sundays from 11 am to 6 pm.
Highlight: Green Lakes State Park features outstanding glacial lakes surrounded by forest. The Round and Green Lakes are meromictic lakes. This occurs when there is no fall or spring mixture of surface and bottom water. The uncommon green color of the water is a result of high levels of calcium carbonate.
Strap on your hiking boots and venture around the two lakes. For an easy walk take the two-mile Rolling Hills Trail. For the more adventurous and those who like exploring undeveloped areas why not tackle the 2.5-mile Deer Run Trail in the western area of the park.
Be sure to bring your bikes on vacation with you. For an easy and beautiful cycle take the Round Lake Trail which offers lakeside views during the entire ride. To cycle through the lush forest full of old growth take the 2.5-mile loop named Deer Run Trail.
The forest is 1,955 acres of large old-growth forest. It is made up of a huge variety of different trees including, sugar maples, beech, tulip trees, hemlocks and white cedars. Visiting the gorge is a highlight full of unusual upstate geology and beautiful rolling hills.
Tips:
There are many nearby attractions that are worth visiting. These include Old Erie Canal State Historic Park, Chittenango Falls State Park, Clark Reservation State Park, Verona Beach State Park, and Lorenzo State Historic Site are among the area's natural and historical attractions.
Wheelchair access is now available to beaches and trails at Green Lakes State Park. Wheelchairs are available to use free of charge on a first come first serve basis. Check with the lifeguards for availability.
Bird watching is a popular activity at Green Lakes State Park as it is a bird conservation area. Over 170 different species of birds have been seen at the park. Common birds seen are kinglets, sparrows, woodpeckers and pipits. The bird conservation area starts from Round Lake and extends into the western region and includes the Erie Canal Towpath. The grasslands within the park are the largest concentration of grasslands in the New York Park System. A downloadable bird checklist is available to assist you in your bird search.
There is a small nature center located in the Pinewood camping area. It is open from Memorial Day to Labor day every year. It is a must-visit if you are interested in learning more about the wonderful nature that calls this area home.
