Green Lakes State Park Is an Upstate NY Hidden Gem

10 miles east of Syracuse, New York, the vibe took a dramatic shift as I passed through the forests of Green Lakes State Park. I had heard about the two lakes — Green Lake and Round Lake — being meromictic, which means their layers of water don’t mix. But when I actually set eyes on them, I gasped.

It wasn’t just that they were unusually clear; they also had that soothing bluish-green sheen that’s typically associated with the Caribbean. In fact, that’s why I found them so shocking: I was far inland, right in the middle of upstate New York, but looking at waters that seemed to belong on an island a thousand miles away. The 1,955-acre park — centered around the two peculiar, yet stunning, lakes — may not be the most talked about in the Finger Lakes region, but there’s no doubt it’s among the most unique. 

“Formed during the last ice age nearly 15,000 years ago, the two lakes are essentially giant plunge pools,” the Finger Lakes Land Trust says about the park online. “Great waterfalls flowing off the receding edge of the glaciers scooped out nearly 500 feet of rock to form deep, steep-sided lakes that are incongruous with the present-day landscape.”

Green and Round Lakes are about 195 and 180 feet deep respectively, and their unique hue is attributed to minerals and salts like calcium carbonate. “[Minerals and salts] leech into the lake from the groundwater,” the nonprofit explains. From May to early June, the lakes go through a yearly “whiting” event, during which “the calcium carbonate precipitates out of the water and settles to form reef-like structures.” The land trust adds that it’s “yet another spectacle only observable at this park.”

Surrounding the lakes are gorges with slopes as high as 150 feet, as well as old-growth forests that are “a rare circumstance in the Northeast” and “feature multi-layered canopies [with] large diameter trees,” the land trust added. 

Here are all the practical details you need to plan a visit to the dazzling Green Lakes State Park. 

Planning Your Visit 

Green Lakes State Park is in the New York town of Fayetteville, just outside of Syracuse. From Syracuse, a quick jaunt east on Interstate 690 and NY-290 will take you to Green Lakes Park Drive, which you can follow into the park.

Open year-round from dawn to dusk, the park has a vehicle entry fee of $10.

Pets are allowed, but they must be supervised at all times and kept either on a leash or in a crate. Only service animals are allowed in the park’s boats, boardwalks, buildings, golf courses, playgrounds, and guarded beaches. Those camping on site will need to show proof of rabies vaccination to the staff.

Best Time to Visit

Summer is the time when the park and its namesake lakes are at their best, but it’s also the busiest season, with the peak period running from late June through Labor Day. Summer’s also the only time to enjoy the park’s beaches and swimming areas — they’re open exclusively from the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day.

While not a good season for swimming, autumn is another stunning time to visit, due to the park’s showing off its multitude of colors. Peak fall foliage periods can be tracked through the I Love New York Fall Foliage Report. 

Winter offers adventure, too, with about 10 miles of groomed cross-country and snowshoeing trails. Simply put, there’s no wrong time to visit Green Lakes State Park. 

Best Things to Do in the Park

A true all-around destination for outdoor lovers, the park is primed for activities of every kind, including biking, birdwatching, boating, cross-country skiing, disc golf, golfing, fishing, hiking, snowshoeing, and swimming.

The boat house is open Memorial Day to Labor Day and offers rentals. Rowboats and single kayaks are $5 for a half hour and $10 for an hour, while tandem kayaks are $10 for a half hour and $15 for an hour. Crystal tandem kayaks are also available for $15 for a half hour and $20 for an hour. Private boats, kayaks, and canoes are not allowed on either lake.

One of the highlights of the park is its 18-hole golf course, designed by renowned course architect Robert Trent Jones. The state park service notes that the rolling hills of the park make the course challenging even for advanced players, with deep bunkers and woods that mean “errant tee shots may be costly.”

Tee times can be booked up to seven days in advance. The nine-hole green fee is $18 on weekdays and $20 on weekends and holidays, while the 18-hole fee is $22 on weekdays and $32 on weekends and holidays. There’s also a special twilight 18-hole rate of $14 offered after 6 p.m. from June through August. The junior rate for New York State residents 17 and under and senior rate for those 62 and older is $11 for nine-hole and $16 for 18-hole, and applies only on weekdays and after 1 p.m. on weekends and holidays. 

If golfing isn’t your thing, birding is another great activity to try in the park. Birdwatchers can spot nearly 170 species in Green Lakes — from purple finches and house wrens to snow geese and black-billed cuckoos — and mark them off on the park’s official checklist.

Geocachers can also hunt for caches on site, even participating in 2024’s Central Region Geocache Challenge through Nov. 11. Those who find 45 of the 80 caches in the area will earn a collectible and trackable unique geocoin.

Best Hikes 

The park offers 19.1 miles of hiking trails, but its most popular routes are around the lakes: the 1.9-mile Green Lake Trail and the 0.9-mile Round Lake Trail. If you want to skip the more crowded spots, the 2.5-mile Deer Run Trail can be accessed from the parking lot in the northwestern corner of the park, while 2.8-mile Spruce Ridge’s trailhead is off Pierson Road on the east side. A map to all 21 trails can be accessed here.

Just outside of the NY-290 entrance, a bridge connects the park to the Erie Canalway Trail.

Places to Stay 

Since the park is only about a 15-minute drive from Syracuse, a range of affordable hotels are available nearby. Many are outposts of familiar brands, like the Hotel Skyler Syracuse, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, near the Syracuse University campus or the Hampton Inn & Suites Syracuse North Airport Area, between Onondaga Lake and the Syracuse Hancock International Airport (SYR). A closer option is The Craftsman Inn & Suites in Fayetteville, just a seven-minute drive to the park.

For those who’d like to pair the trip with an adventure on a larger lake, drive about 20 minutes southeast to Cazenovia, on the south end of Cazenovia Lake. There, you can stay at the GIlded Age mansion The Brewster Inn or the historic Lincklaen House, with roots dating back to 1835. 

Another option: Turning Stone Resort Casino is a half hour east of Green Lakes in Verona and offers round-the-clock activities, from bars, lounges, and live entertainment to golfing, a spa, and, of course, a sprawling casino floor. 

Camping

The 2024 camping season at the Green Lakes State Park Campgrounds started May 17 and runs through Oct. 13. Reservations can be made online up to nine months in advance, with the 135 campsites priced at $18 to $37 a night and the seven cabins going for $115.50 a night (with a two-night minimum) or $462 a week. There’s an additional $7.25 registration fee, as well as another $7 a night or $28 a week fee for those who are not residents of New York State. 

Some sites have an electric hookup, while others have full hookup. There are also sites with water and sewer hookups. Domesticated pets are allowed. Specifics for each particular site will be shown during booking. 

You can mark your calendars for the 2025 season now, too — it runs from May 16 to Oct. 12, 2025.

Places to Eat

Inside the state park is Yards Grille, known for its view of both the golf course and lakes. Focused on classic American fare, the current menu includes crab cakes, salads, a Waldorf chicken sandwich, and fried haddock. For more casual food, the north end of Green Lake is home to the Beach House snack shack, serving basics like pizza, burgers, chicken tenders, and ice cream. 

Outside the park, nearby Fayetteville offers a range of options, including Arad Evans Inn, serving American food in a 19th-century Federalist-style farmhouse, and The Craftsman Wood Grille & Tap House, offering everything from scallops and fish and chips to steak. For a true upstate experience, pop into the Fayetteville branch of the grocery store Wegmans, which doubles as a community gathering space. Pick up food for a picnic lunch to enjoy at the park.