Green Lakes State Park Camping

Visiting Henry Cowell Redwoods

Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park is located in the Santa Cruz Mountains and is most famous for the 40-acre grove of towering old-growth redwood trees. Its historical significance and spectacular scenery draw travelers from around the world. Visitors can enjoy hiking, horseback riding, picnicking, swimming, and camping on more than 4,650 acres of forested and open land. These skyscraping redwoods were admired by explorer John C. Frémont, President Theodore Roosevelt, and inspired some of Californias earliest redwood preservation efforts. Take a walk beyond the redwood grove and youll find four diverse habitats that this park preserves: grasslands, river/riparian, sandhills, and redwoods. The tallest tree in the park is approximately 277 feet tall, about 16 feet wide, and around 1,500 years old. Keen-eyed visitors may spot banana slugs, black-tailed deer, coyotes, bobcats, or steelhead trout.

A few miles north is the Fall CreekUnit a second-growth redwood forest with a fern-lined river canyon and remnants of a successful lime-processing industry. Fall Creek is open for day use only, and includes almost twenty miles of connecting trails. Parking and trailheads are marked on Felton Empire Road off Highway 9.

Information / Accessibility / Accommodations

Seasons/Hours: Open all year. Camping from mid-May through mid-October. Park closes at dusk.

Best time to visit: Fall mornings for the foliage. Summer on a sunny day for the lake color.

Parking: Several parking lots near the beach . Space for hundreds of vehicles.

Pets: Allowed on leash with proof of inoculation. Not allowed on beach, shore or in water. Do not let your pet go in the water. Do not let them go on the reef. If you cant follow the rules, dont bring or own a pet.

Admission: $8 vehicle fee.

Handicap accessibility: Yes, there are paved walkways, but not for trails or beach .

Swimming: Swimming is allowed in the designated swimming area only. Call for dates/hours 637-6111. Pets should not enter the water at any point. Do not enter the water at the Dead Mans Point reef .

Boating: Kayak, rowboat, and paddle-boat rental available. Prices start at $4 for 1/2 hour. Private boats are not permitted.

Camping: Camping is closed for winters. 142 total sites 7 cabins. Book a campsite.

Accommodations: Restrooms picnic areas drinking fountains beach nature center grills hiking trails pavilions fishing showers playground snack bar bike trails bike rack boat rentals guarded swimming beach bathhouse disc golf course golf course , cross-country skiing.

The Old Growth Forest

Another outstanding feature of the park is its old-growth forest. Nearly half the parks area preserves the largest stand of old-growth forest in Central New York. It includes many large specimens of tulip trees, sugar maples, beech, basswood, hemlock, and white cedars. The old-growth is defined by at least 10 characteristics that describe the trees, understory, and terrain. In short, it is a forest that has attained great age without significant disturbance and thereby exhibits unique ecological features.

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Inside Green Lakes State Park

Theres so much to see and do inside this beautiful state park. Here are just a few of the options that await you.

Boating, kayaking, and canoeing – Green Lakes State Park is so named for its two glacial lakes, Green Lake and Round Lake. These lakes are distinct from others like them in the area in that theyre meromictic, which means theres no mixing of the top and bottom layers of water during the fall and spring season. Such lakes are host to a wider variety of wildlife and have a beautiful, turquoise-green color that gives the park its moniker. Because these lakes are so special, no outside boats, kayaks, or canoes are allowed on their surfaces, but you can rent boats inside the park once you arrive between Memorial Day and Labor Day.

Hiking and nature walking – Although the park encompasses less than four square miles, more than 15 miles of hiking trails wind their way through its boundaries. These trails are open to nature walkers and hikers as well as cross-country skiers in the winter time.

Beaches – Who said you had to be on the ocean to enjoy a beach? Green Lakes State Parks waterways offer lovely coastlines, and thanks to a generous grant from the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, an all-terrain wheelchair is available at no extra charge to make the beach accessible to all visitors.

Take A Trip To Green Lakes Ny Campgrounds In Upstate Ny Are A Click Away

It’s the perfect time to start thinking about where to go for your next vacations. Where better than the wonderful Green Lakes State Park? Camping at this cool destination is one of the best vacation ideas 2022 has to offer. This oasis of natural beauty is located to the east of Syracuse and is a wonderfully scenic destination for a day out or weekend away. With swimming an option with a gorgeous beach area, you’ll be able to kick back and relax with a picnic and the ones you love. Book a cabin near Green Lakes State Park, New York and you’ll be enjoying yourself in no time at all. Why look elsewhere? Simply scroll through and book a luxury cabin rental on a Green Lake campground today.

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Camping At Green Lakes State Park

The parks campgrounds have excellent paved roads and new modern bathhouses with individual rooms enclosing an infant changing table, a toilet, and a shower. Most areas are wooded except for a new section in the Pinewoods loop that has pull-through full hookup sites. Most campsites are spacious, and all come with picnic tables and a fire ring. A few camping cabins are also available. Make your reservations way in advance.

The Color Of The Lakes

Nearly half of the water that enters the lakes comes directly through the bedrock in which the lakes are embedded. This water contains a heavy load of dissolved minerals that are not present in water that enters through the surface from rain and snow. The high concentration of sulfur in the deep waters had already been reported by 1849 the lakes’ waters also have a high concentration of calcium and magnesium. This mineral concentration leads to “whiting” events each year in which small crystallites of calcite and other minerals precipitate from the water. At these times of year the lakes appear particularly green, and the small crystallites are deposited in a layer underneath the lakes’ waters. The notable shoreline “reef” at Deadman’s Point on Green Lake was built up by this precipitation over thousands of years. Underneath Deadman’s Point there are some extremely rare aquatic mosses and sponges.

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Green Lakes State Park New York

Facility DetailsSee detailsATTENTION hereSee detailsATTENTION hereGreen Lakes State Park – 2022 Camping Season:

Green Lakes State Park – 2023 Camping Season:Friday, May 19, 2023 – Sunday, October 8, 2023

ATTENTION PET OWNERS:

Green Lakes Campground Map

This feature is available to BaseCamp members only.

If you are already a member be sure to . Keep the ‘Remember Me’ box checked so you don’t have to keep logging in.

Not a BaseCamp member? here to get direct access to booking cancellations from the ‘Book Cancellation’ button!

Check out the dozens of benefits of becoming a BaseCamp member HERE.

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Location / Directions / Maps

GPS: North park entrance: South park entrance: Trailhead between the lakes:

Area: 65 acres.

Max depth: Round Lake is 180 feet Green Lake is 195 feet.

Max width: Round Lake is 1,500 feet Green Lake is 3,800 feet.

Elevation: 500 feet.

Water Quality: not potable

Directions: From I481, take exit 3E. Follow E Genesee St. through Fayetteville and pass Springview Dr. on the right. The park entrance will be the next street on your left

Green Lakes State Park

West Beach Bathrooms Closed

West Beach bathrooms will be closed 9/6/22 until further notice due to construction. The Bath House restrooms will be open until October, weather permitting. The Park Office bathrooms are open during office hours.

Address

Boating

Due to the sensitive nature of both Green and Round Lakes, no outside/private boats, kayaks, or canoes are allowed. Rowboat and kayak rentals are available weekends only through Columbus Day at the Boat House, weather permitting.

Pet Policy

A maximum of two pets are allowed in campsites and day use areas unless prohibited by sign or directive. Pets are to be supervised at all times and either be crated or on a leash not more than 6-feet in length. Proof of rabies inoculation shall be produced if requested by staff. Pets are not permitted in playgrounds, buildings, golf courses, boardwalks, pools and spray-grounds or guarded beaches .

Green Lakes State Park’s outstanding features are its two glacial lakes surrounded by upland forest. Both Round and Green Lakes are meromictic lakes, which means that there is no fall and spring mixing of surface and bottom waters. Such lakes have a high potential for evidence of ancient plant and animal life. Another special feature of the park is the 18-hole Green Lakes State Park Golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones. Visitors can also snowshoe in winter, and there are 15 miles of trails that cross-country skiers can use.

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Master Plan And Environmental Impact Statement

On March 23, 2011 the State’s Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation published a “Final Master Plan/Final Environmental Impact Statement for Green Lakes State Park”. The Executive Summary of the Plan notes:

• 1002 acres in the western half of the park is designated as a Bird Conservation Area.
• Approximately 105 acres in the Old Growth area within the National Natural Landmark, and the area surrounding Round Lake, is designated as a Park Preservation Area
• Improve the Rolling Hills Campground in the short term. In the long term the campground will be relocated to an area south of the park office.

While the large white-tail deer population in the park is a problem, bow hunting is excluded some local groups have called for bow-hunting of deer in the park as a partial solution.

A Brief Introduction To Green Lakes State Park

Green Lakes State Park is a New York State Park located east of Syracuse in the Town of Manlius. The park is strikingly scenic, and has a “masterpiece” golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones very early in his career. Green Lake itself is perhaps the most studied meromictic lakeâone in which layers of water do not mixâin the world. The park preserves the largest stand of old growth forest in Central New York, and Round Lake has been designated as a National Natural Landmark by the U.S. Department of the Interior.The park is centered on two small lakes, Green Lake and Round Lake, which have an unusual blue-green color. These lakes lie at the base of a gorge that is somewhat longer than a mile in length. The lakes and the gorge are remnants of the ice ages, and exemplify some of the unusual geology of upstate New York. Green Lake has a surface area of 65 acres and a maximum depth of 195 feet. Round Lake has a surface area of 34 acres and a maximum depth of 170 feet.The park’s area is 1,955 acres , and it logs about 800,000 visitors each year. Nearly half the park’s area is old-growth forest, which includes many very large specimens of tuliptrees, sugar maples, beech, basswood, hemlocks, and white cedars. A grove of trees, lying immediately to the southwest of Round Lake, has been called the Tuliptree Cathedral.

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Rv Resorts & Campsites In Green Lakes State Park

As much as we love tent camping, we have to admit: a travel trailer or motorhome is a definite upgrade. And if you havent experienced a state park in a rig of your own yet, its time to try out the #RVlife by renting on the peer-to-peer market at RVshare.

Green Lakes State Park is open and accessible to travel trailers and motorhomes, offering campsites with electrical hookups and RV dump stations to keep you comfortable for the length of your stay. That said, reservations at this small state park tend to fill up quickly, so if you cant find a site through the Park Services online booking system, you can choose from one of the other RV parks and campground resorts in the greater Syracuse area. Here are a few of our favorites!

The Villages Rv Park At Turning Stone Resort And Casino

With 175 paved sites featuring full hookups and free wifi, The Villages RV Park is truly a luxury resort experience. It offers a heated pool, hot tub, and wide range of recreational areas, including horseshoes, bocce, tennis, basketball, and volleyball. Because its part of the Turning Stone Casino resort, theres also a complimentary shuttle service thatll take you to the house if youre feeling lucky. Its all just a short ride away from Green Lakes, as well as the host of other outdoor activities to tackle in the Syracuse area.

• Water hookup: yes

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Hiking / Walking Trails

Difficulty: Easy.

Distance: The park has a network of trails totaling over 10 miles. Here, we are covering the two connected trails that wrap around the lakes in a figure 8. This hike will total about 2.4 miles. This is the recommended hike.

Blue blaze: Green Lake Trail Red blaze: Round Lake Trail. The link between has white blazes.

Description: Our recommendation is to hike both the Green Lake Trail and Round Lake Trails at the same time, in a figure 8, which will wrap you around both lakes without any overlap.

Start out at the beach facing the lake and head right to enter the Green Lakes Trail. Follow the Blue blazes along this dirt path. Keep the lake on your left.

On the far end of the lake, you will come across an intersection with white blazes. This leads to red blazed Round Lake Trail. Follow this trail to the left and keep Round Lake on your right. You will wrap clockwise around the lake and come back to the white blazed intersection again. Follow this back to Green Lake and make a right, keeping the lake on your left. The trail will lead around the lake and back to the beach.

Maps: See the interactive map below for trails Trail Map

Green River Lake State Park

Top Five Things To Do1. Hike, bike or horseback 28 miles of all-purpose trails.2. Enjoy fishing on beautiful Green River Lake.3. Overnight in 167 RV or 60 primitive sites. .4. Picnic throughout the Park and enjoy the scenery of the lake and the fall colors of the leaves.5. Take a drive through the Park to look at the wildlife.

The Army Corps of Engineers started construction of a dam in 1964 and Green River Lake State Park opened in 1969. With 1,331 acres of land along with the 8,200-acre lake. The park has many attractions for those who love nature and wish to experience the beauty that is found in the Campbellsville, Kentucky area.

Park options include an 18-hole miniature golf course, hiking trails, a beach, picnic area, and a playground. The lake’s marina has a restaurant, boat slips, and rentals for different types of boats. The lake abounds in bass, bluegill, catfish, and crappie.

Hours of Operation

Things to DoBasketball

Pick a captain and choose your teams! There is always fun on the basketball and volleyball courts at Green River Lake. Overnight guests may check out sports equipment.

Biking

The parks offers 28-miles of multi-use trails for hiking and mountain biking. These trails offer great outdoor fun, exercise, and an opportunity to explore the natural beauty of Green River Lake.

Birding

Boating

Camping

Fishing

Gift Shop

Hiking

Horseback Riding

Miniature Golf

Picnicking

Swimming

Volleyball

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Hiking In Green Lakes State Park

An extensive network of hiking trails, mostly easy to moderate, awaits hikers in the park. The development of the lake area is mostly contained at its northern end. The western shoreline of Green Lake is undeveloped, and the Round Lake trail is primarily in the wilderness.

The most popular hike in the park is around Green Lake . Add a 0.8 mile loop to see Round Lake as well. The main feature of the trail is the striking color of the water, but fallen twisted trees certainly add another layer of engagement. Children love it!

Green Lakes Camping Rentals

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