Plan Your Visit

Green Lakes State Park is a 2,200-acre state park in Fayetteville, just east of Syracuse, built around two glacial lakes with unusual turquoise-green water. It is open dawn to dusk every day. In summer, NYS Parks charges $10 per vehicle from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; the rest of the year there is no vehicle fee. For a first visit, walk the 1.9-mile Green Lake Trail, then swim, paddle a rented kayak or picnic, depending on the season.

A Simple First Visit

1. Enter off Route 290 and park by the beach at the north end of Green Lake. See parking.
2. Walk the Green Lake Trail, 1.9 miles and flat. Add the Tween Lakes and Round Lake trails for about three miles and a look at the National Natural Landmark.
3. Stop at the Environmental Education Center in the old boathouse to learn why the water is green.
4. In summer: swim at the beach or rent a kayak. In fall: the Old Growth Trail in colour.

What's Open When

• Year round: trails, lake loop, park office, picnic areas. Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in winter. See winter.
• Mid-May to mid-October: campgrounds and cabins (May 15 to October 11 in 2026). See camping.
• Late May to Labor Day: beach (11 a.m. to 7 p.m.) and camp store.
• Late June to Labor Day: boat rentals.
• Spring to fall: the golf course and Yards Grille.

Costs

• Vehicle: $10 ($35 per bus), 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., Memorial Day weekend to Labor Day. None off season. The $80 Empire Pass covers it.
• Kayak: $12 an hour single, $20 double; rowboat $15.
• Camping: $20 to $39 a night; cabins $462 a week.
• Golf: from $18 for 9 holes.

Full list: hours and fees.

Disc Golf

NYS Parks lists disc golf among Green Lakes' amenities. The park page does not give course details; ask at the park office, (315) 637-6111.

Accessibility

NYS Parks lists the swimming beach, playground, showers and event rentals as accessible. A free Hippocampe beach and all-terrain wheelchair, donated through a Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation grant, is available first come, first served, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; ask the lifeguards. The West Beach bathhouse has family restrooms and a wheelchair charging station. For anything else, NYS Parks asks visitors to call the park.

What to Bring

• Water and food, or plan on the Yards Grille at the golf clubhouse in season.
• A leash of 6 feet or less for your dog, and proof of rabies shots if camping.
• The $10 vehicle fee in summer, or an Empire Pass.
• Layers in spring and fall; the trails beyond the lakes climb steep slopes.
• Leave your own boat at home. Private kayaks, canoes and boats are not allowed.

Rules in Short

Dogs leashed and off the beach, no private boats, fishing on Green Lake only, no bikes on the lake trail, swim only at the beach. See rules.

Nearby State Parks

Chittenango Falls has a 167-foot waterfall; Clark Reservation has its own glacial lake and cliffs; the Old Erie Canal towpath runs along the park's north edge.