Whilst I do like the park in it's entirety, the best part of Jamesville Beach Park is it's huge dog…read morepark. One thing I noticed about this park is that dogs are in general better trained here-- and that is because they have to be. This park is not fenced in like other dog parks. Instead, it is a huge open set of areas, including a path through the trees. You need to ensure your pup has good recall, likes to stay around you, or you'll need to make sure they are on a leash. I have only had a few hiccups here is with people not being the best trained. One person, without a dog, was just giving treats to all dogs that came up to them which was a bit frustrating and a bad behavior to teach. Also, people are terrible about picking up poop. You'll find dog poop and bags of dog poop everywhere--some of this I will blame on the park as its huge and there are only 2 places to put it. However. Its a huge place for my dog to run and he enjoys it-- and so do we, and as a bonus, he sleeps the rest of the day.

The dog park at Jamesville Beach is a special place for me and my dog! We have been taking her…read morethere consistently since she was a puppy and it was an excellent way to get her used to other dogs from day one. She has built a lot of independence there and she knows our walking route by heart. It's beautiful, well maintained, the trails offer a variety of difficulty, and there are several swimming spots for the dogs. It's a great place to take a nice walk after work to help yourself and your dog unwind.

This is a beautiful Onondaga County Park. There are several well marked trails of different…read morelengths. The two we walked were nice and shady, 1.2 and.6 miles, but because of the stairs and inclines, it ended up being a vigorous workout. The lower waterfall observation area was shady and beautiful with several benches to rest before the climb back up the stairs. The bathrooms were clean and it was a beautiful day.

I visited a couple of weeks ago, back when we had warm-but-not-yet-sweltering weather. This park is…read morea bit of a distance from Syracuse, but worth the drive. It's not too far off from Heritage Hill Brewery, so you can do a two-for and visit both-- however the park is lovely and worth a visit on its own. There's an overlook near the entrance where you can get a glimpse of the waterfall. However, the falls are also within walking distance of the start of the trail. The hill is on a slant and there are steep stairs, so the view may not be accessible for those who have difficulty walking. However, it was so calming just to sit and watch and listening to the waterfall. The day I went, there were others out but the paths didn't feel claustrophobic. I took some time and walked through the woods. The trail I took was relatively short, I think about a half mile total. I appreciated that there was a marker at the start that let you know how long it was. I am by no means a regular hiker (hoping to change that one day!) but this trail wasn't exhausting and was quite serene. This is a great park with a great waterfall and is definitely worth checking out!

This is such a unique and cool park! It's about a half an hour drive from Syracuse, in Cazenovia,…read morewhich is a super cute town with lots of nice small businesses to explore. This place is the ultimate solution if you kinda feel like going to a museum but also want to be outdoors and go to the park, and can't choose. The park itself is stunning. It's an outdoor art park that has sculptures spread out around the grounds. There are multiple trails, some gravel and some grass. Some truly stunning views, with the lake visible in the distance at some high points. You'll wander through fields and woods and hills and happen upon other-wordly shapes and statues. The pieces are spread out, but not so much that you get overly tired hunting for them. Some are in clusters, but every now and then you'll just happen upon another one. Stumbling on another sculpture kind of makes you feel like an archaeologist or explorer uncovering ruins of ancient civilizations. It's got a very ethereal feeling. My favorite sculpture was giant metal flowers that kind of looked like a gate, but there were a lot of cool figures in different styles and mediums. The only downside I saw was that the paper maps available at the entrance had a QR code with more info about the artists and art, but I didn't see any paper or sign descriptions anywhere, which I thought would be helpful for folks who don't have phones or always run out of their data halfway through the month (guilty.) I understand that perhaps pieces change often, but it still would be nice to have more options for deeper context. Nonetheless, it was still super fun to wander and gander. I came early on a weekend morning and there was another car or two, but mostly the park seemed empty and it was extremely serene. Love it, wish it was closer. If I lived down the road I'd probably be here every day.

Beautiful hidden gem less than 30 minutes from Syracuse! Over 4 miles worth of trails to discover,…read moreand 1.4 miles of artistic sculptures. Very easy terrain suitable for all ages. The max elevation gain is only 141 feet. Lots of fun sculptures to discover, public restrooms (although Porta potties), picnic tables for dining and more.

Green Lakes is such a beautiful place. Love walking around the 2 lakes, such a quiet and peaceful…read morewalk. Lots of walking trails, campground, kayak rentals and swimming. Everyone should go to Green Lakes at least once, Highly Recommend !!

While renewing my Empire Pass last year at a local state park, I chatted with the ranger about…read morefavorite ones throughout the state. When he learned that I had been to over 100 of them but hadn't been to Green Lakes he urged me to check that one off the list pronto. And you know how that goes: when someone tells you how great something is, that place suddenly starts popping up more and more in your social feeds. Well, after seeing it featured on the socials for I Love NY and NYS Parks, I finally made the trip to Central New York outside of Syracuse (wait, I can call Syracuse "Central New York" on here, right? :) ), and I was not disappointed at all. My visit was early on an October Saturday, and lots of runners and walkers were around. And a fair amount of ducks too. A mostly level 2.5-mile loop around Green Lake and another mile-ish loop around practically adjacent Round Lake (which is also a Registered National Landmark) made for a wonderful morning stroll. I was just walking and taking pictures, but clearly this is a spot where runners meet and get in a workout together. The lakes are beautiful, and, yeah, have an emerald-green glow at times. I'm really glad I made the trip there, and will definitely revisit one day.

This place is with in walking distance of my house have been coming here since I can remember maybe…read moreeven before I could talk and I'm an adult now it is a nice place you can go walking around the duck pond and feed the ducks or just hang out and I joy nature and being around the ducks but just know it gets muddy here often and there is ducks/bird poop every where

Super nice people that run this place. Took my kids to feed ducks after lunch and we all had fun…read more They take card too.

A few blocks from my hotel was this park. I decided after going about the day and seeing the sights…read moreI wanted to see, it was time to just leisurely walk around. What better place to do it than at a park. Especially one that has so much to offer. When I arrived I came at this park from the intersection of Madison & Ostrom. When I came here it was bit off putting to me as it was where the intersection was a bit wonky that allowed for vehicular to enter the park. So you needed to watch while you walking that no traffic was coming, or just walk about the grass, which is what I did. Being from out of town I had no idea what this park had to offer overall but I did do a lot of exploring which led me to a lot of different areas. I first just walked through the fields and along the tree lines. I backtracked a bit and stumbled upon the pool area. From there, I found the amphitheater and hung around there for a bit. After that, I found the football field and saw a lot of people using it for multiple reasons. From exercising, playing with their dogs, flying drones and many other things. I ended my time in the park at the rose garden. Roses were still coming into bloom, but I didn't mind that. I looked around at the different varieties of roses they had planted. I then sat on a bench for a few minutes to just take in this portion of the park. When I left, I was off towards Syracuse University campus. This park is enormous, and I am glad I was able to spend some time here.

Sometimes I'll take my dog for little road trips to new parks (driving an hour or two from home),…read moreand Thornden Park is one we've been to a couple times. It's a really nice, open park with lots of space to walk around. I do wish they had some sidewalks or something along the roads going up or down the hills, but that's one of the few issues I can think of. The park is maintained well, has a lovely rose garden (one of my friends volunteers here regularly, actually, which is how I found out about the park - they have a "Rose Day" in mid-June to celebrate, and I'm told that timing is mainly because that's when the roses are usually at their peak), and lots of fun features - like the amphitheater area, where my dog was especially interested in watching some folks who were preparing for a summer play. There's a pool area as well, tennis courts, concession area, and so on... and my pup especially seemed to love rolling down the hills just below the Thornden Park Water Tower (pictures included in this review, of course). It's worth noting that I *have* had a couple slightly sketchy experiences here... including one time being followed around by another park goer who seemed to be experiencing some mental health issues. As with anywhere, just be mindful of your surroundings.

What a treasure that is right in Syracuse. I went for a 3 mile walk today with my friend and really…read moreenjoyed the landscape and the views. From the mountain goat high spot of the park you can see all of downtown, it's really cool!!! A lot of spots to sit and relax and the homes surrounding the upper Park are just gorgeous.

This park invented Onondagamatopoeia, so it's shhhhhurely the most sooooothing sssseeea shhhhore in…read morethe Sssssyracuse area. OK what the f*** am I talking about. But it's a spectacular Park in Syracuse that is the highlight of the inner city SYR area. I like it even more than I like being Onondated by Dating prospects. This wonderful wooded park space is large and gorgeous much like my girlfriend. There are two sections, Upper and Lower, and both are lovely. Definitely the most relaxing place to hang out and people watch during the summer in the inner city area, and bettered only by Onondaga Lake Park (totally different) in the wider region.

Extremely well marked trails, lots of options for hiking, biking, and snowshoeing. Just be careful…read moreon the trails near the lodge for horse droppings!

Highland Forest Park is at its best in the Winter time when it provides some of the best XC skiing…read morein the US. It is located in the snow belt that is directly below Syracuse, NY. The typically cold winters make for a great XC ski experience. On the weekends the shorter loops can be a little crowded but the longer loops tend to provide more solitude since they require the skier to be in good shape before attempting. Trail Access used to be free but the Onondaga County Parks department started charging several years ago. The charge is minimal and it is well worth it.

A local treasure. For runners, dog walkers or perambulators, the trail around the pond is excellent…read moreand well kept. Plenty of sun and shade depending on where you are. I especially enjoyed the beautiful bench looking out over the water at the end of the path. There is also a large grassy area for families to play frisbee, or have a picnic lunch. There is even a small playground for little kids.

This is a very nice park. There are athletic fields, a basketball court, and playground equipment…read morefor the kids, but the trails are the real draw. Very well maintained and picturesque. A nice place to walk. I'll be back!