This is a gorgeous state park on the northeast edge of Otsego Lake. My wife, two teenage sons (15…read moreyrs, 13 yrs), and I came here with our miniature poodle for a quick visit during a 4-night stay in Sharon Springs, NY. We came here every day to enjoy the lovely view of the lake, take a leisurely stroll with the dog, and spend an afternoon fishing (for my 15 year old son). It's about a 15-20 minute drive from Cooperstown along the east shore. At the main entrance, you'll pay a $7 admission fee per vehiecle, or you can just show your NY State Parks Empire Pass card. This is a gem of a park that is well worth the price of admission. First, it feels open and spacious with nice hiking trails. Second, the view of Lake Otsego is lovely. You may see a few kayakers or windsurfers on the lake depending on weather conditions. If you have young children, this is a must-visit place as there are kid-friendly playgrounds. Third, the lake is shallow and calm by the beach, but the water temperature can feel a bit chilly. In the summer, they have lifeguards available starting at 11:00am. Finally, the park has a concession stand which sells basic snacks, hot dogs, and drinks. It's also worth it to take a short walk up the hill to see Hyde Hall and the view of the lake from there!

Very friendly staff at front gate beautiful lake to swim in and camping available as well.read more

I like to come here now and again, but not for the normal reasons. Oh sure, it is a beautiful park…read morethat has lots of lovely benches to sit on while enjoying a picnic lunch. And yes, there is plenty of grass to walk around with your dog while enjoying the warm breezes. Sure, you could spend time looking into the river and watching the boats slowly go by. Kids probably enjoy the playground area while their parents can find something to do at the tables. There is even a restaurant on premises, though I personally have never seen it open. No, while all of those are wonderful reasons to come here I can't say that is why I like this park. Instead, I love it because it is right next to the train tracks and I can watch the trains go by while spending quality time with my family in a nice setting. There is a connecting bridge that allows you to look onto the trains from above (warning... they are loud!) but you can also enjoy the park for what it is while the trains rush by on the other side of the protective fence. It is a great place to spend time. I only wish it was closer to where I live.

Beautiful place and artwork. Nice for kids and families. The walk takes about a half hour.read more

Buckingham Lake/Pond (depending on what site you check) is in the middle of a quiet suburban area…read morein Albany. There's a path around it to stretch your legs and/or those of your canine companions - circle it twice and you've walked 1 mile. The playground area makes this a popular neighborhood destination. The fountains were active today (it's a warm day in February with some ice cover), but the ducks were.

Very pretty walk in the middle of stately housing. Even when walking through a mist it's ok since…read moreit's mostly shaded. Half mile around.

Wintergreen Park is a really neat spot to explore with some fascinating rock features. "Boiling…read morePot" is the natural swimming pool that's great for a quick dip. (Be careful, because it's not as deep as you'd think) A common frustration that I have (that I'm sure many others have as well) with beautiful spots like these is the accumulation of trash left behind by park visitors. I was really bummed to see so much junk that could have easily been carried out by the same humans who carried it in. It's really not that hard. L.N.T. y'all - LEAVE NO TRACE!

Small and quiet pocket park. There is playground equipment for older and younger kids, a pavilion,…read moretennis court (looks new), basketball area as well as another paved area. Lots of room for the kids to run around, plus it's fenced in with trees for shade and benches to sit on.

Before you come here, if you want to hike behind the waterfalls, Indian Ladder Trail is closed…read moreduring the winter and through April due to ice. Other than that, all the trails are open and still fun to hike and enjoy the views. Also the state park is free during off season and much less traffic, which is a bonus. Luckily, I came in late March where most of the snow and ice has melted, and I could explore with regular hiking shoe. I did a loop at the Paint Mine trail. Maybe 2miles total. There are some small waterfalls there, fairly easy loop, no real elevation change. There are a couple overlooks at the park where you can see over the valley. If weather permits, you can see city of Albany at far away with a waterfall on the side. It was very foggy at my first day, so I had to go back again.

Today two friends and I visited the Nature Center to see a wildlife art show/exhibit. There were a…read morevariety of media: photography, felting, ink art, watercolors, acrylics and oil paintings and sculptures. The artists' pieces are beautiful. I was especially impressed with the paintings created on wild turkey feathers. Rarely do I head to Thacher State Park in March...I am so glad we did. I highly recommend viewing this art show now. It is running until March 29th. I look forward to returning to John Boyd Thacher State Park in warmer weather when the trails are open. Truly a treasure!

Nice bench to sit on and view the falls, there are quite a few steps (for those with issues…read moreclimbing stairs). Then another path through the woods (that the park has been updating with new stone and water drainage system) - lots of rolling hills.

This is a cool, out of the way place to explore on a hot day. The trail to the falls is an easy…read morewalk through the woods and the views are terrific. The adjoining park and public pool area is an obscure place, perhaps because the town (Blenheim) has a history of being saddled with disasters (floods and natural gas explosions) during its several hundred year history -- and is quite remote from populated areas. The foot of the falls is loaded with beaver chewed creek wood and fossil bearing rock (great for prospecting with kids) -- and the nearby pools and picnic areas are cheap and clean -- quite sophisticated really. We always stop here to explore with our boys when we are in the area.

The rose gardens here are stunning, and I wasn't even visiting during peak blooming season! The…read moregrounds are kept up very nicely. The best part is that it's free and hardly any people.

I was here for an event and boy was it busy. Baseball games all over the place and kids running…read morearound. Very large park with tons of parking. Signage isn't great so you definitely need to know where you're going.

A small park that's good for kids on a hot sunny day as it has a lot of shade to keep it cool. The…read morepark has swings, slides and features other cool play equipment for the kids. In addition the park also has a basketball court and tennis court with enough room for adults to walk around. There is ample seating, parking and picnic tables for a mini picnic. Been coming here for 5 years now and will continue to do so till my son grows out of it.

Nice park when it's hot out with the tall pines. We call it…read morethe shady park. Well maintained. .