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!

Wonderful waterfalls hike and easy. Park in dirt parking area and the falls is in view right away…read more If you follow the water upstream you will come to a bigger falls you can walk behind. There is also an upper trail. Beautiful area. Be careful of poison ivy. Water shoes are recommended. Uneven surface and slippery conditions.

A wonderful place to enjoy. We always take a trash bag to…read moreclean up after those that are inconsiderate.

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.

This was a nice walk to see the falls. The path is well marked and clear for walking. There are…read morestairs. We found a 60 year old Chapman slide gate in the closed position. No handwheel at the top. Unlikely to be operational. Picture with red at the bottom. Years of Rust.

This place is an absolute treasure! I love the finger lakes and I've been everywhere and how I've…read moremissed this amazing place is beyond me. The gorge trail and rim trail were so beautiful and scenic we had an absolute blast here and I want to come back again very soon! There is tons of parking and trails and camping as well! What an absolute gem of a park!

Parking lot is small, can fit maybe 6 cars, but this is a great spot! I take my dog here, leashed…read moreof course, and there are varying levels of trails. It stays pretty cool because of the tree covering. Some of the trails you have to go single file but it's a great location and beautiful views.

Sadly my recent visit was during this hot summer weather. Despite the falls being completely dried…read moreup, I enjoyed my strong along the three falls trail and the pond trail. I look forward to coming back when the falls are running again. This park is a part the Central New York Converservancy. Small parking lot. Good signage.

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.

Out of the hikes I've done around Ithaca, Robert H. Treman State Park has been my favorite. The…read moregorge trail and rim trail loop offers beautiful views of the Enfield Glen gorge and waterfalls, especially with the fall foliage. It's moderate difficulty. There is a swim area by the bottom parking area. Both times I've visited this park it was closed due to being off season in October. $10 per car. You can use the receipt to enter any NY state park on the same day.

Robert H. Treman State Park was the last of the state parks in the Finger Lakes we visited a week…read moreor so when we spent the Fourth of July in the area, and it was a great way to say goodbye to the region. The park encompasses both sides of Enfield Creek and has several options to enjoy. At one end of the park is the Upper Park Entrance. This entrance has the Old Mill and access to all three hiking trails and is closer to the Lucifer Falls. (If you want to see Lucifer Falls without a hike, park at the Upper Entrance and you're not too far from Lucifer Halls - an easy flat walk to it, really.) The other end of the park is the Lower Park Entrance. It has camping areas (well used over the Fourth of July weekend when we visited - we saw tons of families enjoying the holiday weekend here), access to the Gorge Trail and Rim Trail, the Lower Falls (a waterfall with a swimming hole at the base - the swimming pool even has a diving board!), and everything else you need for a day of swimming and exploring (bathrooms with showers, picnic pavilions, etc.). We parked at the Lower Park Entrance (the lot was almost empty around 9am on a Sunday morning - even though it was a holiday weekend) and started off on the Gorge Trail, which is a 2.12 mile hike along Enfield Creek. This was probably the hardest hike we did at any of the state parks we visited over this holiday weekend (Watkins Glen, Buttermilk Falls, and Taughannock Falls). It was steep. I also didn't think it had the best views for the first mile - you're not quite as close to the water or *in* the gorge as you are on some of the other Gorge Trails. But once we got down to the creek, the views were beautiful (a few small falls), and it wasn't as crowded as the other trails either. (FYI: it was buggy and humid and hot, so if the weather is hot, definitely start early.) I had read on AllTrails that the hike up to Lucifer Falls was tough, so I was a little worried. But actually I didn't find it the hardest part of the hike at all. And Lucifer Falls was absolutely the highlight of the hike and the park for us. It's a 115-foot waterfall and it sort of winds and meanders in this incredible way - different from the other falls we saw on our Finger Lakes hikes. If you're visiting the park, do not miss Lucifer Falls. We returned to the Lower Entrance on the Rim Trail, which wasn't as beautiful as the Gorge Trail, but ended up being a treat, too, for a surprising reason. The Rim Trail didn't take us back to where we had parked our car. It does take you near to the Lower Entrance, but on the South side of the Creek. So when you finish the trail, there's a sign telling you how to get back to the Lower Entrance Parking, and that way back happens to take you past the Lower Falls. So we got to see the Lower Falls - tons of people swimming and diving (with plenty of lifeguards, too). We now know to save some time for a swim at the base of the Lower Falls the next time we visit this park! There are a lot of great parks, hikes, and trails in the Finger Lakes, but I really enjoyed our visit to Robert H. Treman State Park. Lucifer Falls is special, and the park was a great way to get some exercise and get some amazing waterfall shots, too.

I love this amazing outdoor space hidden right next to my hometown at a local college. It is truly…read morebeautiful, relaxing, and has so many special details. This is a great spot to bring the dogs, or even just to read or book. While we were there we saw people taking Senior portraits. I have never been here in winter, but I imagine it is also beautiful then. Some of the trails may be challenging for certain groups (steep incline etc) but are easy for most. It is well maintained and the visitors seem to be respectful. Pictures and description do not do this justice so just come and visit, take some time in nature.