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 mean it's ok...!? If your going there to fish, good luck. The main lake is not great fishing…read more However if you venture up to twin fawn and ice pond they are ok. It's a nice walk around the main lake. Amazing pictures to be taken of foliage and lake. I would say avoid Summer crowd as it can bring in some riff raff campers. Not great hiking unless your looking for flat dirt road hiking. If you don't plan on camping you can rent a Log cabin. The log cabin rentals are....eh? Do your homework prior to going to be sure you know what your renting. Has beach on end of the lake but can sometimes be mud and not sand. They do have row boat and kayak rentals that are pretty nice. Food stand is good with decent food stand food. All in all it's not a bad place but very low adventure but pretty.

What an incredible place to just breathe in the fresh air! Amazing campground with many tables for…read morea picnic. The tables are a good distance from each other and perfect for the 6 ft social distancing amid the COVID-19 Pandemic. This park was not crowded, had a few families and dogs- but just the perfect amount this past Saturday. I really enjoyed being here and was so grateful for the views. They have a nice hiking trail and it's a wide open space. I am thankful for the lake where you can canoe and kayak. Everyone is very respectful to each other. The park also has two lovely playgrounds for children to play on- after the pandemic. I can't say enough good things about this park because it's just perfect. If you ever have a chance to get outside and explore this is the place to be. Early mornings in the summer - I cannot wait to go back- but friends don't forget your masks! Stay safe!

We were in town for the baseball hall of fame but we found this spot while walking around town…read more This is a beautiful little park with a great view of Otsego lake and there is the Council Rock. This is the rock where the Indians would meet for meetings. The place is very nice and people were sitting around on blankets in the grass enjoying the day. I dont know about parking because we were parked on the main road from our visit to the HOF. Pretty cool thing to see and place to hang out.

A small, yet perfect retreat from Cooperstown's Main Street, this park offers scenic views of…read moreOtsego Lake, a nice walkway through native plants that help protect the lake from contaminants, and a generous lawn with benches for relaxing. According to their official web page (http://www.thisiscooperstown.com/attractions/lakefront-park), this park also plays host to the Cooperstown Lakefront Concert Series. Whatever brings you to Cooperstown, this is well worth the 5-minute walk from Main Street.

Be prepared, the trail down to the falls is very long and while its quite easy going down ,getting…read moreback up is a definitely a treck. It's so worth it though. If however you decide not to go down to the bottom, there is a viewing platform . The waterfall pressure/flow can vary depending on when you visit. Heavy after rain or less during the summer months. Swimming is allowed in the basin , the water is cold . The fall and parking are free in designated parking lots. There was a porta potty in tje lot we parked in. Not sure if there's one in each parking lot though. Don't park anywhere along the roads as you will get ticketed and/or towed. Arrive early aa the parking lots fill up quickly, especially on weekends. Personally I wouldn't do this trail on a rainy day especially if you're a beginner. Lots of stepping stones that can be slippery when wet. Other than that it's one of the most beautiful trails I've been on.

One of the best water falls in NE! Mid-week late summer…read moreafternoon visit. There was a park(?) officer at the entrance sitting in the car waving as people left. There was also a table at the entrance to the trails with a person who didn't have much knowledge of the trails nor falls?? Spent 75 minutes and was able to hike upper, mid, lower falls and plenty of time to explorer. The trail to the viewpoint is very short and easy to find. The location provides an excellent long range mountain views, however, a mediocre view to the entire falls IMO. There was little water when I visited in mid- September and leaves hadn't changed colors yet. The trail to the falls is NOT marked very well after the initial 2 signs. I met a man with a cute dog who mountain biked but never found the falls! Many on the trail said they continued on stairs (straight) that didn't go to the falls! If you want to just hike without the Falls as the end goal, then this park works for you. Otherwise, download the trail map or access Alltrails prior to arriving. Lucky for me I received an advice from returning hikers who knew the park and advised me well :). The KF hikes are not long but are pretty steep... scrambling maybe required especially to get to the cove behind the upper falls. The KF trail split, to the bottom of the falls and to the mid- falls, is pretty close. So, the view to the entire falls was worth hiking down to. The trail near the bottom of the falls is red rock stairs and well maintained. Recommend water, sun protection and decent treaded shoes for gravel and roots. Bugs were minimal during my visit. There is no running water but a port-a-potty at Laurel House parking lot. Parking was a gravel lot and was about 2/3 full. Enjoy!

I have been going here since before the present Owner, Dave opened it up…read more Great sandwiches and pizza, with plenty of cold drinks to choose from and it is right next to the lake with a few outside picnic table to sit at and enjoy the view.

Beautiful lake and I like to go fishing on it. The launch side is open to public. There are…read morebeautiful orchids on it also.

Serene little spot in the Catskills of upstate New York. Perfect place to enjoy nature on the…read moretrails or on their surprisingly large lake. My girlfriend and I spent a few hours here on a Sunday afternoon in May. If you rent a boat you can keep it out as long as you want, and you have access to the whole property for the entire day. We spent awhile in kayaks and had the whole lake to ourselves for the entire time. We then spent some time down at the swimming hole and had that to ourselves as well. Everyone who works there was incredibly friendly and helpful. Beautiful day overall and the perfect end to a perfect weekend getaway.

Fantastic place with kayaking, a water hole, a light trail, picnic tables, and great friendly…read morestaff. Thank you Dana! Also, a nice niche store with ice cream, wine, and more.

We tent camped here mid July for my son's birthday. We stayed in the deer run loops. We really…read moreenjoyed it. We had site 98, but 98/99/100 I think are the best. 100 is a top notch site (that's private and right next to the playground (geared towards young kids around 3-7) Roadways are paved and perfect for biking. Beach was clean and accessible. Kids loved the big playground down by the beach. Bathrooms were clean and right across from our sites. Power is available at the bathrooms for airing things up or charging. Park rangers were visible and went around often. Felt very safe and nothing was rowdy even on the weekends. Camp store at the entrance of the park had essentials and even a few gift shop items. Staff was friendly and accommodating. We would definitely be back.

Great place for the family. So clean and well taken care of. Great area for small children and a…read moreplayground

Great experience on beautiful lake Otsego. Well maintained large pontoons available for the day…read more Call a week or so ahead if not more, it's highly desirable on such a beautiful lake. CJ was very accommodating, will be back next summer!

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Was out for celebration 250 events including a craft fair. Love coming to Sylvan Beach was is a…read morequaint lakeside tourist town which tends to be more of a season based local. This is a lakeside beach community located on the Eastern shore of Lake Oneida. They have an amusement park and always seem to have lots of outdoor events. Walkable downtown area and a number of great restaurants.

I litterally watched a parking meter officer ticket three cars, the owners of which had no idea…read morethere was a parking fee because they didn't see the small sign at the end of the parking lot (a fourth person just happened to see the sign at the last minute). In at least two of the cases, the officer could have easily told the drivers there was a fee but instead waited for them to turn the corner and then went and ticketed the cars. My guess is that this is the way the town survives financially. On a positive note, the outdoor seating and wait staff at the Lakehouse were very good.

Super helpful staff. Plenty of options for rental gear and boats. Especially helpful when it…read morecomes to fishing. Put me on some good fishing and had a lot of fun. Thanks guys.

Wonderful local spot, went in looking for fishing poles which they had for purchase and rental. Not…read moreonly did they have great products but they strung the poles for me which saved the day, as this is not my line of expertise. Highly recommend.