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.

One of the tallest waterfall in NY, similar height to Taughannock Falls. Physical requirement is…read moredifferent tho, Kaaterskill Falls has about 500foot of elevation change and a lot of slippery stone steps at the end, if you come here when the weather is still cold. Parking: most people park at the Laurel-House Road parking area, because it is the closest. Or you can park at Mountain Top Historical Society, the old train station, which an extra mile. Starting from the old railroad station is nice, you can still see some old tracks on the ground. Walk to the overlook is fairly easy, once you get to the start point of Lower falls junction, it is where you need to be prepared. I recommend hiking shoe, especially in colder months where the ground is wet and iced. When you reach to the stone steps, they can get slippery. I am surprised no one fell in late March. Half of the steps were cover in ice and people were wearing regular sneakers. Once you reach the base of the two tier falls, the view is tremendous. If water levels are high, you can feel the energy of the water. There is a lot of spray from the falls when you get close. There is short trail to the middle tier pool. It was iced up during winter, spikes will definitely be useful. The end was amazing too. So close to the lead of the waterfall. You can keep going and follow Escarpment trail and follow the edge of the valley. There is monument for fireman Frank Layman who died during firefighting in 1900, at his monument, you can see route 23A bend around mountain. And if you keep going, there are a couple viewpoint to overlook the valley. Nice break points to enjoy the view and rest your legs.

We did the ~1 mile hike to the upper falls from the Scutt Road parking lot. The hike is fairly…read moreeasy, though sections of the trail have a lot of rocks and roots. A few small hills, but not much elevation change. The viewing point gets quite crowded, so it's probably best to go during off peak times. We started out at 5:45pm and there were still lots of people there. Because it's been quite dry, the falls were not gushing, but still offered a satisfying steady stream. From the upper viewing point, you can see the hikers on the lower levels below. The lower hike winds around to the bottom pool of the falls, so it's kind of cool to see from above, almost like a mini Grand Canyon. It's worth the journey and the lower falls hike is probably quite nice too, but we didn't have time for it on this trip.

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.

Oh what a magical experience. My boyfriend Tom and I kayaked the lake that the owner Jim so kindly…read moreadvised us of all the animal population. Birds, turtles, fish, beaver dams. It was so wonderful we came back a second day, and took use of the grounds by the swimming hole. You truly felt like you were on another planet. It was amazing and will revisit!

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!

From the owner: CJ's Power Boat Rentals is a professional quality boat rental company. We specialize in the…read morefollowing services: boat rentals, ski boat rentals, pontoon boat rentals, daily boat rentals, weekly boat rentals, monthly boat rentals, boat delivery to Otsego Lake, boat delivery to Goodyear Lake, boat delivery to Canadarago Lake, water skis, tubes and more. Our professionals will treat you with courtesy and respect. We provide services honestly and with integrity. For more information, call or click today.

Absolutely gorgeous little spot for a mini vacation!…read more My boyfriend and I came here for a getaway from the busy non stop Long Island. It's so pretty snd relaxing! From the beach, mini amusement park, restaurants, little shops...it's nice to get away! We really enjoyed our time here spending time on the beach and having some good eats. Lots of good restaurants in the area that we didn't even have time to try them all. Just be mindful that a lot of restaurants are only open for the summer season and they close around the first week in October. Definitely a great mini getaway spot!

This place is not dog friendly. Yes you can take your dog to the small park in the center of town…read morebut the beach area as far as you can see has no dogs allowed signs. This place despite the improvements is so backwards. People like to enjoy taking thier digs on vacation and swimming and walking the beach. They could at least designate a small area to dog beach.I have lived in this area most of my life and their is a saying "the beach is the beach". The backwards mentality has been here a long time.

Brent, Gareth and the team provide terrific, friendly, knowledgeable service. They take the time to…read moretalk and learn about your paddling skills and dreams and help match a boat to what can work well for you. And it's a one-stop shop with all the gear you need without the oversell! Just got a beautiful Swift Adirondack LT kayak and some nice Yakima racks to help tote it. Can't wait to get back on the water!

My boyfriend and I had such a great time kayaking here. Booking was so easy and so was the check in…read moreprocess. Prices are reasonable. Staff here is wonderful. We were helped launch our kayak, and we were helped as we returned from our trip. We will definitely use this establishment again when in the area!