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

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.

The amazing scenic area is second to the staff who love sharing their time and passions with the…read morevisitors and community. Once you visit you will never forget it and you will always want to come back.

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 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!

Cute, smaller but really well taken care of. Porta potty…read morefor restroom. Free water spicket. Basketball court. And paddle ball area.

Plenty of shaded spots to sit around the playground. It's small but can accommodate little and big…read morekids.

Great fun place for all ages of kids with some adult fun…read moresprinkled in like alcohol!! Clean location, friendly staff and the food is pretty good to. We had the pizza combo and the it was pretty tasty, and at $55, two entry fees, pitcher of soda and a large pizza as we as $20 credit for games I thought it was a pretty good value. We went in a rainy Saturday and the kids had a great time !! We'll be back for sure.

Had a TERRIBLE experience with the staff there was a person who didnt seem like they were doing…read moreanything, im pretty sure his name was Geonni Denicola and he was VERY rude to me and my family i got a pizza for us and when we got it, it WAS COLDDDDD 10/10 DO NOT RECOMMEND SCREW YOU GEONNI.

Cute NY State park with a beautiful and accessible falls overlook without strenuous hiking…read morerequired. However, I recommend a partial climb downward to a mid- overlook to view the entire falls without obstruction. Bathrooms, picnic tables, playgrounds are provided and relatively clean. Bring your own food/drink as their are no concessions.

Came for some exercise after spending the prior day in the car driving to upstate NY. There are…read moremultiple trails. I'm not an experienced hiker so I would say I'd prefer more signage or trail markers but overall a beautiful location! Parking was plentiful and there is a pay station at multiple ends of the lot.

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!

We took a "Yelp" trip down to Binghamton and went to the Sunday Market at Rec Park. What a…read morewonderful little park and it was a great market with vendors selling, vegetables, flowers, bread, cookies, croissants, pastries, jams, hot sauce, coffee, t shirts and more. It was a perfect fall day....a little cool under the trees but bright and sunny. There was an amazing playground, like I've never seen before....a merry go round ( not open when we were there) and indoor bathrooms!! There was a vendor selling Arepas , a delicious Venezuelan homemade pocket of dough with assorted homemade fillings. There was also a vender selling Banh Mi (Vietnamese sandwich) on homemade rolls. We got to meet Christine who runs her baked goods business under the name Chicky's! Her scones are amazing. The park was clean and had a good amount of parking spaces, several benches and tables and garbage pails.

We were in Binghamton for the day and wanted to see something new outside. My wife knew about…read moreBinghamton being the "Carousel City." We headed over to Rec Park just to relax and see the carousel, which was unfortunately closed. We just walked around and enjoyed the beautiful setting. Plenty of open space and with a beautiful pool, ball fields and tennis courts with multiple paths to walk around. I especially like the huge playground with not just one but two areas for the kids to play and climb and wow... they were all out enjoying the the pay structures and using the slides. This is just a lovely enclave in the middle of a city to find some nice resting and strolling areas. I hope to come here one day and be able to take advantage of the free carousel. KUDOs to the city and those who maintain the wonderful Rec Park.