Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

Hours of Operation

• Open year round. Sunrise to sunset.
• Nature Center Hours: 
  July - mid-September. Thursday - Sunday, Hours variable.
• Swimming/Wading Pools:
  Late June - Labor Day
  11:45 a.m. - 6:45 p.m.* last entry is at 5:45 p.m.
  
  

  $3 flat fee, ages 6 and up

  *only US Coast Guard approved Personal floatation devices allowed 
  
  
   No Alcohol or glass allowed in pool area.
• Boat Launch: April - October weather permitting
  
• Old Fort Niagara
  Mid – January to late March Wednesday – Sunday: 10:00am – 4:00pm 
  April – June Open daily: 10:00am – 4:00pm 
  July – August Open daily: 10:00am – 4:00pm
  September – Mid October Open Daily: 10:00am – 4:00pm
  Mid- October – December Wednesday – Sunday 10:00am – 4:00pm
  
  

  Last admission 4pm.
• Soccer Fields: April - October. Seasonal/weather permitting.
  Reservations taken beginning 1st business day after January 1st.
• Water fowl hunting is permitted in season.

Fees & Rates

Most New York State Parks charge a vehicle use fee to enter the facility. Fees vary by location and season. A list of entry fees and other park use fees is available below. For fees not listed or to verify information, please contact the park directly.

The easy-to-use Empire Pass card is $80- and your key to all-season enjoyment with unlimited day-use entry at most facilities operated by State Parks and the State Dept. of Environmental Conservation including forests, beaches, trails and more. Purchase online or contact your favorite park for more information. Learn more about our Admission Programs including the Empire Pass.

• Boat Launch
• $8
  *Collected via automated pay kiosk
• Old Fort Niagara

• For admission rates to Old Fort Niagara please visit https://www.oldfortniagara.org/admissions, or call (716) 745-7611.
  
  Toll Booths: mid-June to Labor Day 10am - 6pm
  
  

• Soccer Fields
• Fees charged for exclusive use only. Vehicle Use Fee charged during summer season.
• Swimming/Wading Pool
• FREE
• Vehicle Entrance Fee
• $8 per vehicle *pool additional
  Buses $35
  

Maps

• Park Map (pdf)
• Hunting Map (pdf)
• Trail Map (pdf)

Attention Hunters: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (i.e., "bird flu") has recently been detected in New York State in a variety of waterfowl species. Although the NYS Department of Health (NYSDOH) has stated that avian influenza rarely spreads to humans, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) is encouraging hunters to take extra precautions while processing harvested waterfowl. For more information on best practices for hunters to minimize risk of exposure, please read NYSDEC Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza - What Hunters Need to Know (leaves State Parks website).

For general information on Avian Influenza, please see: Cornell University, College of Veterinary Medicine - Avian Influenza Fact Sheet (leaves State Parks website).

For additional updates on Avian Influenza, including current updates, see NYSDEC - Animal Diseases (leaves State Parks website) and NYSDOH - Questions and Answers about Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) (leaves State Parks website).

Duck Blind Permit
2017-18 Duck Blind Drawings

Waterfowl hunting at Ft. Niagara, Joseph Davis, Wilson Tuscarora, and Golden Hill is by permit only during DEC & federal regulated seasons. Permits for all four parks are issued at a weekly Thursday evening draw at Ft. Niagara. Permitees are required to have a NYS hunting license, Federal HIP number, waterfowl identification certification, and a dog or boat for retrieval. Rules and restrictions from permit as follows:

DUCK BLIND PERMIT RULES
Fort Niagara, Wilson-Tuscarora, Joseph Davis, and Golden Hill State Parks

• All Federal and State regulations apply.
• A dog or boat is required for retrieving.
• Only one person per hunting group is allowed to draw at any time.
• All spent shell casings and any litter must be removed at the end of the hunt.
• The permittee is responsible for listing all of the blind occupants on the permit; substitutions are not allowed.
• All hunters must have a NYS hunting license, HIP number, and Federal "Duck" stamp.
• The permittee must have successfully completed a satisfactory Waterfowl Identification course.
• All blinds must be set up within fifty (50) feet of the blind number.
• The intent of this Permit is to allow shooting over water only, not over land.