Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

Green Lakes State Park

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Address
7900 Green Lakes Road
Fayetteville, NY 13066
Latitude 43.039238
Longitude -75.966187

Know Before You Go...

More Info

Boating

Due to the sensitive nature of both Green and Round Lakes, no outside/private boats, kayaks, or canoes are allowed. 

Pet Policy

A maximum of two pets are allowed in campsites and day use areas unless prohibited by sign or directive. Pets are to be supervised at all times and either be crated or on a leash not more than 6-feet in length. Proof of rabies inoculation shall be produced if requested by staff. Pets are not permitted in playgrounds, buildings, golf courses, boardwalks, pools and spray-grounds or guarded beaches (this does not apply to service animals).

Green Lakes State Park's outstanding features are its two glacial lakes surrounded by upland forest. Both Round and Green Lakes are meromictic lakes, which means that there is no fall and spring mixing of surface and bottom waters. Such lakes have a high potential for evidence of ancient plant and animal life. Another special feature of the park is the 18-hole Green Lakes State Park Golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones.  Visitors can also snowshoe in winter, and there are 15 miles of trails that cross-country skiers can use.

Due to the sensitive nature of both Green and Round Lakes, no outside/private boats, kayaks, or canoes are allowed. 

Thanks to a grant from Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation, a Hippocampe Beach/All Terrain wheelchair is now available at Green Lakes State Park to access beach and trails. The wheelchair is available for use at no charge on a first come, first serve basis from 11am-7pm. Please check with the lifeguards at the beach for availability.   

Pavilion Information
Green Lakes has five pavilions/rooms. Prices range from $100 to $600 and can accommodate 25 to 100 people. Check availability at ReserveAmerica.com

Current Water Quality - Beach Results

Pet Policy: Pets are to be supervised at all times and either to be crated or on a leash not more than 6-feet in length. If staying overnight in the campgrounds, proof of rabies inoculation will need to be shown to park staff. Pets are not permitted within our boats, playgrounds, buildings, golf courses, boardwalks, and guarded beaches (this does not apply to service animals).

Hours of Operation

  • Park open year-round from dawn to dusk.
  • 2025 Camping/Cabins

    Our campgrounds are currently open for the season. To make a reservation please visit reserveamerica.com or call Reserve America at 1 (800) 456-2267

    Campsites - 134 campsites, maximum of 6 people/site.
    Cabins - 7 cabins (Minimum age of 21 required for rentals)
    Camping Season:  5/16/25-10/12/2025
    Cabins available:   5/16/25 - 10/12/2025

    Reserve through ReserveAmerica:  800-456-2267

    Camp Store:
    Open 10am - 6pm Friday to Sunday
  • Beach/Swimming
    CLOSED FOR THE SEASON
  • Boat Rentals: 

    CLOSED FOR THE SEASON

  • Fishing: Only on Green Lake outside of swimming area. No fishing on Round Lake.  No outside boats or watercraft allowed.

  • Golf/ Pro Shop/ Yards Grille: 
    Pro Shop: Open 8am-5:30pm Daily
    Yards Grille Restaurant: Open 7:30am-7:00pm Daily 
  • Environmental Education Center: 
    12pm-4pm Tuesday-Sunday (crafts and scavenger hunts daily)
    Email: CentralRegionEE@parks.ny.gov for additional information. 
  • Park Office Hours: 8am-7:30pm Daily 

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.

  • Vehicle Entrance Fee
  • Currently no fees
  • Beach/Swimming
  • CLOSED FOR SEASON
  • Boat Rentals
  • CLOSED FOR SEASON
  • Camping
  • Campsites: Camping Season is from 5/16/25 to 10/12/25
    $20-$39/night
    *Additional $5/night for non-NYS residents

    Cabins:
    Cabins rented from Saturday to Saturday during peak season*, 7 or 14 days ONLY
    $462 per week
    $115.50 per night - 2 night minimum 

    $7.25 Registration Fee
    Additional $28/week for non-NYS residents
    Additional $7/night for non-NYS residents
    *Peak season - normally 4th Saturday in June until Saturday Labor Day weekend

    *Minimum age of 21 required for rentals
  • Golf Course
  • 9 hole Weekdays:  $18
    9 hole Weekends/Holidays:  $20
    18 hole Weekdays:  $22
    18 hole Weekends/Holidays:  $32

    Jr/Sr 9 hole:  $11
    Jr/Sr 18 hole:  $16
       *Jr/Sr rates apply on weekdays and after 1 p.m. on weekends

    Twilight 18 hole (after 6 pm):  $14
       *During June, July & August

    Spring/Fall Rates: Subject to Change

    Before 5/17 and after 9/14, 18 Hole Greens Fee:  $20

    9 Hole cart riding fee: $10
    18 Hole cart riding fee: $18

    Any questions, please call Pro-shop at (315) 637-4653

Maps

Digital Maps

New! Download this park's digital map to your iOS Apple and Android device.

Firewood source maps show a 50-mile radius from which untreated firewood may be moved to this campground. For more information see firewood restrictions.

The Central Region Environmental Education Team offers a variety of programs in our parks. Each park offers their own free public programs.

Group Programs

We offer guided programs for groups (of 10 or more). To coordinate a group program at Clark Reservation or Green Lakes State Park please email CentralRegionEE@parks.ny.gov. If you are interested in a program at any of our other state parks, please reach out to the park office directly to schedule your visit.

Field Trips

Green Lakes State Park: Home to rare lakes, old growth forests, and aquatic habitats, Green Lakes State Park offers the perfect outdoor classroom. Students see scientific concepts come to life in the real world. Our programs align with NY P-12 science standards. Each program has three to four 30-min stations that classes rotate through. Some stations  are self-guided while others are led by one of our Environmental Educators.

Fill out this field trip request form https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=6rhs9AB5EE2M64Dowcge5zDxsNwdS1tPoYj6NIP5GQBUNllDWUI1SFVTQkZRTFZUSVdUUTA1N1dGUS4u

Pre-K: Nature's Storytime: Seasonal activities, a story and hike. Any season.

K-1: Animal Mysteries- Explore adaptations animals use to survive in many different habitats at Green Lakes. Observe real life animals captured on trail cam videos to see what they do when they think no one is watching! Any season.

2: Engineers Against Erosion- Get your hands dirty learning how engineers are protecting our visitors and lakes from erosion. Then test out your own ideas! Spring only.

3: Ecosystem Encounters- Discover what interdependent relationships in ecosystems can teach us about protecting wildlife at Green Lakes State Park. Any season.

4: Sculpted by Nature: Learn how glaciers carved the park's landscape and created our unique lakes full of unusual life. Try your hand at carving the landscape by reading topographic maps. Spring or Fall.

5: Exploring our Universe- We will look at our place in the universe, and the different spheres here on Earth. Spring or Fall.

5-6: Environmental Field Days- Join us for this annual event that's over 20 years old! Classes rotate through six 20-min stations throughout the day! Presenters from across CNY lead the stations, including a live animal presentation. This event is usually held on the second Thursday and Friday of October.

High School: Our Lake Study field trip includes hands-on water quality testing and studying life from the lake (from small bacteria to fish!) Fall only.

For Everyone: our most popular request is for a guided hike around Green Lakes. These can be formal or informal and can include an array of different topics.

We offer several program topics to choose from, but if you don't see what you are looking for let us know. We are working on adding to our lesson plans and will gladly create something teachers request if time permits. The Education Center has heat, so visit us any time of year.

Connect Kids to State Parks Field Trip Grants: Looking for ways to make field trips more affordable? Our Connect Kids to Parks Field Trip Grant Program cover transportation costs and park entrance fees associated with a field trip to state lands. 


Connect Kids is accepting applications again! Be sure to read the new Guidelines to learn about the changes to the program. Grant applications are due at least 6-weeks before your planned field trip.

Key BCA Criteria:

- Migratory concentration site

- Diverse species concentration site

The Green Lakes BCA is located within Green Lakes State Park. The BCA is unique in that it contains significant tracts of both mature forest and grassland habitat, providing habitat for an unusually diverse suite of bird species. The grasslands within BCA represent the largest concentration of grassland habitat in the New York State Park system. Grassland-breeding species include Eastern Meadowlark, Bobolink, and Grasshopper Sparrow. Mature forest birds include Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Eastern Wood-Pewee, and American Redstart.

Download a copy of the BCA map.

Go Birding with the Green Lakes Bird Checklist

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).

Self-Issue Hunting Permit Application


Sat 18 Oct
“Spooky” Fungi Scavenger Hunt
Saturday, October 18, 2025 12:00 PM - 04:00 PM
Green Lakes State Park
Have you found dead man's fingers or a bleeding tooth in the woods? Many fungi have interesting names. We have placed signs along part of the lake trail to introduce you some of the fungi with fun or spooky names. Stop by the Environmental Education Center between 12-4pm to pick up a scavenger hunt sheet and again when you finish the hunt to get your sticker!
Sun 19 Oct
“Spooky” Fungi Scavenger Hunt
Sunday, October 19, 2025 12:00 PM - 04:00 PM
Green Lakes State Park
Have you found dead man's fingers or a bleeding tooth in the woods? Many fungi have interesting names. We have placed signs along part of the lake trail to introduce you some of the fungi with fun or spooky names. Stop by the Environmental Education Center between 12-4pm to pick up a scavenger hunt sheet and again when you finish the hunt to get your sticker!
Sat 25 Oct
Bird Walk
Saturday, October 25, 2025 10:00 AM - 01:00 PM
Green Lakes State Park
Birdability Week is a celebration of inclusion and accessibility for people with disabilities and other health concerns. We will embrace the transformative power of nature and birds together. Everyone, from beginning to advanced birders, is invited to join us. Children and families welcome. Please leave pets at home, though service animals are always welcome. Environmental Educators from NYS Parks and NYS DEC are partnering to host this event. We will start seated at picnic tables for an introduction and tips for birding by ear. Then we will go on a slow bird walk. Bring your own binoculars or borrow birding equipment from us. The walk is about a half mile long over a combination of paved and course gravel surfaces. There is a short moderately steep section of the trail, then it is relatively flat. It is an out and back walk. We will take many breaks, but there are no benches. Feel free to bring your own stool or camping chair to carry with you. Accessible restrooms are nearby. If you prefer to sit and bird join us after the walk at 11:30am to bird in the campground. You can also meet our partners and look at our accessible birding equipment. Registration required: https://forms.office.com/g/R0v3NpBHSr. For questions please email: CentralRegionEE@parks.ny.gov.
Registration: Required
Sat 15 Nov
Birds of Prey Show
Saturday, November 15, 2025 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Green Lakes State Park
Who loves our feathered friends? Join us for an exciting live bird show presented by wildlife rehabilitator Cindy Page! Learn more about these magnificent creatures throughout the presentation. Meet at the Old Administration Building. This building is unheated so dress appropriately for colder temperatures.
Fri 28 Nov
Post Turkey Day Hike
Friday, November 28, 2025 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Green Lakes State Park
Work off that turkey from the holidays on this roughly 6-mile hike! We will take various trails to reach the incredible rock formations found on our Indian Ovens trail. This hike will go over uneven surfaces on both gravel and dirt. There will also be some difficult, steep, and hilly sections to this hike. Wear sturdy shoes and dress appropriately for the weather. Bring water, a light snack, and trekking poles if you would like. Meet at the Environmental Education Center.
Did You Know? The park's glacial lakes were formed at the end of the last ice age - about 15,000 years ago!

Amenities Information

  • Amenities
  • Biking * Biking Trails (Not allowed around the Lake Trail)
  • Boat Rentals
  • Campsites, Cabins & Lodging
  • Disc Golf
  • Fishing
  • Food
  • Hiking
  • Hunting
  • Pavilions and Shelter Rentals (Accessible)
  • Playgrounds (Accessible)
  • Showers (Accessible)
  • Snowshoeing/X-Country Skiing
  • Swimming Beach (Accessible)