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. Rowboat and kayak rentals are available weekends only through Columbus Day at the Boat House, weather permitting.

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. You can rent rowboats and kayaks from our boat house right at the beach. Open Memorial Day to Labor Day.

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

  • 2025 Camping/Cabins

    Our campgrounds are currently closed for the season. Both the campgrounds and cabins will reopen for the 2025 season on May 16th. 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

  • Park open year-round from dawn to dusk.
  • 2025 Swimming Season
    Will open for the 2025 season, Memorial Day Weekend- May 24th, 2025
  • Boat House: Closed For The Season

    We offer rowboat and kayak rentals from Memorial Day Weekend thru Labor Day. Due to the fragile ecosystem of our lake we do not allow outside watercraft such as rowboats, kayaks, paddleboards, or motor boats. 

  • 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: Closed for the season 

  • Environmental Education Center: 
    12pm-4pm Tuesday-Sunday (Closed Mondays)
    Email Cara.Gannon@parks.ny.gov or Katie.Mulverhill@parks.ny.gov for additional information.  


  • Park Office Hours: 8am-4pm Monday-Friday (Closed on Weekends)

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
  • Cars: $10
    Bus Fee: $35

    Currently admission into the park is free, the park only charges vehicle entrance fees between Memorial Day and Labor Day. 

  • Beach/Swimming
  • Included in day use/vehicle entry fee. Beach and swimming will open Saturday of Memorial Day weekend from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Labor Day daily, including holidays.
  • Boat Rentals
  • In Season Rates: 

    Row Boats are $10/Hour, $5/Half Hour

    Single Kayaks are $10/Hour, $5/Half Hour

    Tandem Kayaks are $15/Hour, $10/Half Hour

    Crystal Tandem Kayaks are $20/Hour, $15/Half Hour
  • Camping
  • Campsites: Camping Season is from 5/16/25 to 10/12/25
    $18-$37/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:  $21
    18 hole Weekends/Holidays:  $30

    Jr/Sr 9 hole:  $11
    Jr/Sr 18 hole:  $15
       *Jr/Sr rates apply on weekdays and after 1 p.m. on weekends

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

    2024 Spring/Fall Rates: Subject to Change

    Before 5/17 and after 9/16, 18 Hole Greens Fee:  $20

    9 Holes with golf cart: 2 riders $9 per rider, solo rider $14
    18 Holes with golf cart: 2 riders $15 per rider, solo rider $20

    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. We can work with up to four classrooms at a time. Schools with more than four classrooms of a grade level will need to schedule two separate days of programming.

 

Fill out this field trip request form https://forms.office.com/g/0TNXp1ngJz

 

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

K-1: Animal Survival Skills- Explore adaptations animals use to survive in many different habitats at Green Lakes. Observe real life animals captured on trial 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.

3-4: 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: Ecosystem Encounters- Discover what interdependent relationships in ecosystems can teach us about protecting wildlife at Green Lakes State Park. Any season.

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. The 2024 Environmental Field Days will be on Oct 17th and 18th. Registration is open until Oct 1st:

https://forms.office.com/g/4cZA98KvAA

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. 

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


Fri 14 Mar
Winter Bird Walk
Friday, March 14, 2025 01:00 PM - 02:00 PM
Green Lakes State Park
Looking for something to do this winter? Join us for a walk (maybe on showshoes) while we look for winter birds at Green Lakes. Bring your own snowshoes or borrow a pair from us. If there isn't enough show this will be a winter walk. Dress for the weather, in warm layers, and wear boots. Sneakers will not work well for snowshoeing. Meet in the Environmental Education Center (West Beach). Use the Rt 290 entrance.
Sat 15 Mar
Owl Prowl
Saturday, March 15, 2025 07:00 PM - 08:30 PM
Green Lakes State Park
Join an educator to learn more about a soaring top nocturnal predator! This program will begin indoors with discussing all things owls and will then transition into a night walk outdoors. If we are lucky, we may hear or even see our feathered friends! The walk will be about 2 miles long. Dress appropriately for the weather. Meet and the environmental education center (west beach). Use the Rt 290 main entrance. This event is free and open to the public.
Sat 29 Mar
Antler Hunt
Saturday, March 29, 2025 01:00 PM - 02:30 PM
Green Lakes State Park
Did you know bucks lose their antlers this time of year? Join educator Bryan Radder to learn more about deer and go on a walk looking for antlers deer have dropped. Meet at the Environmental Education Center (west beach) and use the Rt 290 entrance. Free and open to the public.
Sun 30 Mar
Where does Wildlife Go?
Sunday, March 30, 2025 03:00 PM - 04:00 PM
Green Lakes State Park
Have you ever wondered what happens to wildlife in the winter? Do all birds fly south? Do bears really sleep all winter? Join an environmental education to learn about the different ways wildlife survive winter. We will also look for tracks and traces of winter wildlife around the park. This will be an outdoor program and includes a short walk (between ¼ to ½ mile) through the snow. Dress for the weather and wear boots. Free and open to the public. Use the Rt 290 entrance and West Beach parking lot.
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)