Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

Hours of Operation

• The park is open year-round, dawn to dusk.
  Park hours and facility operations are subject to change. Patrons are encouraged to contact the park directly to confirm operating hours before traveling.
  
  Restrooms may not be available in the winter and will be limited during the early spring and late fall.
• Daily operating hours are from dawn to dark. Visitors not registered to a campsite or boat slip must leave the park no later than 10pm.
• 2024 Swimming Season: 
  June 15 - September 2
  11 am - 7 pm, daily depending on staff coverage and water quality.
• 2024 Camping Season: 5/17 - 10/14*
          Cottages: 5/16 - 10/14**
  
  *Campsites & Cottages closed 9/23 - 10/02/24 for Dog Show
  **--Week long reservations until 9/8 then a two night minimum
  
  *Please note within the camping season time frame, some loops/sites may open later or close earlier. For more details, please call the park or visit http://www.newyorkstateparks.reserveamerica.com 
  
  
  *Boats and boat trailers are not permitted on the campsite. They can be left in the Park Office Parking lot or placed in a rented slip at the Marina.
• Seneca Lake Resorts Marina and Cabins:
  Contact Seneca Lake Resorts for more information at 315-835-5810 or 315-651-4949
  Visit the Seneca Lake Resorts website at https://senecalakeresorts.com/ 
• Military Museum: 
  2023 season opens Friday 5/19; Regular operating hours Wednesday – Sunday 10:00am – 3:00pm until Columbus Day Weekend. 

  Hours subject to change.

  
  

• Hunting is allowed with a daily permit during published seasons.

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.

• Peddling Fee
• $400
• Camping
• Campsites:
  $22-$31/night
  
  Base Rate: $15 per night
  Electric Fee: $7 per night
  Weekend/Holiday Fee: $4 per night
  Out of State Fee: $5 per night
  Walk-in Fee: $1.25
  Reservation Fee: $7.25
  
  Cottages:
  Weekly Rentals
  1 bedrooms: $1200 a week
  2 bedrooms: $1400 a week
  Reservation Fee: $7.25
  
  Two-night Minimum (9/7/24 - 10/13/24)
  1 bedrooms: $300 per night
  2 bedrooms: $350 per night
  Reservation Fee: $7.25
• Seneca Lake Resorts Marina and Cabins
• Contact Seneca Lake Resorts for more information at 315-651-4949
  https://senecalakeresorts.com/

Maps

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

• Firewood Source Map (pdf)

• Map of Lodi Marina (pdf)
• Camping Guide (pdf)
• Sampson Trail Guide (pdf)
• Site Map and Details (pdf)
• Deer Hunting Map and Rules (pdf)

Sampson State Park's 2,000 plus acres gently slope to the eastern shores of Seneca Lake, the largest of Central New York's' famous Finger Lakes. The Finger Lakes were created during the Ice Age by the formation and then retreat of the Pleistocene glaciers. The melting glaciers left behind a pristine lake we now call Seneca, to the depths of 630 feet, with 75 miles of shoreline, four miles of which are accessible and lie within Sampson's boundaries.

Sampson's story begins with the Sullivan Campaign of 1779, a major military offensive of the Revolutionary War initiated by General George Washington. Sullivan's troops entered the Indian village of Kendaia destroying as many as 30 longhouses, their crops, and fruit trees. Land between the lakes became bounty land and was set aside to compensate New York soldiers after their participation in the war. Evidence of these early settlers still exists in the park today by a preserved pioneer cemetery near one of the deep ravines.

A century and a half later, following the outbreak of WWII, quiet farm life gave way to the establishment of the second largest Naval training facility in the country, where an astounding 411,429 recruits were trained from 1942 - 1946. This facility was named in honor of William T. Sampson from Palmyra, NY. Sampson was renowned for his victory in the battle of Santiago during the Spanish-American War. Post WWII, a portion of the grounds were transformed into Sampson State College, educating our returning servicemen from 1946 - 1949. With the outbreak of the Korean War, the Navy transferred ownership of the remaining land to the Air Force for the purpose of basic training Military Base which operated from 1950 to 1956. Ownership was again transferred in 1960 to the New York State Park System; and thus, the opening of Sampson State Park in 1963. In 1995 the Military Museum was opened within the park to share the history and to honor those Navy and Air Force servicemen that booted on Sampson's ground.

Many of the military buildings and roads have been removed or modified over the years in the transformation of the State Park. Heavy brush, pine and cedar thickets, and young growth wooded areas are slowly reclaiming the once cleared military land. Several steep ravines edged with old growth oak, hickory, ash, and maple traverse through the park land draining into Seneca Lake. This evolving landscape makes excellent habitat for songbirds, white-tailed deer, wild turkey, fox, coyote, raccoon, squirrel, rabbit, and other small mammals, as well as waterfowl and birds of prey including bald eagles and osprey.

Deer, turkey, small game, and waterfowl hunting is allowed at Sampson State Park by special permit only. Hunting dates and legal hunting implement will vary from the NYS DEC Hunting and Trapping Guide, but DEC rules of hunting will still apply. There are currently no antler restrictions in Sampson State Park.

Deer Hunting Map & Rules 

2024/25 Hunting Season Schedule

September 3, 2024 (Tuesday)
- Permitted Tree Stands allowed to go in-- (mandatory registration)->(removal by 2/1/25)
- Reservations for Special Zones 1-4 Begins
- Lottery Registration for Firearm Season Begins - (09/03 until 5 p.m. on 10/16)
- All information must be complete to receive a permit (Phone number you can be reached at WHILE hunting, Vehicle information, Address, and Emergency contact)

October 1, 2024 (Tuesday)
- Opening Day of Big Game Bow Season
- Special Bow Only Zones 1, 2, & 4 Open - (pre-registered hunters ONLY)

October 16, 2024 (Wednesday)
- End of Lottery Registration for 5 day Shotgun Season - (5 pm deadline.)

October 17, 2024 (Thursday)
-Lottery drawing for 5 day Shotgun Season - (Limited to 20 hunters per day)
-10am Lottery Draw open to the public

October 23, 2024 (Wednesday)
-Special Bow Only Zones 3 Opens - (pre-registered hunters ONLY)

November 29, 2024 (Friday)
-Sampson 5 day Shotgun Season Open - (11/29 to 12/3)

December 3, 2024 (Tuesday)
-Sampson 5 day Shotgun Season Closes

December 9, 2024 (Monday)
- Late Bow & Muzzleloader Season Open (5 days only)

December 17, 2024 (Tuesday)
-All Big Game Seasons Close - No new Holiday Hunt Dates

December 18, 2024 - February 28, 2025
-Small Game (only after Big Game season has ended in the Park)

February 1, 2025 (Saturday)
-All tree stands must be removed from the park and permits returned to the office upon removal.

A special park hunting permit is required for all hunting at Sampson State Park along with blaze orange hat or vest while moving. Gun hunters should wear orange at all times.

All harvested deer must be recorded at the park office.

Safety zones and restricted areas are posted to ensure the safety of other park patrons and regional personnel. Signs will be posted at all parks during hunting season to notify patrons of this activity. Handguns will not be permitted in park. No trapping is allowed

For additional information, please contact Sampson State Park at: (315) 585-6392.