There are so many ideal daytrip destinations in this area with the Finger Lakes, Great Lake O and its offerings, and the Erie Canal towns that you shouldn’t be at a shortage to find something fun and engaging to do any day of the week. A fairly well-kept secret is Green Lakes State Park. It’s about an hour and a half from Rochester, due east, near Syracuse, in Fayettville, NY. (7900 Green Lakes Road, Fayetteville, NY 13066.)

Although it may be a relatively well-kept secret in this area, apparently it’s not in the halls of science academia. In fact, it may have the most studied meromictic lakes anywhere in the nation! Meromictic lakes are ones that in the fall and spring have no mixing of the bottom and surface waters as in most traditional lakes. (#funfact) Green Lakes State Park has two of these lakes – the eponymous Green Lake and the second is Round Lake. Merometric lakes are known for their beautiful water color because of their unique layering and chemical composition.

For the golfers out there, Green Lakes boasts a masterpiece golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones, Sr. early in his storied career (1935). RTJ, Sr. is the most prolific course designer in the 20th century – this link will attest to his mind-boggling output over six decades. In addition to Green Lakes, Robert Trent Jones, Sr. designed or updated local iconic courses from both the public and private domains, including Durand Eastman, Bristol Harbor in Canandaigua, and the East Course at Oak Hill.
But golf certainly isn’t a mandatory checklist item to enjoy yourself at Green Lakes. Camping is the name of the game and Green Lakes has 140 RV sites and 140 camping sites, ranging in price from $18 to $136.50. The camping season runs from May 13th to October 9th. Activities available include playgrounds for the young ones, swimming with lifeguards on duty, hiking, fishing, kayaking, canoeing, biking, in-season snow-shoeing, and more. Thanks to a grant from the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation, there is also a Hippocampe Beach/All Terrain Wheelchair available to navigate trails and the sand at no charge on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Green Lakes State Park is also dog-friendly, so pack the kids, the grand folks, the pooches, and anybody else who is ready for summer fun or beyond and get there this year!  If you’d like more information on great staycations or on making a move, contact me today!