These 8 State Parks Are The Best In New York, According To Our Readers
By Christy Articola|Published September 15, 2022
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Christy Articola
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Christy Articola has lived in Colorado since 2013 and considers herself a Centennial State enthusiast and expert through and through. She's based in Denver metro, but over the past decade, she has traveled to every corner, river, village, park, town, and city in the state and continues to explore it deeper and further whenever she can. Christy simply can't get enough of Colorado, and loves sharing all her adventures with you through Only In Your State! She graduated with a degree in journalism from Fordham University and is thrilled to be working as a full time travel writer for this and other sites - she finally found her perfect niche - and is so grateful for that.
There are 180 state parks in New York and they are all wonderful, beautiful, and amazing. However, some leave an even bigger impression on visitors than others. We asked our readers to tell us their favorite state parks in New York, and for photos to go with them, and we got a lot of great answers. We wish we we could use them all, but here are a few that were mentioned more than once. Check out this readers’ choice list of the best state parks in New York and discover some new and fantastic places in our great state soon!
1. Green Lakes State Park; Fayetteville
Green Lakes State Park, 7900 Green Lakes Rd, Fayetteville, NY 13066, USA
Green Lakes State Park is east of Syracuse and is a serene place to get away from it all. The two lakes - Green Lake and Round Lake - are strikingly beautiful and have an unusual blue-green color that isn't found anywhere else in New York. Visitors love hiking in the old growth forest that covers nearly half the park.
2. Taughannock Falls State Park; Trumansburg
Taughannock State Park Access Road, Taughannock State Park Access Rd, Ulysses, NY 14886, USA
Taughhannock Falls State Park is on the smaller side at just 750 acres, but it packs a lot of punch. Most people come to this park to view its namesake falls, but the park also includes a stretch of Cayuga Lake's shoreline, too.
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3. Lake Minnewaska State Park Preserve; Kerhonkson
Minnewaska State Park Preserve, 5281 Route 44-55, Kerhonkson, NY 12446, USA
Lake Minnewaska State Park Preserve is a unique collection of five sky lakes with rocky shores in the Shawangunk Ridge in Ulster County. It's a great spot for picknicking, hiking, mountain biking, snowshoeing, and swimming.
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4. Bear Mountain State Park; Bear Mountain
Bear Mountain State Parkway, Bear Mountain State Pkwy, Mohegan Lake, NY, USA
Bear Mountain State Park is popular with all New Yorkers, but especially with people who live in the New York City metropolitan area and travel there to get away from it all. This park is 5,205 acres in size and offers excellent mountain hikes and incredible views of the Hudson River.
Allegany State Park is New York's largest state park. At 64,800 acres, you can get lost in this park exploring its beauty for days - in the very best way possible.
6. Robert H. Treman State Park; Ithaca
Robert Treman State Park Road, Robert Treman State Pk Rd, Newfield, NY 14867, USA
Robert H. Treman State Park is one of several in the Ithaca area. It's full of unique rock formations and waterfalls. This natural swimming pool at the bottom of Lower Falls is a big draw in the summertime.
7. Heckscher State Park; East Islip
Heckscher State Parkway, Heckscher State Pkwy, East Islip, NY, USA
Long Island is home to several state parks with perfect swim beaches, but Heckscher State Park is a lovely place to relax on the south shore during hot summer days, and is pleasant for oceanside hiking at any time of year.
8. Watkins Glen State Park; Watkins Glen
Watkins Glen State Park, 1009 N Franklin St, Watkins Glen, NY 14891, USA
Everybody loves Watkins Glen State Park. This park makes it onto almost every New York state parks "best of" list and with good reason - there's nothing else like it anywhere.
These are just a few of the very best state parks in New York, but there are so many others to explore, too. Many thanks to our readers for submitting your photos and favorites. Let’s all get out there and start exploring all that New York has to offer today!
