Is This The Best Small New York State Park? We Think So!

New York State is known for its epic state parks. Of course the Adirondack State Park is the biggest one in the United States. It has it all from quaint small towns and villages, to Olympic Ski Jumps in Lake Placid. We also have the wonders of Letchworth State Park with its massive river-cut gorge and a stunning series of waterfalls. And then there is Allegany State Park in Western New York. This park is rough, raw, and gorgeous. it has been referred to as the "Wilderness of New York State." It covers a whopping 65,000 acres and is a beloved playland for thousands of visitors.

So, those are some of the biggies. We have a long list of smaller state parks that we love to visit. And this gallery looks at one of the best. Green Lakes State Park is located just east of Syracuse and a bit west of Utica. The 2,200 acre park, opened in 1928, has an abundance of amenities. It has a sandy beach and a large lake swimming area. it has a historic 18-hole golf course, one of the earliest ones designed by the world's greatest course designer Robert Trent Jones. It has tent, van, and RV camping. It has picnic areas and family pavilions. It has a magnificent restaurant at the first tee of the golf course, a restaurant with a 20 mile view. And it has two lakes. Not just ordinary lakes. Rather, the two lakes here are almost unlike any other lake in the United States. I'll let the gallery explain that to you!

So is this the best "smaller" New York State Park? Well, who really can pick? We love them all. But, yes, Green Lakes State Park is special in so many ways. Check it out1

Is This the Best "Small" New York State Park? We Think So!

New York State is blessed with some of the best state parks in the country. And historic ones too! And huge ones also! For example our Adirondack State Park is certainly our state park pride and joy. Opened in 1892, the park covers a whopping 9,000 square miles and is the largest park in the contiguous Untied States. Allegany State Park, clocks in at 65,000 acres in size and is rough and raw and beautiful. It is called The Wilderness of Western New York." Letchworth State Park is another gem. Founded in 1906 it covers15,000 acres and in 2015 was named "Best State Park in the United States."

So they are the big ones. But what about the relatively smaller ones. This gallery looks at a real Upstate New York treasure. Green Lakes State Park, just east of Syracuse and west of Utica, gets over 1.5-million visitors a year. It has two lakes unlike any others in the USA, and it is the focus of this gallery.

Learn more here and then put it at the top of your bucket list for upcoming trips. It is simply amazing!

Gallery Credit: Chuck D'Imperio

Check Out These Retro, Funky and Very Cool Upstate New York Motels

As thousands of folks prepare for summertime travel in Upstate New York, for the most part arrangements and reservations will all be done online and taken care of before they put their first suitcase in the car. That was not the case in the old days. Without the benefit of the internet we simply looked around when we got to wherever we were going and found a nice little motel that appealed to us. And those little motels are what this gallery is all about. Here is a selection of fun and quirky off-the-grid motels still out there beckoning travelers to pull in and spend the night. These are fun.

Gallery Credit: Chuck D'Imperio

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