State Parks in New York

New York has 250 state parks and 35 state historic sites — one of the largest state park systems in the country. The parks range from urban green spaces to vast wilderness areas.

Letchworth State Park in western New York is consistently ranked among the best state parks in the US. The Genesee River cuts a 17-mile gorge through the park — up to 550 feet deep — with three major waterfalls. The overlooks offer views that rival anything in more famous canyon country.

Watkins Glen State Park in the Finger Lakes has 19 waterfalls crammed into a two-mile gorge carved into soft Devonian shale. The Gorge Trail winds along the canyon floor past cascades, pools, and stone archways. It's one of the most photographed landscapes in New York State.

Adirondack Park — though not a traditional "state park," Adirondack Park is the largest publicly protected land area in the contiguous US at 6.1 million acres. It contains 102 campgrounds, over 2,000 miles of marked trails, and nearly 3,000 lakes and ponds. The wilderness here rivals that of any western national park in terms of solitude and remoteness.

Robert Moses State Park on the Great South Bay of Long Island has one of the best ocean beaches accessible from New York City. The barrier island park has miles of Atlantic Ocean beach and a lighthouse.

Minnewaska State Park Preserve in the Shawangunk Ridge is beloved by rock climbers (the Gunks are world-famous) and hikers. The distinctive white conglomerate cliffs rise sharply above the surrounding forest; the sky lakes (naturally formed ponds on the ridgetop) are exceptional swimming destinations.

Harriman State Park 30 miles north of Manhattan has over 200 miles of trails and 31 lakes and reservoirs. It's the primary hiking destination for New York City residents and was established in 1910 as one of the first state parks in the country.

Taughannock Falls State Park near Ithaca has a waterfall that drops 215 feet — higher than Niagara Falls. The gorge rim trail and the gorge floor trail together make a satisfying loop past one of the tallest plunge waterfalls in the eastern US.