Outdoors
Lakes, reservoirs and rivers near Syracuse for boating, kayaking, canoeing and paddleboarding.
Good to know: Life jackets are required for children on most waters, and many lakes require an invasive-species inspection or a launch fee.
31 mi west · Fish and Wildlife Service
Establishing the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge in 1938 was the first step of many to restore the area back to its historic expanse of marshes—an area thriving with wildlife, once used by indigenous people for hunting and fishing.
39 mi south · US Army Corps of Engineers
Broome County operates Dorchester Park on Whitney Point Lake. Day use facilities include a beach, boat launch, picnic area, pavilions and open play areas.
69 mi southeast · US Army Corps of Engineers
The recreation area is lease to the Town of Sidney, NY. Facilities include camping, picnic area, boat launch and beach.
Map of 13 places loads as you scroll.
Establishing the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge in 1938 was the first step of many to restore the area back to its historic expanse of marshes—an area thriving with wildlife, once used by indigenous people for hunting and fishing.
Broome County operates Dorchester Park on Whitney Point Lake. Day use facilities include a beach, boat launch, picnic area, pavilions and open play areas.
The recreation area is lease to the Town of Sidney, NY. Facilities include camping, picnic area, boat launch and beach.
This Corps project located near the New York state line in North Central Pennsylvania provides a 1,085-acre lake with 17 miles of shoreline for use by campers and day trippers.
Tompkins Campground is on the north shore of Cowanesque Lake in the northern tier of Pennsylvania, less than one mile from the New York state border.
The US Army Corps of Engineers built the Mount Morris Dam in the late 1940s to reduce flooding on the lower Genesee River.
South Shore Recreation Area is located on the south side of the Cowanesque Lake along State Route 49, just five miles west of Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania.
Kanakadea Park operated by Stuben County, NY is located on Almond Lake. Camping and day use facilities for picnicing and boating are available.
Twin lakes in north central Pennsylvania with overnight and dayuse facilities in a scenic environment, southwest of Tioga, PA and north of Wellsboro on PA Route 287, which is acessable from U.S. Route 15 northeast of Tioga and U.S.
Ives Run Campground sits on the eastern shore of Hammond Lake in north-central Pennsylvania.
Prompton Lake ? A 526-acre project, having a 290-acre lake. Except for a single boat launch, there is no Corps-operated recreation. Swimming is not permitted. Boating is permitted, although there is a 10-hp limit.
Canoe through rapids and quiet pools as the Delaware River winds its way through a valley of swiftly changing scenery or fish amid rolling hills and riverfront villages in one of the finest fishing rivers in the northeastern United States.
Our namesake comes from the Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) Confederacy, a powerful and enduring alliance that has thrived in the northeast for centuries.
Distances are straight-line miles from downtown Syracuse. Listings come from Recreation.gov’s federal recreation database; check each official page for hours, fees, fire restrictions and closures before you go.
THINGS TO DO · YOUTUBE SHORT
An activity Short shared by ThingssToDo.
Watch on YouTube ↗
THINGS TO DO · YOUTUBE SHORT
An activity Short shared by Explore New York with Ana & Michael.
Watch on YouTube ↗
Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge (Fish and Wildlife Service), about 31 miles west of Syracuse as the crow flies. Next are Whitney Point (39 mi) and East Sidney Lake (69 mi).
Based on Syracuse’s average highs, May–September. Conditions at higher elevations can be much cooler.
Federal agencies including US Army Corps of Engineers, Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service. Each listing links to its official page for hours, fees, closures and current conditions.