Onondaga County is built for getting outside. Lakes, forests, rolling hills, and urban trails sit just minutes from downtown Syracuse. The region stays active year-round, with every season bringing a new reason to head out. You can plan a rugged hike, spend a lazy afternoon by the water, or hit the ski slopes once the snow falls. Central New York has plenty of options for your outdoor adventures.
Hike and Explore
Green Lakes State Park is a Syracuse favorite known for its two turquoise, meromictic lakes surrounded by old-growth forest. The park also offers a free, first-come all-terrain wheelchair to keep the beach and select trails accessible to everyone.
Clark Reservation State Park features cliffside trails that wrap around a massive glacial plunge basin left behind by Ice Age waterfalls. It's one of the best examples of this kind of geology in North America.
Baltimore Woods Nature Center in Marcellus is a peaceful 270-acre preserve with more than six miles of trails, open daily from dawn to dusk with free parking.
Highland Forest, sometimes called the Adirondacks of Central New York, offers miles of wooded trails good for hiking most of the year and cross-country skiing once the snow comes.
Waterfalls of Central New York
Pratt's Falls in Pompey drops 137 feet down a ribbon-like cliff face. You can view it from an overlook near the top or take a short trail down to the base for a closer look.
Tinker Falls, located in the Labrador Hollow Unique Area near Tully and Truxton, is a 50-foot overhanging waterfall. The trail lets you walk right behind the curtain of falling water.
Carpenter Falls near Skaneateles plunges 90 feet straight off a cliff into a steep gorge. A recently upgraded boardwalk trail makes the viewing platform easy to reach.
Chittenango Falls State Park in Cazenovia, just a short drive east in neighboring Madison County, features a 167-foot cascade, roughly the same height as Niagara's Horseshoe Falls. A bridge at the bottom of the gorge offers a great view up at the falls.
Water and Waterfront
Onondaga Lake Park, often called the Central Park of Central New York, connects some of the region's best outdoor spots along its 12-mile Loop the Lake Trail. Along the way you'll pass the Salt Museum, the marina, Willow Bay, and the Butterfly Garden of HOPE. The park also has archery, bocce, pickleball, and canoe and kayak rentals.
Webster Pond offers a quiet, accessible spot maintained by the Anglers Association, with flat walking trails circling the water. It's an easy place for a stroll, a picnic, or feeding the ducks.
Green Lakes has a staffed swimming beach in summer, and the water's clarity makes it one of the most memorable swims in the region.
If you'd rather be on the water than in it, Mid-Lakes Navigation runs historic boat cruises on Skaneateles Lake with dining and sightseeing options, and Syracuse Boat Tours explores the Seneca River and Onondaga Lake with themed cruises, from sunset rides to family scavenger hunts.
Bike and Wheels
Onondaga County has hundreds of miles of connected trails. The Erie Canalway Trail follows the historic canal route for flat, long-distance riding. Loop the Lake circles Onondaga Lake with waterfront views the whole way. The Creekwalk cuts through wooded paths with easy access to city neighborhoods.
For something more social, Syracuse Pedal Tours in Downtown Syracuse offers a multi-person pedal bike that fits up to 12 riders, a fun option for group outings or a night out with friends.
Parks and Everyday Outdoors
Some of the best outdoor spots in Syracuse are the ones you can visit any day of the week.
Thornden Park, a 76-acre green space near Syracuse University and Westcott, is home to the E.M. Mills Rose Garden and an open-air amphitheater that hosts Shakespeare in the Park each summer.
Upper Onondaga Park spans 67 acres in the Strathmore neighborhood, with Hiawatha Lake, tennis and pickleball courts, and a waterfront gazebo with skyline views from its highest point.
Wegmans Playground, located at Onondaga Lake Park, was designed with accessibility in mind and is about 70 percent wheelchair-accessible, making it one of the more inclusive family spots in the region.
Most trails throughout the county, including Loop the Lake and the paths through Thornden Park, are dog-friendly, so bringing your leashed pup along is easy.
Winter Outdoors
Syracuse is one of the snowiest cities in the country, and the region leans into it instead of hiding from it.
Cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are available at Beaver Lake Nature Center, Green Lakes State Park, and Highland Forest, all of which groom their trail systems once the snow sticks.
Downhill skiing and snowboarding are close by too. Labrador Mountain and Song Mountain both, offer terrain for beginners and experienced riders alike.
Farms and Orchards
Just beyond the city, orchards and farm fields celebrate the region's agricultural roots.
LaFayette Apple Festival takes over each October along scenic Route 20, with fresh apples, craft vendors, and a classic pancake breakfast honoring the spirit of Johnny Appleseed.
Navarino Orchard's Strawberry Festival draws crowds each summer for fresh strawberries and their well-known strawberry cream pie.
Springside Farm rounds things out with family-friendly activities like a petting zoo, zip lines, pedal cars, and a barrel train, good for a full day outdoors with kids.
No matter the season, Onondaga County has a reason to get outside. Next time you're exploring the great outdoors of CNY, be sure to tag our Instagram @VisitSyracuse and use the hashtag #VisitSyr for a chance to be featured. Enjoy your adventure!
