Category Archives: 2024 Centennial Celebration

2024 Centennial Celebration, Park Personnel, Share Your Story, Transportation

Share Your Story: KeJuan Harmon Talks ‘Ladders to the Outdoors’ Program

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All are welcome at New York State Parks and Historic Sites, but getting to our facilities isn’t always easy. People who don’t have cars, for example, are often left to navigate transportation barriers that prevent them from accessing outdoor recreation opportunities.

A group of adults and children experience the Maid Of The Mist at Niagara Falls through the Ladders to the Outdoors program.

KeJuan Harmon is actively working to bridge the access gap for kids to discover and experience the wonders of state parks firsthand. In his role as State Parks’ Statewide Ladders to the Outdoors Coordinator, Harmon is giving back to communities in Western and Central New York. As part of the Share Your Story project for our agency’s Centennial, he describes the magic that happens when kids experience the outdoors for the first time. 

“One of the most surprising things since I started working with our State Parks is the invisible barrier of Niagara Falls, the amount of kids from within three or four miles of Niagara Falls that have never been.”

– KeJuan Harmon

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2024 Centennial Celebration, Family Fun, Recreation

Building An Inclusive Park System For All Abilities

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New York State Parks is dedicated to making sure that visitors of all abilities can enjoy our parks and historic sites. In 2023, a record 84.1 million visitors came to our properties, so it is more vital than ever to ensure that all who visit have a safe and fun experience!  

“Every individual has a different set of abilities, a different set of strengths, and a wealth of experience and wisdom that comes with them. 

As in ecological communities, our social communities and lives are enriched by having a diverse array of problem solvers, friends, and loved ones. 

We at Rockefeller [State Park] are excited to welcome people who have traditionally been excluded from outdoor spaces, knowing that the more perspectives and voices are on our public land, the closer we are to cultivating sustainable relationships to our natural world and to one another.” 

-Devyani Mishra, Conservation Steward at Rockefeller State Park Preserve 

A wheelchair user plays the metallophone on The Autism Nature Trail at Letchworth State Park. 
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2024 Centennial Celebration, history, Recreation, Share Your Story

“Share Your Story” Project Welcomes 100 Years of Memories

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We’re thrilled to announce our Share Your Story project, inviting you to share your NY State Parks memories and nostalgia throughout 2024. 

Every year, tens of millions of people visit New York State Parks and Historic Sites. Whether it’s an afternoon at a nearby favorite spot, family traditions passed down from generation to generation, or a long-planned vacation, parks and sites are where memories are made. They’re also where many people experience those special “firsts” — a first time canoeing, learning about meaningful state history, ice skating, camping, and so much more.

During our Centennial year, we invite you to share those memories. The Share Your Story project is your chance to reminisce about your experiences at New York State Parks and Historic Sites with your fellow park lovers.

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2024 Centennial Celebration, Research, Stewardship

By The Numbers: NY State Parks and Historic Sites  

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Gather ‘round, New Yorkers. The New York State Park and Historic Site system’s Centennial Celebration is underway, and we want to make sure visitors near and far understand: this system was built for you.

When most people think of “NY State Parks,” they likely think of hiking trails, summer swimming and cookouts, or fall and winter staples like leaf peeping and cross-country skiing. But our park and historic site system encompasses so much more. Through the fun statistics below, learn about the impact our parks have on communities, the environmental progress we’re making, and fun factoids State Parks facilities are hiding in plain sight.

Your Parks and Historic Sites 

250: properties we have throughout New York State. That includes not only parks and historic sites, but trails, campgrounds, golf courses, and beaches, too. There’s always more to discover. Find one near you at parks.ny.gov. 

54: State Parks with beaches. From the oceanfront vistas at Jones Beach, Sunken Meadows and other Long Island parks, to the endless expanses of the Great Lakes beaches like Southwick and Evangola, to the friendly feel of smaller beaches like Delta Lake, our parks are the perfect place to enjoy the surf and sand! 

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2024 Centennial Celebration, Historic Sites, Park History, Recreation, State History

Behind The Scenes of Commissioner Kulleseid’s Barnstorming Centennial Launch Tour

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In 2024, New York State Parks and Historic Sites will celebrate our Centennial, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the founding of our parks and sites system. While we have incredible public properties older than the 100-year-old system, the Centennial celebrates the vital legislation that allowed us to build and expand our network of parks and sites, forging the system we know and love today. 

As OPRHP Commissioner, I am reminded every day of the immense pride and enjoyment New Yorkers take in our facilities. To prepare New York State residents and visitors from around the world for the exciting year ahead, I recently embarked on a two-day journey to showcase the breadth of our parks and sites system, highlighting various activities and partnerships that make our system so unique.  

Watch: OPRHP Centennial Launch Tour Recap Video

During the launch tour, a small group of staff and I made ten stops – at Olana State Historic Site, Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park, Harriman State Park, Jones Beach State Park, Old Fort Niagara State Historic Site, Niagara Falls State Park, Ganondagan State Historic Site, Green Lakes State Park and Saratoga Spa State Park – where I enjoyed biking, ziplining, firing a cannon, swimming with lifeguards, kayaking, lighting Niagara Falls for its evening illumination, and more! I was also pleased to have special guests join us all along the way at tour-stop events, and to have the chance to connect with many of our amazing staff members and supporters as well. 

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