Our system of parks and historic sites was founded on the principle that everyone deserves affordable access to the outdoors. A century later, New York State Parks and Historic Sites is still helping New Yorkers reap the physical and mental benefits of connecting with nature and history. While our low fees for camping, park day-use, historic site admission, and golf are within the reach of most of our guests, there are always ways to save even more in every season. Read on to check out some pro tips!
Continue reading How to Save Money All Year at State Parks and Historic SitesCategory Archives: Family Fun
Hungry for New York? Discover Dishes and Destinations That Satisfy
New York is a state of great eats. Some of the regional delicacies born here have conquered the world, like Buffalo’s wings and Saratoga’s potato chips. Others, like Utica’s tomato pie and Plattsburgh’s Michigans, remain fiercely local treasures. But they all pair magnificently with a state park or historic site!
Follow along as our team plays sommelier with the Empire State’s distinctive dishes — and our agency’s unforgettable destinations. Pack your bags and bring your appetite!
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A Preview of Ganondagan’s Indigenous Music & Arts Festival
Ganondagan’s Indigenous Music & Arts Festival is a vibrant celebration of Indigenous cultures, held annually at Ganondagan State Historic Site in Victor, southeast of Rochester near Canandaigua. The festival began in 1989, just one year after Ganondagan was officially established as a New York State Historic Site. Originally named The Anniversary of the Dedication of the Site of Ganondagan, the event was later renamed The Native American Dance & Music Festival. In 2019, it adopted its current name: Ganondagan’s Indigenous Music & Arts Festival.
In its early years, the festival was a one-day event, drawing just 200–300 attendees, with only one 40×40 tent and no volunteers. Today, it has grown into a two-day celebration that welcomes over 3,000 visitors and relies on the support of more than 125 volunteers. The festival now features multiple tents, including a large performance tent, and includes 25–30 Native vendors, Indigenous and non-Native food vendors, art demonstrations, Haudenosaunee (Six Nations) dancers, contemporary Indigenous performers, storytellers, a Native Arts Market and children’s activities.
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Road Trip to These Hidden-Gem Parks and Historic Sites
School’s out, the temperature is rising, and everyone’s thoughts are turning to summer getaways. If you’re looking for a new place to spend an afternoon, a weekend, or longer and not break the bank doing it, you’ve come to the right place. We asked our Fun Experts to take you on a tour of some of the lesser-known, hidden-gem spots in our system, and they delivered: fascinating history, peaceful lakeside oases, and camping away from the crowds. Let’s go!
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Cast a Line at State Parks
From placid lakes and intimate mountain streams to broad rivers and sea-foamed saltwater coast, the state park system offers limitless fishing possibilities and the enticing prospect of “tight lines.” Striped bass, bluefish, salmon, trout, panfish and freshwater bass are but a few of the many popular fish species that can be fished for at state parks, with angling set amidst the backdrop of some of the state’s most compelling and dramatic natural scenery.
While some anglers may prefer the fall striped bass bonanza at Montauk Point, with its festive atmosphere and challenging rock-strewn shoreline, others may find flyfishing for brook and brown trout on the remote hemlock-lined streams of Allegany more to their liking. State parks additionally offer numerous options for recreational boat fishing. Launches for motorized boats are located strategically throughout the state on prime angling waters, along with smaller docks and launches providing lake and river access for canoes, kayaks and the like.
State parks offer anglers premier opportunities on two great lakes, the Hudson, St. Lawrence, Niagara and other smaller rivers, numerous streams and brooks, countless lakes of varying size and setting, and the saltwater shores of Long Island Sound and Atlantic Ocean. If there’s a fish to be angled for in New York State, be it fresh or saltwater, chances are good that it can be found in a state park.
Through I Fish NY, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation helps New Yorkers understand the basics of fishing legally and offers opportunities to try the activity. Our parks often hold fishing programs as well. Read on for our guide to angling at state parks!
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New York State Parks and Historic Sites Blog 