I’ve always wanted to hike above the lakes ….
The most popular hike in the park is walking around Green Lake or adding a trip around Round Lake as well. The distance around Green Lake is 2.3 miles and Round Lake is 0.8 miles. Total around both lakes is 3.1 miles. There are nearly twenty miles of trails you can explore in the park. The hidden gem of the park is the surprising views from the Vista Trail that stretches all the way to the Tug Hill Plateau as well as Oneida Lake and Lake Ontario. There is a nice northeasterly view from the Rolling Hills Trail. The Overlook Trail features a pleasant view to the west toward the Erie Village area.
You can create your own loop hike utilizing the trails on the west side of the park. There is a new parking area on the campground road on the way to the Rolling Hills area of the campground. This allows easier access to the trails in the western side of the state park. The GPS coordinates of the parking area are N43 03.081 W75 58.490 for those who have a GPS devise. There is an unmarked small parking area off NY 290 near the Erie Canal in the small hamlet of Manlius Center. The parking area is the trailhead for the Deer Run Trail. This remote trailhead gives hikers FREE access to the western side of Green Lakes State Park. The GPS coordinates for this trailhead are N43 03.240 W75 59.845 for those who have a GPS devise.
