Discover Onondaga

Glacial lakes, trails leading to a tall waterfall, and museum insights into the history of the Erie Canal give Onondaga a varied character. Outdoor options range from seasonal activities on the lake to winter trails; the museums focus on regional history and culture. When planning your trip, it’s worth considering whether you’d like to focus primarily on nature and outdoor activities or on exhibitions and historical topics.

Lakes, Trails and a Waterfall

Beaver Lake Nature Center covers 690 acres and includes a 200-acre glacial lake. Green Lakes State Park is also defined by glacially formed lakes: it includes Round Lake and Green Lake, two meromictic lakes surrounded by upland forest. These two places offer different starting points for planning time in nature: a large park lake at one, and two named lakes in a wooded landscape at the other.

At Pratt’s Falls Park, scenic trails lead to a 137-foot waterfall. It was formed by the retreat of glaciers. This place therefore combines a distinctive landscape feature with a specific historical connection: in 1796, Onondaga County’s first mill operation was located here.

Trails also shape the wider region. Onondaga County has hundreds of miles of interconnected trails.

Water and Winter Activities

Seasonal activities at Beaver Lake Nature Center include canoeing, kayaking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Onondaga Lake Park features a linear greenway more than 8 miles long, with four named trails: East Shore Recreation, Shoreline Walking Trail, Lakeland Nature and West Shore. If kayaking is of particular interest, there is a free, ADA-compliant kayak launch at the outlet of Onondaga Lake. It is available seasonally from Memorial Day through October 1; take this period into account when planning and check visitor information in advance.

Highland Forest offers more than 20 miles of trails that are open year-round. For winter, there are also 40 miles of cross-country ski trails, including 20 miles of groomed and tracked trails and three skating trails. Snowshoeing is possible on six trails ranging from 0.5 to 8.7 miles long. These figures describe different options: year-round trails, cross-country ski routes and a selection of snowshoe trails. You can therefore consider the activity and the listed trail length as separate factors when planning your stay.

Museums and Regional History

The Erie Canal Museum presents 200 years of Erie Canal history through indoor and outdoor exhibits. The visit is self-guided, and docents are often available to talk with visitors. The Milton J. Rubenstein Museum of Science & Technology adds to the range with 35,000 square feet of interactive permanent and rotating exhibitions.

The Skä•noñh – Great Law of Peace Center focuses on the history of Indigenous peoples in central New York. It is a Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) heritage center. The cultural offerings thus range from the history of the Erie Canal and interactive science exhibits to a perspective explicitly focused on Haudenosaunee heritage and Indigenous history.

When choosing a hotel, it may help to first decide what you’d like to focus on during your trip: seasonal activities and winter trails, lakes and a waterfall, or museums and history. This lets you tailor your search to the experiences that matter to you, without limiting your nature and cultural itinerary to a single theme.

Discover more destinations: Syracuse, Lakeland, East Syracuse, Fayetteville, Liverpool, Warners, Tully, Brewerton, Baldwinsville, Skaneateles.

For the broader travel overview: New York.