Fun Road Trips in NYS Park and Historic Destinations

Fair Haven Beach, Sterling, Cayuga County

Find Something Different in Cayuga

Cayuga County, quite simply, is a nature-lovers paradise. With abundant waterways, hiking trails, parks, forests, plus nature and interpretive centers. We are also home to three State Parks! Nicely situated in the northern, central, and southern portions of our destination you will get to experience everything Cayuga has to offer when you visit all three parks. Each one is known for something unique; do you know what? Read on to find out!

Fair Haven Beach State Park is settled in the town of Sterling on the northern most end of the county along the shores of Great Lake Ontario. Fair Haven Beach is known for their very large beach area, 1500 feet of it as a matter of fact, as well as the natural formation of bluffs that overlook Great Lake Ontario. While this is a popular summer destination park, you can also enjoy fall and winter activities such as cross-country skiing, ice fishing, snowmobiling, and hunting.

In central Cayuga County you’ll find Long Point State Park. Have you heard of Hag stones, or adder stone? These are rocks with naturally occurring holes in them. Spend your day on nature walks, a picnic and beachcombing for Hag stones! Long Point shares a name with a Long Point State Park in the neighboring Thousand Islands Region of NY. Back to our park, it is comprised of 296 acres right in the middle of Cayuga Lake offering great fishing and hiking and cross-country skiing and snowshoeing opportunities in the winter on the trails and unplowed roads.

Nearby is Filmore Glen State Park, another example of natural wonder with its trails, swimming, waterfalls, and more. Located in the southern most area of our destination (and home to past president Millard Fillmore!) The Cowshed Falls, or the First falls are accessible to those who use mobility devices such as wheelchairs, the other falls do require a short, albeit steep climb. This park is also named after Millard Fillmore, 13th President of the United States. You can visit a replica of the log cabin in which he was born at the front of the park.

Whether you want to be on the water or on land, Cayuga County is your gateway to nature’s bounty. Explore all our outdoor recreational options to find what calls to you, its nature, nature is calling you.

Fly Fishing in the Catskills

Fly Fishing in New York’s Sullivan Castkills – Legendary and Historic

New York’s Sullivan Catskills— a 90-minute ride from New York City is world-famous for the legendary Woodstock Music and Art Fair in August 1969. Long before half a million people descended on a dairy farmer's field for 3 days of peace, love, and music, sportsmen flocked here for some peace of their own through fly fishing. In fact, the area is known as the birthplace of American fly fishing where Theodore Gordon, the “father of the American school of dry fly fishing,” first cast his hand-made flies in the Beaverkill, Neversink Rivers.

A must-see destination for anglers, young and old, is the Catskill Fly Fishing Center and Museum (CFFCM) in Livingston Manor. This non-profit museum that sits on the banks of the historic Willowemoc Creek is dedicated to preserving the heritage of fly fishing in the Catskills and educating the next generation of anglers and conservationists. Learn about the sport’s history and its 100+ legends in its Hall of Fame including Art Flick, Joan and Lee Wulff, Harry and Elsie Darbee, Zane Grey, Robert Redford, and more.

The 53-acre campus of CFFCM is a place where fly fishing luminaries engage anglers and naturalists of all ages and levels of experience to enrich the future of fishing and to ensure the sustainability of the delicate ecosystem on which it depends. It features a Welcome Center and Gift Shop, The Hall of Fame, the Wulff Gallery, the Heritage Craft Center, and a covered pavilion. Open year-round from 10 am – 4 pm, visitors can also try their hands at casting in the casting field. There is also a trail system with access to the Willowemoc Creek.

Lake Minnewaska, Ulster County

Discover the Ultimate Four-Season Getaway

Less than two hours from Manhattan and an hour south of Albany, with the majestic Hudson River flanking its eastern side, Ulster County is a 250,000-acre playground home to 35 peaks and 350 miles of trails ready for four-season outdoor adventure.

Explore world-class destinations like the Mohonk Preserve on the Shawangunk Ridge, or reconnect with nature in Catskill Park. Welcome the change in seasons along 75 miles of rail trails, or be dazzled by river views on the Walkway Over the Hudson. Seek out well-known performers or emerging artists at our acclaimed venues, where live theater, iconic music and art of all genres thrive.

From quaint towns and bustling Main Streets in Woodstock, Kingston, New Paltz, Saugerties and Gardiner, there are hundreds of ways to explore Ulster County. Discover new culinary destinations and craft beverage tasting rooms, shop our eclectic shops and high-end boutiques or scour for vintage. Peel back centuries of multicultural history and old Dutch architecture in the Stockade District or on Historic Huguenot Street, or take to the road on the Shawangunk Mountain Scenic Byway or the Catskill Mountain Scenic Byway for thrilling views in any weather.

Grab your crew and seek for yourself! Start planning your trip at VisitUlsterCountyNY.com.