Parks, Trails & Preserves

The Skaneateles Lake watershed offers many opportunities for outdoor recreation - check out the places mentioned below and enjoy the scenic views and beauty of Skaneateles Lake. Use our map to navigate around the watershed and get locations and directions for outdoor recreation sites. Read the information below to find a fishing location, kayak access site, or park, trail, or preserve to explore around the lake.

Looking for a motorized boat launch? Check out our Boat Launch page!

How to use the map:

1. The orange boat and fish icons represent fishing and kayak access sites, the green tree icons represent parks and the blue hiking icons represent hiking trails and nature preserves.

2. Click on the icon on the upper left next to the “Parks, Trails and Preserves in the Skaneateles Lake Watershed” text to open up the full menu of fishing and kayak access sites, parks, trails and nature preserves.

3. Click on any point on the map or in the menu to pull up more information on the site, including addresses and links to more information. If you click on the diamond icon with an arrow pointing to the right, it will open a new window in Google Maps to allow you to get directions.

4. Use the + and - symbols on the bottom right to zoom in and out on the map.

5. Click on the icon on the upper right to open the map in a separate Google Maps window.

Fishing and Kayak Access

Sites around Skaneateles Lake offer fishing access, as well as places to launch kayaks (or to access via boat). For locations to launch motorized boats, visit our Boat Launch page.

• Cora Kampfe Dickinson Conservation Area (Town of Spafford) – Finger Lakes Land Trust - (*Access to the Cora Kampfe Dickinson Conservation Area is currently by boat only, with no safe access to the upland forest portion of the preserve. Collecting is forbidden.)

• Grout Brook Fishing Access Site (Town of Scott) – NYS DEC

• Skaneateles Lake – Glen Haven Fishing Access Site (Town of Sempronius) – NYS DEC

Parks

Parks in the watershed are community spaces with paths and benches to enjoy picturesque lakeside views.

• Andrew R. Fuller Park  – Town of Scott

• Clift Park – Skaneateles

• Shotwell Memorial Park – Skaneateles

• Thayer Park – Skaneateles

Trails and Preserves

The many trails and preserves in the watershed provide opportunities for bird and wildlife watching, hiking, scenic vistas and waterfalls.

• Bahar Preserve & Carpenter Falls (Town of Niles) – Finger Lakes Land Trust

• Bear Swamp State Forest (Town of Sempronius) – NYS DEC

• Carpenter Falls (Town of Niles) – NYS DEC

• High Hickory Wildlife Sanctuary (Town of Spafford) – Central New York Land Trust

• High Vista Nature Preserve (Town of Spafford) – Finger Lakes Land Trust

• Hinchcliff Family Preserve (Town of Spafford) – Finger Lakes Land Trust

• Ripley Hill Nature Preserve (Town of Spafford) – Central New York Land Trust

• Coming soon! Shotwell Brook Conservation Area (Town of Skaneateles) – Finger Lakes Land Trust

Banner photo provided by Central New York Land Trust.