New York’s Monumental Parks and Outdoor Adventures

Join tens of millions of people who visit Central Park each year. Ride the Central Park Carousel. Have a meal at Tavern on the Green or the Loeb Boathouse. Marvel at dozens of exquisite sculptures. Observe hundreds of different bird species and more than 25,000 trees or visit the Central Park Zoo. Go biking for six miles on Park Drive and let the little ones run around on one of 21 playgrounds. Ride one of the oldest and largest merry-go-rounds still in use at Central Park Carousel.

Learn all about the history of Niagara Falls and the diverse groups of people who inhabited it at Niagara Falls National Heritage Area. Take a walk along Niagara Falls State Park. Soak up the history of the area going back four centuries at the Colonial Niagara Historic District. Brush up on the region’s military heritage at Fort Niagara. Check out the world’s first alternating current electric generating plant at the Adams Power Plant Transformer House.

Walk along a freshwater beach or a nature trail at Plattsburgh City Beach. Enjoy the view from the beach of the Green Mountains of Vermont. Make use of the barbecue grills and picnic tables. Relax at a gorgeous barrier island with a rich array of plant and animal life at Fire Island National Seashore. Get a close look at an ancient maritime forest. Stop off at the estate of Revolutionary War general and Declaration of Independence signer William Floyd.

Pay a visit to the Hudson River. Head up north and indulge in some fishing and boating at Saratoga Lake. Set out for western New York and revel in the bountiful recreational space of Buckhorn Island State Park where you can go snowshoeing or cross-country skiing, and go fishing, kayaking, or canoeing on the Niagara River. Be sure to bring your whole crew including your friendly pets to Buckhorn.

Perfect your swing at one of the five challenging 18-hole golf courses, go horseback riding, have a picnic, play some tennis, run the cross-country course, or just chill out and dine at Taste 99 when you get to Bethpage State Park on Long Island.

Get in touch with nature and go bird watching, hike along 2,000 miles of the largest trail system in America, test your limits rock-climbing, or bask in over six million acres of the great outdoors at Adirondack Park in northeastern New York.

Marvel at the skyline and over 300 miles of multi-purpose trails at Catskill Park. Lovers of wildlife who visit the Catskills are in for a real treat as there are plenty of bobcats, minks, fishers, coyotes, and some 400 black bears for you to observe in their natural habitats. Learn about the history and significance of Hudson Valley and its importance to American history at the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area. Get an exciting lesson on the history of women’s suffrage and early American feminism at Women’s Rights National Historical Park in Seneca Falls.

No matter what your interests or passions, New York is one state that leaves every visitor satisfied. Whether in the five boroughs of the greatest city on Earth, gazing at the beauty of Niagara Falls, navigating Mother Nature’s best-kept secrets, or receiving a fascinating education on the people and institutions that made the Empire State, there’s something here for everyone.

Pack the car, bring the people you love, and settle in for an unforgettable adventure.