Outdoor fun and one of the country’s largest shopping centers combine to make Onondaga Lake a popular family vacation destination.
Onondaga Lake is one of Central New York’s beloved natural features, once the site of the great peace that founded the Iroquois Confederacy. Formerly surrounded by brine springs, it was the center of the salt production industry that sustained the surrounding towns. Years of local activism have led to its restoration as a site for catch-and-release fishing, boating and shoreline relaxation. Visit today’s lovely parks and shoreline activities.
Explore Onondaga Lake Park along the eastern shore. Let your four-legged friend run wild and free at the dog park at the northern end of the park. Visit the Salt Museum and the Skä•noñh - Great Law of Peace Center to learn about the history of the lake and surrounding area. Rent a quadricycle and pedal up and down the 2.6-mile (4.2-kilometer) bike path.
Walk over the bridge to nearby Long Branch Park. Once the site of an amusement park, it now hosts numerous festivals, from the Great American Antiquefest to the Scottish Games. Don’t forget your sled, saucer or toboggan in winter because Long Branch Park has a great sledding hill.
Shop, eat and have fun at Destiny USA, a mega-mall located at the southern end of the park. Pick up things from your favorite stores, enjoy a delicious lunch and take a ride on the center’s antique carousel. Have a race with friends at the indoor go-kart track or slow things down with a leisurely walk along the waterfront at sunset.
Late summer brings the Great New York State Fair to the western shore of the lake, where the whole state comes for rides, entertainment and farm animal showings.
Fly to Syracuse Hancock International Airport and drive 20 minutes to Onondaga Lake. Rent a car at the airport for the best access to the lake and the surrounding area.
Onondaga Lake and the Finger Lakes region are the perfect introduction to the charm of Central New York, so idyllic that you may never want to leave.
