Chenango Valley State Park

Find Family-Friendly, Outdoor Fun at Chenango Valley State Par k

The Page Brook trail at Chenango Valley State Park is seen in July 2020. Contributed.

BY ALLISON COLLINS

Chenango Valley State Park, 153 State Park Road, Chenango Forks, off ers 1,400 acres of fun for families, nature lovers, golfers, geology buff s and more.

Park Manager Mike Boyle said the property’s off erings are diverse and distinct.

“In New York State, we have such a vast variety of state parks, and some of the great characteristics that do draw people to this park are the day-use functions that we have; the general features are just great … and there’s some good stuff to do and it’s for all ages,” he said. “Th ere’s a lot of mountain bikers in this area and a lot that come to the area for this. Our park has well over 25 miles of trails and they’re all multi-use trails. We’re kind of secluded and in a rural area, and at night, it’s beautiful here because there’s no light illumination from cities, so when you’re looking up, you’re seeing true night sky … and people really love that.

“Th e park itself has 24 cabin rentals and 185 campsites; a beautiful lake for fi shing, swimming and boating, and another lake we leave completely natural and don’t allow any recreation, to allow for the ecosystem to stay natural (because) we have some rare plant and dragonfl y species here that we need to protect; we also just recently had a splash pad built for the younger generation and really little kids, and that’s a huge draw,” Boyle continued. “We also improved our swimming area to include not just a diving board but a water slide, so that’s a little more fun, and for our day-use people, we have picnicking and, on top of all the cool things we have for the park side, we also have an 18-hole golf course with its own clubhouse and pro shop. It’s just like a private course, but nestled within the park boundaries.”

Th ough the camp is open year-round, Boyle noted, overnight guests and campers are welcome “between the middle of May and Columbus Weekend.”

Th e park also hosts annual events, Boyle said, including outdoor hockey tournaments, open sledding, Easter egg hunts, family fi shing days, an August family fun day, Halloween parties and more. And the grounds are utilized, he noted, by area sports teams.

Th e park’s geologic features, Boyle said, further its appeal. Th e park’s two lakes, nicknamed Lily and Chenango, are considered kettle lakes.

“Because of the last ice age, as it was receding, it dropped large chunks of ice and, for hundreds of years, those chunks melted off ,” he said. “As they were melting, the weight put depressions in the ground and that’s basically where (the lakes) came from. Th ose depressions formed in the ground and, later in the ecological growth of things, the water runoff started fi lling these depressions and that’s how the lakes were formed.

“Because of (that), we’re on basically on a gravel bed,” Boyle continued. “When

Young bikers enjoy some of the 25-plus miles of multi-use trails at Chenango Valley State Park in this August 2020 photo. Contributed.

Picnicking is among the many amenities at Chenango Valley State Park. Contributed.

it rains everywhere else in New York State or Pennsylvania and everyone gets puddles all over the place, we drain so well that we don’t have those puddles and water problems, and little things like that bring people over to us.”

The park’s more recent history, Boyle said, is also noteworthy.

“The park was built in 1930 … and most all our buildings are stone and were built by the CCC, or Civilian Conservation Corps,” he said. “That was brought about after the Great Depression and FDR put it together to build the nation’s economy, and this park was one of the benefits of that program.

“Even before that, the Erie Canal had all these things that would connect, and one was the Chenango Canal, which used to run right down the edge of the property where the Chenango River is,” Boyle continued. “Back in the 1860s, they were using this area for the canal system to get goods to and from Binghamton and up to and from the Syracuse area and then reconnecting to the Erie Canal, so we have history in that sense, but also the natural history of it. We’ve got all kinds of history.”

Park patrons, Boyle said, include a mix of locals and out-of-state visitors.

“I would say it’s probably about 60 to 70% local, meaning anybody within 60 miles or an hour’s drive – from Oneonta, Syracuse, Scranton – and we do definitely get transients and plenty of people coming down from Canada,” he said, noting that RV users especially appreciate the park’s proximity to the 81 corridor and its on-site dumping station. “The other 30 to 40% is probably from out of state, or long distances; we do get our Buffalo and New York City and Westchester County crowd, but we also get (people from) New Jersey and Pennsylvania.”

The park, Boyle noted, is also largely ADA accessible, along with “some of the cabins.”

The park’s campgrounds, Boyle said, also accommodate preferences.

“There are three main camping areas in the park – one dedicated to all electric camping, RVs or someone who wants electric – then another we call the Old Grove, because it’s old-school, there’s privacy between campsites and no electric or water hookups, so mostly tent camping or people willing to camp without power,” he said. “The third area is actually our largest, which gives you a variety of all of the above – secluded, electric and ground spots.”

For more information on Chenango Valley State Park, visit parks.ny.gov or find “Friends of Chenango Valley State Park” on Facebook.

For park reservations, visit reserveamerica.com or call 1-800-4562267