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    Thornden Park

    4.5 (15 reviews)

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    Colette H.

    I've been here a couple times. Today when I was here it was pretty quiet. I've also been here at busier times on weekends and the park has been very crowded. Today, it was muddy. But it has been raining a lot. There were places to sit. There were benches spread out around the park. There were also a variety of trees and scenic outlooks that were interesting, too.

    Amphitheater
    Melissa S.

    A lovely stop for a beautiful spring day to eat your takeout instead of just eating it in your car (the honest reality of social distancing!). The amphitheater, when not having showings, is a nice area for a picnic beneath the trees, especially on a warm day. There's plenty of cobblestone walking paths and many people bring their dogs to the park! You'll likely find college students around during the school year since it is surrounded by university housing. But it hasn't diminished the experience for me!

    You're going in? K. Watch out for the thorns, den.
    Fox E.

    If you don't like getting pricked by a little bush, stay away from the thorn den! You know who did like getting pricked by little bushes? Barbara and Laura! Ohhhhh. Or not, probably. I've heard of a den of lions, a den of thieves, but apparently here we have a den of thorns. Yet it's actually quite beautiful. One of the prettiest and most impressive parks in the Syracuse area. Probably the crowning glory of the region's Park system. The Syracuse equivalent of Delaware Park Buffalo. Or Highland Park Rochester. And it is definitely one which you can wander around for a long time with spectacular views and lots to do and explore and discover. But be careful at night. Sometimes. Also watch out for this scary guy flying drones over this park and taking pix with them to post on Yelp. (Hides)

    This rose was as big as my kid's head.
    Jennifer B.

    Roses, play ground, football field, public city pool, amphitheater, and more. All the areas are beautiful and several weddings are held here each year. June is the perfect time to see the roses. The amphitheater hosts Shakespeare in the park each spring. Many local events are held in the many open areas of the park. The consession stand is beautiful with a fireplace inside.

    Shakespehere in the park!
    Sara R.

    Great park for fun activities such as swimming in the pool, playing basketball/any sports and also just hanging out or having a picnic. Very close to SU and ESF and the Westcott area. They host shakespehere in the park during the summer and have a beautiful rose garden. They have a great outdoor amphitheater and can even host weddings! Whatever bad rep this park may have it can't be as bad as any other place at night- be safe and/or be in groups. During the day this place is a syracuse gem and should be filled during all seasons! The more that people are out there enjoying parks and nature, the better for the community, the park, and the well being of us all. Get out and play!!! :) I'll see you there!

    Lorela L.

    Perfect for children. Not that much recreational infrastructure for grown ups except the basketball site. Big space for running.

    Taken with a drone.  Visible is the rose garden, football fields and the lily pond in the center.  Also SU.
    J R.

    So much open space here, with lots to do. It's right by the university, so there are often college kids, but the football field is often packed with young kids and the basketball courts are in decent shape, totally usable to play on. There's an absolutely gorgeous (and massive) rose garden at Thornden Park, as well as a nice lily pond area for sitting. The roads are well-maintained, and there are bike racks all over as well as a bike lane on most roads. The hills can be annoying to walk, but this park is clearly maintained regularly and is very clean. The coolest area is the amphitheater- it almost has the feel of Stonehenge. You'll see drones buzzing around sometimes as well- people having fun, especially on the weekends. Great view of Syracuse from the top of the water tower hill.

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    1 year ago

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    10 years ago

    A great place to visit to hear Music in the Theatre area and to check out some hotties at the poolside on a hot day!

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    Review Highlights - Thornden Park

    The amphitheater, when not having showings, is a nice area for a picnic beneath the trees, especially on a warm day.

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    Pratts Falls Park

    Pratts Falls Park

    4.7
    (19 reviews)
    10.3 mi

    This is a beautiful Onondaga County Park. There are several well marked trails of different…read morelengths. The two we walked were nice and shady, 1.2 and.6 miles, but because of the stairs and inclines, it ended up being a vigorous workout. The lower waterfall observation area was shady and beautiful with several benches to rest before the climb back up the stairs. The bathrooms were clean and it was a beautiful day.

    I visited a couple of weeks ago, back when we had warm-but-not-yet-sweltering weather. This park is…read morea bit of a distance from Syracuse, but worth the drive. It's not too far off from Heritage Hill Brewery, so you can do a two-for and visit both-- however the park is lovely and worth a visit on its own. There's an overlook near the entrance where you can get a glimpse of the waterfall. However, the falls are also within walking distance of the start of the trail. The hill is on a slant and there are steep stairs, so the view may not be accessible for those who have difficulty walking. However, it was so calming just to sit and watch and listening to the waterfall. The day I went, there were others out but the paths didn't feel claustrophobic. I took some time and walked through the woods. The trail I took was relatively short, I think about a half mile total. I appreciated that there was a marker at the start that let you know how long it was. I am by no means a regular hiker (hoping to change that one day!) but this trail wasn't exhausting and was quite serene. This is a great park with a great waterfall and is definitely worth checking out!

    Photos
    Clean and large restrooms
    Clean and large restrooms
    Top of the falls
    Top of the falls
    Trails, dog friendly on leash

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    Trails, dog friendly on leash
    Green Lakes State Park

    Green Lakes State Park

    4.5
    (150 reviews)
    7.9 mi

    Green Lakes is such a beautiful place. Love walking around the 2 lakes, such a quiet and peaceful…read morewalk. Lots of walking trails, campground, kayak rentals and swimming. Everyone should go to Green Lakes at least once, Highly Recommend !!

    While renewing my Empire Pass last year at a local state park, I chatted with the ranger about…read morefavorite ones throughout the state. When he learned that I had been to over 100 of them but hadn't been to Green Lakes he urged me to check that one off the list pronto. And you know how that goes: when someone tells you how great something is, that place suddenly starts popping up more and more in your social feeds. Well, after seeing it featured on the socials for I Love NY and NYS Parks, I finally made the trip to Central New York outside of Syracuse (wait, I can call Syracuse "Central New York" on here, right? :) ), and I was not disappointed at all. My visit was early on an October Saturday, and lots of runners and walkers were around. And a fair amount of ducks too. A mostly level 2.5-mile loop around Green Lake and another mile-ish loop around practically adjacent Round Lake (which is also a Registered National Landmark) made for a wonderful morning stroll. I was just walking and taking pictures, but clearly this is a spot where runners meet and get in a workout together. The lakes are beautiful, and, yeah, have an emerald-green glow at times. I'm really glad I made the trip there, and will definitely revisit one day.

    Photos
    Green Lakes State Park
    Trees that make you feel like you've just entered an elvish grove.
    Trees that make you feel like you've just entered an elvish grove.
    Green Lakes State Park

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    Schiller Park

    Schiller Park

    4.3
    (3 reviews)
    1.6 mi

    Perched on a hill, Schiller Park has multiple levels- the lowest ground is where the soccer fields…read moreand a big parking lot are, with a narrow paved footpath around the parameter. Going uphill there is a good sized playground, tennis courts, and basketball courts (admittedly often overgrown). From the playground to the courts the park road is blocked to vehicle traffic. On the upper area is an outdoor community pool, a parking lot, and an outdoor gym set up. Then there's also blocked off lower and upper roads encircling a hill and a small field, which look so quaint I always picture Bilbo Baggins living there. The views of the city the pool area and the top field are magnificent, and benches invite you to stay for a while to enjoy it (or maybe catch your breath from walking there). Schiller has two access points to park by car (Farmer St- lower, Oak St- upper) and plenty of access by foot. I've spent many many visits exploring the different paths of Schiller. It's a park which feels very much at the center of it's community, a touch rough on some edges, but very beautiful.

    Was looking for a park to have lunch and play with the kids. We drove to the entrance of the park…read more(near the pool) and drove around the upper parking lot. We wanted to go down by the play equipment, but the road is closed off the vehicles. We were able to leave the park and drive around the corner and park in a lower parking lot which is near the baseball diamond. There was one lone table near a building called the recreation center, and it was in a little gazebo. Kids enjoyed the play equipment. It must have been installed or upgraded very recently as it was very new 8/2015. There are two areas one for smaller kids 2-5 and one for larger kids 5-12. There is one small table in each of the kids areas which has a cover and provides shade during the hot summer months when kids are out playing.

    Photos
    Schiller Park
    Sign at lower parking
    Sign at lower parking
    Kids play area for 5-12 yr old

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    Kids play area for 5-12 yr old
    Jamesville Beach

    Jamesville Beach

    4.4
    (15 reviews)
    4.7 mi

    Whilst I do like the park in it's entirety, the best part of Jamesville Beach Park is it's huge dog…read morepark. One thing I noticed about this park is that dogs are in general better trained here-- and that is because they have to be. This park is not fenced in like other dog parks. Instead, it is a huge open set of areas, including a path through the trees. You need to ensure your pup has good recall, likes to stay around you, or you'll need to make sure they are on a leash. I have only had a few hiccups here is with people not being the best trained. One person, without a dog, was just giving treats to all dogs that came up to them which was a bit frustrating and a bad behavior to teach. Also, people are terrible about picking up poop. You'll find dog poop and bags of dog poop everywhere--some of this I will blame on the park as its huge and there are only 2 places to put it. However. Its a huge place for my dog to run and he enjoys it-- and so do we, and as a bonus, he sleeps the rest of the day.

    The dog park at Jamesville Beach is a special place for me and my dog! We have been taking her…read morethere consistently since she was a puppy and it was an excellent way to get her used to other dogs from day one. She has built a lot of independence there and she knows our walking route by heart. It's beautiful, well maintained, the trails offer a variety of difficulty, and there are several swimming spots for the dogs. It's a great place to take a nice walk after work to help yourself and your dog unwind.

    Photos
    Jamesville Beach
    Jamesville Beach
    My dog after a trip to the dog park

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    My dog after a trip to the dog park

    Thornden Park - parks - Updated July 2026

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