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These Little-known Lakes in Upstate New York Have Water So Blue

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Ten miles east of Syracuse, New York, the vibe took a dramatic shift as passed through the forests of Green Lakes State Park in nearby Fayetteville. The two lakes — Green Lake and Round Lake — being meromictic, which means their layers of water don’t mix.

It wasn’t just that they were unusually clear, but they also had that soothing bluish-green sheen that’s typically associated with Caribbean island waters. Yet they were so far inland, right in the middle of upstate New York. The 1,955-acre park — centered around the two peculiar, yet stunning, lakes — may not be the most talked about in the Finger Lakes region, but are no doubt among the most unique.

 

 

With Green Lake being about 195 feet deep and Round Lake at 180 feet, the unique phenomenon of its hue is also attributed to its minerals and salts, like calcium carbonate.

Surrounding the lakes are gorges with slopes as high as 150 feet, as well as old-growth forests that are “a rare circumstance in the northeast” and “feature multi-layered canopies [with] large diameter trees,” the land trust added. It also noted there are about 13 miles of hiking trails.

Open year-round from dawn to dusk, visitors can swim at Green Lake State Park in the summer from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Sept. 4, and camp there through Oct. 8. (There are 134 campsites for $18 to $37 a night, and seven cabins for $116 a night.) The park’s vehicle entry fee is $10.

 

The boat house is also currently open and rents out row boats and kayaks. Also on-site is an 18-hole golf course, designed by renowned course architect Robert Trent Jones.

 

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