Glimmerglass State Park is easily one of the most beautiful family-friendly locations in the Northeast. Located at Hyde Bay on Otsego Lake‘s east shore, Glimmerglass State Park’s name is derived from the Leatherstocking Tales of celebrated American writer, James Fenimore Cooper. Cooper describes the mirror-like surface of the lake, in all of its tranquil, exotic and powerful beauty, as a “placid void of heaven,” referring to it later as Glimmerglass.

Aside from its tremendous amount of beauty, Glimmerglass State Park offers families an abundance of things to do, including hiking and mountain biking, fishing, kayaking and camping. If all else fails, enjoy a beautiful and relaxed family picnic, or a wonderful couple of days on the beach, which overlooks the majestic, crystal-clear Glimmerglass lake.

The park is also located right near the Farmers’ Museum, the National Baseball Hall of Fame Museum and is only a short drive from the restaurants and shops of Cooperstown village. We also suggest a wonderful hour on the water learning about the area’s history and culture with the Glimmerglass Queen boat tour.