Coles Creek State Park
Rate this placeLast Updated: December 27, 2025
Coles Creek State Park is a 1,800-acre state park located in the northern part of New York, near the Canadian border.
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Summary
The park offers a range of outdoor activities, including camping, hiking, fishing, swimming, and boating.
One of the main attractions in Coles Creek State Park is its 7-mile-long Lake St. Lawrence, which provides opportunities for swimming, fishing, and boating. The park also features several hiking trails that offer scenic views of the lake and surrounding forested areas.
Visitors to Coles Creek State Park can also explore the park's historic sites, such as the Coles Creek Mound, which is believed to be a burial site from the ancient Adena culture. Additionally, the park's Nature Center offers educational programs and exhibits on local wildlife and natural history.
Interesting facts about Coles Creek State Park include that it was established in 1961 and was named after the Coles Creek culture, a prehistoric civilization that lived in the area over 2,000 years ago. Additionally, the park is home to a diverse range of wildlife, including bald eagles, ospreys, and white-tailed deer.
The best time of year to visit Coles Creek State Park depends on the activities that visitors are interested in. Summer is the most popular time for swimming, boating, and camping, while fall is a great time to enjoy the park's hiking trails and fall foliage. Winter offers opportunities for ice fishing and snowmobiling, and spring is a great time to see wildflowers and migrating birds.
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Park & Land Designation Reference
Large protected natural areas managed by the federal government to preserve significant landscapes, ecosystems, and cultural resources; recreation is allowed but conservation is the priority.
State Park
Public natural or recreational areas managed by a state government, typically smaller than national parks and focused on regional natural features, recreation, and education.
Local Park
Community-level parks managed by cities or counties, emphasizing recreation, playgrounds, sports, and green space close to populated areas.
Wilderness Area
The highest level of land protection in the U.S.; designated areas where nature is left essentially untouched, with no roads, structures, or motorized access permitted.
National Recreation Area
Areas set aside primarily for outdoor recreation (boating, hiking, fishing), often around reservoirs, rivers, or scenic landscapes; may allow more development.
National Conservation Area (BLM)
BLM-managed areas with special ecological, cultural, or scientific value; more protection than typical BLM land but less strict than Wilderness Areas.
State Forest
State-managed forests focused on habitat, watershed, recreation, and sustainable timber harvest.
National Forest
Federally managed lands focused on multiple use—recreation, wildlife habitat, watershed protection, and resource extraction (like timber)—unlike the stricter protections of national parks.
Wilderness
A protected area set aside to conserve specific resources—such as wildlife, habitats, or scientific features—with regulations varying widely depending on the managing agency and purpose.
Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Land
Vast federal lands managed for mixed use—recreation, grazing, mining, conservation—with fewer restrictions than national parks or forests.
Related References
Coles Creek State Park
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