Cayuga Lake State Park Campground

Very pretty, inexpensive for camping. Extremely buggy. In one night, I managed to get 32 bug bites (and that was with deet on my boots).

I made a reservation for 7 nights at this campground. Plans changed and we arrived two days into our reservation intending to stay for 5 nights. We did not realized until the first morning that the pile of black stuff on the patio was bat dung. That morning we witnessed dozens of bats returning home for the night to the building we were staying in. On the third afternoon we saw a bat hanging from the outside of a screen door. My husband and I inspected the grounds for the bat but it had gone (or so we thought) . He and I remained outside at the picnic table and a short time later I realized my arm was bleeding. When I cleaned the wound my husband and I both observed that I had two little distinct puncture wounds. I was at the emergency room until about 9PM and was told that I had to go home to New Hampshire to be treated with a series of shots that I will endure over the next couple of weeks.

I camp often. This is my first time camping in NY. I believe it will be the last time. I knew that there was no bathroom in the cabin. I knew that there was no hot water. I knew that I had to bring a lot of stuff with us like bedding and cookware, But I did not think that I would be living in a bat house, full of flies.. I did not know that we would find rodent dung behind the microwave on the counter where I would be preparing food. I did not think there would be carpenter ants crawling all over that same counter. If I had known all that, I never would have rented the Hell hole. I get to visit with my daughter just once per year and that cabin completely ruined that visit. That building is unsuitable for people and pets.

In addition, There is a highway that runs through it. The other guest were very quiet, but the traffic noise did not really add to the ambiance. The lake is across the street and the swimming area is small and too shallow for an adult to swim in. And the RVs are packed pretty tight. I would not recommend this place to anyone. I cannot think of one good thing to say about it. I am including pics that my daughter took hastally as we fled. But since it was dark you cannot really see the mouse turds on the kitchen counter. And the roof leaks. I keep forgetting that because it just seemed like something I should have expected.

Most of what I have written I have already sent to the park and I think everyone should take a look at the response I got to my request, no my demand, for my money back (at least) and compensation for the hotel we had to stay in and my medical bills. I think if you are thinking about staying there you should read their response because I think it will help you decide if this place is really for you.

"Hello,
We are very sorry that your experience at Cayuga Lake State Park was not a pleasurable visit.
There is a very high population of wildlife in the area. Animals such as bats, mice, chipmunks, ants, flies, bees, birds, skunks, racoons, fox, coyote, etc are a normal occurrence when camping in a nature setting. We take precautions and continue to make improvements to try and minimize wildlife interactions.
This area also has a very high bat population. It is not uncommon at all for the bats to roost on the outside of the buildings and under porch eves on the buildings in the park.
Unfortunately there are times when wildlife such as mice, chipmunks, flies or bees find entry, occupy the space and may leave droppings or get into a food source. This may be very unappealing, but our cleaners do very well to ensure the dwelling is clean and ready for use when you arrive. Many times animals gain entry after the patron has arrived.
We cannot issue a refund for your camping stay.
You will not be reimbursed your hotel costs or your medical costs, as there was no negligence on the part of the park that caused what occurred."

In trhe East campground the sites are mostly level and come with elect and nearby water hookups. Neighbors are less than 20 feet away side to side and front to back. Not much privacy. Cell and WIFI were acceptable. Dump station is across the highway in West Campground. Highway adjoins and separates the campgrounds.

The location of this campground is great; its close to several wineries and right across from the lake. You cannot see the lake from your campsite, but it is within walking distance. There is little privacy between sites. We had electric and had water but could only use it in 5 minute increments, which was fine.

The campground is located right alongside a busy road, so the sounds of the cars going by was noticeable but didn't bother us much. It is hard to find State Parks in NY that have electric hook-ups, so this was a good find. The sites were leveled, and for the most part well-maintained. The grass was a bit tall, which I think contributed to the amount of bugs.

We would camp here again, based on location.

We camped here for 2 nights. We found this campground a convenient location a few miles from i90. The staff were very friendly and the grounds were well kept. While we were there, lawn mowing and grounds maintenance was being done. We had a 30 amp electric hookup. Good Verizon service and lots of OTA TV channels. The shower room had good showers but the exhaust fan didn't seem to be doing anything except make a lot of noise, mirrors and floors through out bathroom were wet with condensate and steamed up. There was an available dump station and potable water station.

We needed a place to tent camp for the night in October on our way through and stopped here. They were shutting the campground down for the season and only the electric loop was still open; we had to pay the additional fee even though we were in a tent. This loop is right on the highway and noisy on and off through the night. Bathroom/showers were clean and nice and we did enjoy a walk on the paved path along the lake. If you're from out-of-state, be aware of additional fees and hidden transaction fees beyond what was obvious on their website.

The electric sites are on the east entrance closer to the lake and road, hence more noise, but that didn't bother us. The west entrance non-electric section is huge and basic but well treed. Few campers there in early June as the sites are very damp during the rainy season and many tend to hold water. We suggest driving around and finding your potential site ahead of time. Nice paved paths to walk lakeside. Showers clean and water warm. A shout out to the Girl Scouts who have a collection bin and gather the recyclable cans and bottles for fundraising while providing an important service.

This summer we continue to explore the New York Finger Lakes area with a stop on Cayuga Lake. We camped for 4 days at Cayuga State Park, and we got to enjoy a little bit of the summer-lake life.

If you have ever spent a week's vacation on a lake, you will know that life moves a little bit slower at the lake. Mornings start out with walks along the lake, and saying "hello" to the neighbors you pass along your way. Afternoons are spent kayaking on the water or riding bikes and evenings enjoying the cool breeze off the lake.

Cayuga State Park is located on the north end of Cayuga Lake between Seneca Falls and Ithaca in the heart of the New York Finger Lakes Region. The park has 277 campsites, 34 with electric hookups. Park amenities include: a boat launch, camping cabins, 2 large playgrounds and a beach for swimming.

Our only complaint with the park is that the sites with electric hookups are located along the main road and traffic can be a little noisy during the day. We did not notice the noise too much at night. The non electric sites are located more remotely.

See You Down the Road
Zephyr Travels

We camped in the West side of this SP , The park is split by a noisy highway going through the middle of it , On the back side of us there’s is golf course, The sites are in small close loops ,Open to each other, Must sites are Hilly, small and in need of branch trimming.. But that’s NYSP for you ..

It didn’t matter to us that our site was t on the other side of the road from the lake, as we didn’t come to boat. We had no problem walking down there with our dogs to explore.

Bathrooms were very clean. Water was hot. And they had a sink attached to that building for doing dishes. Our spot had strips of forest on both sides to give us privacy from our neighbors. Nice and shady… but we should have positioned our camper in a better way for solar. 923, and many on that side of the loop, has a clearing behind it that goes way back and makes you feel like you have a big space.

Our dogs did well there. It was a great base location for exploring Lake Cuyoga, seeing some wineries and exploring the waterfall parks.