Cayuga Lake State Park Campground

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."

Near the top of Lake Cayuga, the Cayuga Lake State Park Campground is close to I-90 yet feels hundreds of miles away. There are no campsite ON the lake but the campground is well developed and the lifeguard protected beach, boat launches, hiking trails, picnic shelters, super playround and vending machines are easily walkable. The campground shares some amenities with day guests.
Electric, non-electric and cabin sites are available.
This is a very dog friendly park and campground. Dogs are allowed in cabins and poop bags provided in many areas. There is no dog park but dogs can swim in the lake away from the human beach.
Traffic can be loud in some sites in East Camp since there is a 50mph road between it and West Camp. We stayed in site 9 East; level and some shade. A short walk from the bathhouse in East Camp but we crossed the road and used the bathrooms at the welcome station for West Camp. There was some shade in site 09 but site 8 was shadier.
We drove through the much larger West Camp and saw that it had more sites in fields and less comfort stations. East Camp had more shady sites.
Dumpsters are readily available and that includes recycling. We camped at Cayuga Lake State Park in a campervan

Stayed here one night on a road trip passing through. This campground is large and there are 2 sections as people have said. We chose to be away from the lake as we thought it would be more quiet.

This end of the campground has no host or check-in person though, so some rude campers were running generators late at night and there was a pretty steady stream of local kids driving through looking for a hang-out spot.

Still, we liked our site. Beautiful grass everywhere, dogs had a great time and the bathrooms were the best, cleanest camp bathrooms I’ve seen in a while.

If you’re new to NY state camping w dogs, remember you need to show proof of rabies vaccine at check-in.

We stayed there from 6/26 to 6/28 2022. Very large, well kept park. The park is split by the state road, cabins and electric sites close to the lake and beach, and the non-electric sites on the other side. We were in the 500 loop on the non-electric side and our site backed into the golf course behind us. There are many mature trees and most sites on the outside of the loops were private. It could get muddy if it rains, many sites on the grass and the ground is soft. There is a large central play area, bathrooms are nice. Park is very close to Seneca Falls which had a nice downtown, canal and museums. There are many wineries and other parks close by with hiking and waterfalls. You can go to any other day use state park for free if you show your campsite car tag.

Park was clean and well kept. A short walk to the lake with access to boat and kayak launches. Camped in one of the electric sites (30Amp). No other hook ups but water was readily available. Easy to fill up since the water spigots were close by and centrally located between sites. Bring a 50 foot hose though. The electrified loop has a mix of sites in the open and near the woods. Sites are well spaced. Check the campground map before you select since some of the sites boarder the main road. Road noise can be heard during the day but diminished at night. Bathrooms and showers were very clean, showers with warm water. Staff was friendly. Dump station well maintained, no issues. Note only one station so be prepared for a line at checkout time. Location of the park was convenient to the town of Seneca Falls, museums , Montezuma Nation Wildlife Refuge, Cayuga-Seneca Canals. Cell phone was weak. Great campground if you're into fishing and boating. Over all impression was very positive. BTW - you may want to visit Seneca Falls, cute town and historic places. Don't miss the lock #1 on the Cayuga-Seneca Lakes canal. Pretty amazing for 1800's technology.

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.

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