Top 10 Lakes around Greenwood Lake

The Greenwood Lake area offers a wide range of outdoor activities. Greenwood Lake itself is a hub for water sports like swimming, fishing, water skiing, jet skiing, sailing, canoeing, kayaking, and paddleboarding. The surrounding state parks, including Sterling Forest State Park and Wawayanda State Park, provide extensive networks for hiking, cycling, and exploring nature. You can find various routes for different sports, such as running trails, easy hikes, and cycling routes.

Yes, the area is nearly surrounded by state parks, offering numerous hiking trails for all levels. You can find trails around lakes like Sterling Lake, which provides easy-to-moderate walks through wooded areas. Wawayanda Lake is also an ideal starting point for exploring multi-use trails, including sections of the Appalachian Trail. For more options, explore the easy hikes around Greenwood Lake guide.

Many lakes in the region are suitable for families. Wawayanda Lake is noted as family-friendly, offering a beautiful setting and access to various trails. Sterling Lake also provides a peaceful setting for hiking, fishing, and picnicking, with trails that are generally easy to moderate. The village of Greenwood Lake itself hosts annual events like the Fall Festival and offers entertainment and dining options.

The Greenwood Lake area is a year-round destination. Summer is popular for water sports and lakeside dining. Fall offers stunning foliage for hiking and scenic drives. Winter provides opportunities for activities like the Breezy Point Inn Winter Carnival on Greenwood Lake. Spring is ideal for enjoying the fresh environment and blooming nature.

While Greenwood Lake is very popular, Surprise Lake offers more privacy due to fewer visitors. It's a decently sized reservoir in Abraham Hewitt State Forest that appears as you emerge from the surrounding trees, providing a tranquil experience away from the crowds.

The region boasts scenic views, surrounded by forests, parks, and mountains. Overlooked by Bearfoot Mountain Ridge, Greenwood Lake offers expansive vistas. You can find beautiful views at Sterling Lake and from the Monksville Dam, which provides a great outlook over Monksville Reservoir and the surrounding hills. Hiking to the Fire Tower in Sterling Forest State Park also offers panoramic views of Greenwood Town.

Yes, fishing is a popular activity. Greenwood Lake is stocked annually with rainbow, brook, and brown trout, and also has bass (largemouth and smallmouth), panfish, catfish, and chain pickerel. To maintain water quality, only electric trolling motors are permitted for fishing on Greenwood Lake. Sterling Lake is also very popular with fishing enthusiasts.

The Greenwood Lake area has a rich history. The lake itself has been a vacation destination for over 120 years, known as 'Long Pond' by early European settlers and 'Quampium' by the Munsee Indians. There's a 1914 castle at the water's edge, rumored to be haunted, offering waterside dining. Chapel Island once housed a church accessible only by boat. Sterling Forest State Park also contains the ruins of a centuries-old ironworks.

Visitors particularly enjoy the diverse recreational opportunities and scenic beauty. The gradual ascent and beautiful nature around Seven Lakes Drive Ascent to Lake Sebago are highly appreciated. The peaceful setting and beautiful views of Sterling Lake are also a favorite for hiking, fishing, and picnicking. Many value the tranquility and privacy offered by less-visited spots like Surprise Lake.

Absolutely. The region offers various cycling routes, including scenic drives like Seven Lakes Drive, which is popular with cyclists. You can find routes like the 'Greenwood Lake loop from Long Pond Ironworks State Park' or the 'Lake Askoti – Lake Tiorati loop from Tuxedo'. For more detailed routes, refer to the cycling around Greenwood Lake guide.

Yes, there are several easy walking routes. Trails around Sterling Lake are generally easy to moderate. Within Wawayanda State Park, you can find multi-use trails that are perfect for exploring or simply circling Wawayanda Lake. For specific easy routes, check out the easy hikes around Greenwood Lake guide, which includes trails like McKeags Meadow Trail and Doris Duke Trail.

Lake Sebago, accessible via Seven Lakes Drive, is described as a gorgeous lake and a great place for a water break after a climb or drive. The Seven Lakes Drive Ascent to Lake Sebago is a popular route, offering beautiful nature and a gradual climb leading to this scenic spot.