Glimmerglass State Park is located eight miles outside the village of Cooperstown. The park overlooks Otsego Lake, the "Glimmerglass" of James Fenimore Cooper's Leatherstocking Tales. The rolling, partially wooded terrain is host to a wide variety of wildlife. An uphill trail through the forest has a partial view of Otsego Lake; the Beaver Pond and Woodland trails are picturesque and of interest for the variety of wildflowers, shrubs, ferns and mosses.

The Hyde Hall Mansion, Covered Bridge, and a self-guided Beaver Pond Nature Trail are within park boundaries and open to visitors to explore. During the winter visitors can go tubing, cross-country skiing, ice skating, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, ice fishing, winter hiking at the park.  There are numerous picnic spots and a beach located at the park.  There is also a campground.  The park is open year round.

Look below for pictures, map and a video from this state park.  You can also find a Trail Map at the park website.  The most popular hike in this park is the Mount Wellington Loop, however the other trails are worth exploring.  Check out the NY State Parks website for more information on this park.

Hiking Trails at Glimmerglass State Park

Sleeping Lion Trail (2.0 miles) - This trail starts at the parking area near Hyde Hall and loops around on Mount Wellington before descending back toward the service road near Hyde Hall.  There is a elevation change of nearly 500 feet for this moderate hike with a few steep sections.  The overall loop if you come back via the main park road is about 2.4 miles (according to our gps tracks).

Beaver Pond Trail (0.5 miles) - This handicap accessible trail starts from the primitive campground at Beaver Pond and loops around the pond ending at the main park road.  It is not a complete loop, however you can walk the park road and spur road back to the campground to make a loop.

Covered Bridge Trail (1.0 miles) - This loop trail starts and ends at the covered bridge.  It is a pleasant walk in the woods.  There are branch trails off the main trail, so hikers can create there own length of exploration.  This trail is unmarked but easy to follow.

Blue Bird Trail (0.75 miles) - The Blue Bird Trail are all the mowed paths in the meadow near the covered bridge.  The wild flowers are amazing when in bloom.

Meadow Trail (0.75 miles) - This trail starts from the Beaver Pond Campground and loops around toward the base of Mount Wellington ending at the Beaver Pond Trail just east of the campground.

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Directions

* Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse: Thruway (I-90) east to exit 30 (Herkimer). NY 28 south to Richfield Springs; US 20 east to East Springfield; County Route 31 south to park entrance.
* New York, Albany: Thruway (I-90) west to exit 25A to I-88. One exit on I-88 to Duanesburg-Cooperstown exit. US 20 west to East Springfield, County Route 31 south to park entrance.

View of picnic area and beach at Glimmerglass

The elevation profile is for the "Mount Wellington Loop".  The other park trails in purple, blue and black are mostly flat "x-country ski trails".