Exploring the Outdoors
More than 170 parks and natural areas surround Syracuse. Residents enjoy a variety of outdoor activities like skiing, hiking, ice skating, swimming, apple picking, rafting, biking, camping and horseback riding.
For those who want to escape into nature, the six-million-acre Adirondack Park is just a two-hour drive northeast, and the Catskill Mountains are less than two hours southeast.
Outdoor Activities Organized by Syracuse University
The Barnes Center at The Arch offers exciting ways for students, faculty and staff to enjoy outdoor recreation activities across all seasons.
Day Trips
Syracuse is surrounded by many incredible towns and tourist destinations that are perfect for a day trip. Whether it’s swimming in the gorges in Ithaca, exploring the lakeside shops in Skaneateles, visiting the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown or going to Niagara Falls, there are so many places nearby to explore!