Green Lake Beach
Tully, New York · on Green Lake
Verified · 3 independent sources
- WATER
- lake
- ACCESS
- Designated swim area
- FEE
- Free
- SEASON
- June
About Green Lake Beach
Green Lake Beach is the Town of Tully's lifeguarded public swimming hole on the south shore of Green Lake, a small natural glacial lake in Onondaga County, New York. One of the historic 'Tully Lakes,' it offers the only public swim access on a shoreline otherwise ringed by private homes, so for anyone wanting this lake to swim in, the beach is the way in. The town runs it as a seasonal, resident-oriented beach with swim lessons each summer.
Green Lake is a small (about 35-acre), teardrop-shaped glacial lake in the Town of Tully, Onondaga County, reaching roughly 55 feet at its deepest point. It is part of the historic 'Tully Lakes' chain, which also includes Tully (Big), Crooked, Jerry's, and Mirror Lakes. Most of the shoreline is lined with private homes, but the town maintains a small park and beach on the southern shore, with a marshy area between the park and nearby houses that supports birdlife and dragonflies/damselflies.
Swimming at Green Lake Beach
The Town of Tully operates a lifeguarded swimming beach on Green Lake's south shore each summer, with a diving board and, per a Tully Parks and Recreation operations notice, a deep-water lap lane in addition to a shallower swim area. Two sessions of swim lessons run during the season. Because the rest of the lake's shoreline is privately owned, this town beach is effectively the only public swimming access, and it is limited to Town of Tully residents, with a seasonal fee option for Tully School District residents.
How to get to this swimming hole
Green Lake Beach sits on the south shore of Green Lake off CR-134 (Green Lake Road) in the Town of Tully; a parking lot is located across the road from the park entrance.
Parking: A parking lot is located across the road from the park/beach entrance (per ilovethefingerlakes.com); the listed roadway is CR-134.
The walk in
No real hike here. The water is a short walk from where you park. Drive-up town beach; it's a short walk (well under a minute) from the parking lot across the road directly into the park and swim area. No trail or hike is involved.
Plan your visit
Bringing kids
OK with supervision
Lifeguarded town beach with a shallower swim zone plus a separate diving-board/deep-water lap-lane area (lake reaches ~55 ft deep), so small kids should stay in the designated shallow area; a Tully Parks & Recreation notice requires anyone under 18 to be accompanied by an adult, and the lake bottom drops off quickly once outside the swim zone.
Parking
Free
Small parking lot located across the road (CR-134/Lake Rd) from the park and beach entrance; the beach's address is 5645 Lake Rd, Tully, NY. No separate parking fee was found (the town's fee structure applies to non-resident beach access, not parking itself).
Restrooms
Yes
On-site restrooms at the beach/park, per official Tully Parks and Recreation operations announcements and corroborating tullyrec.org content.
Water clarity
Mostly clear
Local guides describe Green Lake's water as relatively clean and note that it 'appears to be green, though it really isn't,' meaning the name reflects geology and coloration rather than algae-murky water. Be aware that searches for 'Green Lake' near Syracuse frequently surface results for the separate, much more famous Green Lakes State Park in Fayetteville, NY (about 25 miles away, with its own crystal-clear meromictic lake, crystal kayak rentals, and a private-boat ban). That is a different lake, and those rules and rentals do NOT apply to Green Lake Beach in Tully.
Hours
Seasonal town beach: opens in late June (around June 27-28) and runs through mid-August; daily hours 1pm-8pm, per the Town of Tully newsletter.
On the water
ilovethefingerlakes.com notes the lake itself is suitable for canoeing and kayaking, but the shoreline outside the town park is almost entirely private homes with their own docks, and no public boat launch was identified at the town beach itself (it reads as a designated swim area rather than a launch point). No source was found stating motorboat rules or a no-wake/electric-only restriction specific to Green Lake, so that is left unconfirmed rather than guessed.
Backstory
Green Lake has a documented ice-harvest history: before refrigeration, ice was hand-cut from the frozen lake into 18-inch blocks, stored in a town ice shed, and some was shipped as far as South America by rail. Tully still holds a winter ice-harvest tradition and uses stored ice during its June strawberry festival (per ilovethefingerlakes.com).
Green Lake Beach: FAQ
Does Green Lake Beach charge a fee?
Free for Town of Tully residents; a small seasonal fee applies for Tully School District residents (per Town of Tully newsletter).
Is Green Lake Beach kid friendly?
Lifeguarded town beach with a shallower swim zone plus a separate diving-board/deep-water lap-lane area (lake reaches ~55 ft deep), so small kids should stay in the designated shallow area; a Tully Parks & Recreation notice requires anyone under 18 to be accompanied by an adult, and the lake bottom drops off quickly once outside the swim zone.
Do I need to hike to reach Green Lake Beach?
No significant hike is required. The swimming area is close to parking and access.
Where do I park for Green Lake Beach?
Small parking lot located across the road (CR-134/Lake Rd) from the park and beach entrance; the beach's address is 5645 Lake Rd, Tully, NY. No separate parking fee was found (the town's fee structure applies to non-resident beach access, not parking itself).
Can I bring a kayak or paddleboard to Green Lake Beach?
ilovethefingerlakes.com notes the lake itself is suitable for canoeing and kayaking, but the shoreline outside the town park is almost entirely private homes with their own docks, and no public boat launch was identified at the town beach itself (it reads as a designated swim area rather than a launch point). No source was found stating motorboat rules or a no-wake/electric-only restriction specific to Green Lake, so that is left unconfirmed rather than guessed.
When is the best time to visit Green Lake Beach?
The beach opens for the season in late June and runs through mid-August, with two swim-lesson sessions during that window (per Town of Tully newsletter).
What are the rules at Green Lake Beach?
Access is restricted to Town of Tully residents (Tully School District residents can pay a seasonal fee); anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult (per a Tully Parks and Recreation notice). The lake itself is a public waterbody, but almost all of the shoreline outside the town park is privately owned.
What water body is Green Lake Beach on?
Green Lake Beach is on Green Lake, a natural lake verified in USGS hydrography data.
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