New York's Newest State Park Was A Once-Thriving Boy Scout Camp With Scenic Waterfalls And Finger Lakes Views

Scouting America (formerly known as Boy Scouts of America) operates hundreds of outdoor camps across the country. But since declaring bankruptcy in 2020, the organization has sold some of its properties — including Camp Barton in the Finger Lakes, one of New York's prettiest regions. Luckily for residents and travelers alike, Camp Barton has just reopened as a state park. Welcome to Three Falls State Park, set on the western shore of Cayuga Lake. With three scenic waterfalls and sweeping lake views, the 90-acre waterfront park is the state's newest destination for outdoor adventures in the wilderness.

The once-thriving Camp Barton hosted scout groups for nearly a century. The property was widely beloved for its natural beauty, according to those familiar with it. "Awesome location right on the lake," wrote one past visitor on Google Reviews. "Fantastic trails and phenomenal waterfalls," said another, a reference to a series of cascades that inspired the new state park's name. 

Other reviewers mentioned that it was difficult to access the area, even outside of camp season, with special permission required by Scouting America. But those days are gone. Today, like the nearby Taughannock Falls State Park, another Finger Lakes escape with towering waterfalls, Three Falls State Park is open to the public for all to enjoy.

One of the park's main highlights, as the name suggests, is its trio of scenic waterfalls. The most majestic of the three is Frontenac Falls, a spectacular natural landmark with two tiers of water spilling 128 feet over high, rugged canyon walls. Approaching the site is like walking into a magnificent amphitheater: The dramatic gorge is framed by trees and moss-covered boulders, with frothy cascades plunging over smooth limestone into a clear creek bed lined with pebbles. It's especially beautiful after rainfall, when the water flows most powerfully (the falls sometimes dry up in late summer and into autumn).

Past visitors (to Camp Barton, when it was still in operation) describe taking easy, short hikes to the falls from the main camp area, while other hikers (not affiliated with Scouting America) recount walking along the shore of Cayuga Lake, cutting across the camp, and wading through a section of Trumansburg Creek to access Frontenac Falls. For the moment, there's not much information available about how current visitors to Three Falls will access the cascades. The park just opened on March 9, 2026, and various development projects are underway, including the construction of new hiking trails and waterfall viewing areas. 

"The trail up to the falls needs markers," wrote one of the park's early visitors on Google Reviews. "But once there, you'll see a large waterfall." The same hiker went on to note that there are some private homes along the trail with private lookout points, and that travelers should avoid trespassing on those properties. If chasing waterfalls is your thing, after visiting Three Falls, continue to another part of Upstate New York and hike to cascading waterfalls in another Finger Lakes gem, Stony Brook State Park.

Other changes that travelers can look forward to around the park, according to the state's four-phase plan, are a new nature center, improved infrastructure (including new docks and kayak launches), an enhanced habitat for nesting peregrine falcons, a spacious parking lot, and renovated central restrooms. Camping infrastructure may become available, too. In the meantime, If you're looking to sleep nearby, try a campsite ($20 per night, plus tax) or a cabin ($60 per night, plus tax) at Taughannock Falls State Park, just a five-minute drive from Three Falls State Park.

Improvements will be underway for some time to come, so visiting Three Falls State Park is something of an independent adventure for the time being. But one feature that's easy for anyone to appreciate is the park's lakeshore. Stretching about half a mile along the water's edge, it's a wonderful place to walk, picnic, and take in views of calm Cayuga Lake framed by lush green forest. The longest and second-deepest of all the Finger Lakes, it's a peaceful expanse of water that travelers can also enjoy on a road trip along one of New York's best scenic byways, the 87-mile-long Cayuga Lake Scenic Byway.

Three Falls State Park is located about a one-and-a-half-hour drive southwest of Syracuse, and you'll need a car to explore the region. There's a grocery store, Shur-save, in the nearby town of Trumansburg, a good place to pick up picnic supplies on your way into the park. Though the park hasn't announced specifics yet on admission fees or opening hours, most New York state parks charge a day-use fee of $6 to $8 per vehicle and are open from dawn to dusk.