McDONOUGH – Bowman Lake State Park opened for its peak season last Friday with little fanfare, but for those who feared the 660 acre-park would be a victim of the state’s budget crisis, it is cause for celebration.
One of those celebrating is Chenango County’s Director of Tourism, Audrey Robinson.
“I was excited and thrilled to hear that Bowman Lake State Park would remain open for business as usual,” she reported. “It’s good to know, as one of our greatest outdoor assets, that thousands of visitors will still get to enjoy their annual vacation spot.”
According to Robinson, more than 55,000 visitors visit the park each year.
“With affordable rates, a beautiful setting, and the family memories that it offers up, it’s a big part of what makes Chenango special,” she said.
Bowman’s Park Manager, Joe Morisette, is thankful for the support the park has received.
“We’re glad to be open and we appreciate all the support,” he said.
Despite, or perhaps because of, concern over the park’s future, Morisette said he is expecting a busy summer. Reservations are already ahead of schedule by two to three weeks, he explained. The facility’s 189 campsites are already fully booked for Memorial Day weekend, and are filling up fast for July 4th weekend.
Morisette attributes this influx to several factors, including the closures of near-by Hunts Pond and Oquaga Creek State Parks. He said he believes the economy is also playing a role, with families choosing less-expensive options for their summer vacations. Camping at the park is certainly reasonable, at $15 for a weekday campsite and $19 on weekends and holidays.
And the media attention the entire state park system has received in recent months hasn’t hurt either, he said. “It’s proves there’s no such thing as bad publicity.”
The park manager said as soon as news broke in March that Bowman’s name appeared on a secondary list of potential closures, his phone started ringing. While some simply called to see if the park was open or closed, he said there were “quite a few people wanting to know if there was anything they could do.”
He also discovered a Facebook group called, “Help Save Bowman Lake State Park” had been created. To date, more than 2,100 self-proclaimed fans of the park have joined the group.
“It’s very nice to see such public support of the park,” Morisette said. “I know we all appreciate such things.”
Of course he hopes that support will translate into an increase of visitors this year, for both camping and recreation. Last summer, he said, approximately 45,000 visited the park.
In addition to the campsites, which Morisette likened to those found in the Adirondacks and Catskills because of their privacy, many visitors make use of the park’s 35-acre lake. Stocked each year with more than 2,000 rainbow and brook trout, the lake is a popular fishing destination.
“Once they hear it’s stocked, people basically come out of the woodwork,” he said.
Paddle boat, row boat and kayak rentals are available, and there is a small beach for swimming and sun-bathing. The beach opens Memorial Day weekend, with lifeguards on duty from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. It will be open weekends only until the end of June, then daily until Labor Day.
Bowman also has plenty of opportunities for hiking, with 5 miles of maintained trails, plus access to the Finger Lakes trail. There are also a number of trails in the roughly 10,000 acres of DEC land adjacent to the park.
The park is open all year, for hiking and fishing as well as snowmobiling, snowshoeing and cross country skiing in the winter. Hunting is also allowed during deer season.
According to Morisette, Bowman’s day use fee of $4 per car is one of the lowest in the state. The fee kicks in Memorial Day Weekend and is charged from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends only until the end of June, at which point it is charged seven days a week through Labor Day.