Cherry Plain State Park Review: Visitor Feedback, Pros & Things to Know

Cherry Plain State Park sits at 10 State Park Rd in Petersburgh, New York, and is catalogued as a state park, a park and a tourist attraction in one listing. Its public profile carries a 4.7 rating across 301 reviews, which is the kind of figure that invites a closer look at what people are actually describing when they write about it. The park's own amenities page is published at parks.ny.gov, and the listing phone number is +1 518-733-5400 for anyone who prefers to confirm details directly rather than rely on secondary summaries.
This review does not rest on a single glowing comment. It draws on the published listing columns, the amenity attributes attached to the place, and a set of visitor reviews of varying length and recency. Some of those reviews are recent, one is several years old, and at least one describes arriving to find services closed. Read together, they sketch a park that most people enjoy for the same handful of reasons, with a few practical caveats repeated often enough to be worth passing on.

Cherry Plain State Park at a Glance

In practical terms, Cherry Plain State Park is a day-use and camping destination in Rensselaer County, New York, positioned at roughly 42.63 latitude and -73.40 longitude in the America/New_York time zone. The listing groups it under state park, park and tourist attraction categories and records a price level of zero, while visitor reviews separately mention a six-dollar per-vehicle day-use charge, so cost expectations are best confirmed with the park rather than assumed from either source alone. A Google Maps entry exists under the place identifier 0x89e0a9372146e32f, which is useful for locating the entrance before the drive in.
The attribute data attached to the listing describes a park oriented around water, grass and open space rather than long backcountry routes. Hiking is flagged, as are fishing, tennis courts, volleyball and picnic suitability, alongside a walking-friendly character. Amenities include public toilets, barbecue grills and a play area, and the children's attributes specifically note a playground with slides. Accessibility markers cover a wheelchair-accessible car park and a wheelchair-accessible entrance. Dogs are listed as allowed. Payment attributes mention credit and debit cards alongside a cash-only marker, and reviewers describe paying by both cash and card at the gate.

What Do Visitors Like About Cherry Plain State Park?

Across the fifteen visitor reviews available here, the tone is overwhelmingly favourable, with twelve carrying a five-star rating and three carrying four stars. The recurring praise clusters around cleanliness, family suitability and the sense of quiet. Reviewers repeatedly single out restrooms and showers, the beach and playground, the spacing of campsites, and the affordability of a day pass. The four-star entries are not really complaints about quality; they tend to add context instead, noting that the park is smaller than some comparable state parks, that cell service disappears on the approach, or that a visit coincided with the park being closed for the season. No reviewer in this set describes a poor experience with staff, facilities or safety, though several note the absence of a lifeguard at the swimming area.

1. Clean Facilities and Hot Showers

Cleanliness of the bathroom and shower buildings is the single most repeated observation in these reviews. Giovani Rivera described the restrooms as well-maintained and sparkling clean and called the hot showers a total luxury. Webmamma 5000 highlighted a slop sink in the bathroom and rated the showers highly, while Karen Bradshaw noted that the changing area was clean and did not smell. Mike Jonathan called the bathrooms surprisingly nice for an outing with children. Nikki [Rhombus0fterror] wrote that new hot shower facilities had been added along with other renovations, and Danielle Wales rated the bathrooms five stars outright. Taken as a group, these comments suggest facilities maintenance is a consistent strength rather than a one-off impression.

2. Campsites Built for Privacy

Several reviewers describe the camping layout as unusually generous. Giovani Rivera said the sites are spaced out enough to give real privacy and named sites 28, 29 and 30 as the quietest and most separated, adding that each site permits two vehicles. Sandra Garcia-Fine mentioned staying at site 4 and praised the rangers and the site itself. Webmamma 5000 stayed at a lakeside hike-in, hike-out site described as very pretty, but noted repeated trips back to the car to break up the loads. That same reviewer's experience lines up with Giovani Rivera's tip that sites 21 through 30 sit beyond the parking area, so a cart for gear is worth packing.

3. A Family-Friendly Beach and Playground

The beach and playground combination comes up in nearly every review that mentions children. Mike Jonathan described the swimming area as a hit, with clean water and a shallow end suited to younger children, and appreciated that the designated swimming spot was not overcrowded. Melissa Laws noted a small playground close to the beach, trees for shade and a few picnic tables. Jami Kingsley described shallow water, a nice playground and the freedom to set up on grass or sand, in sun or shade. Giovani Rivera said the kids were in heaven between the beach and the playground. Andrea St.Andrew summarised it simply as a beautiful family lake with camping amenities.

4. Barbecue, Picnic and On-the-Water Activities

Grilling and picnicking feature heavily in the practical advice. Mike Jonathan called the barbecue grills well-maintained and easy to use but stressed bringing your own charcoal, and described the picnic areas as spacious and clean. Karen Bradshaw noted places to cook and plenty of tables. On the water, Giovani Rivera said kayaks can be launched from anywhere along the water, Jami Kingsley described kayak access as easy even for beginners, and Elizabeth Werbowsky - LaPointe mentioned that boats and kayaks are available to rent. Raj Musku, by contrast, felt the grilling spots were limited and the lake small next to larger regional alternatives, which is a fair counterpoint for anyone expecting a bigger water body.

5. Fees, Crowds and the Trade-Offs of Quiet

Cost and timing come up repeatedly. Kris P described day use at six dollars per car as affordable even for a short visit, and Elizabeth Werbowsky - LaPointe confirmed six dollars at the entrance payable in exact cash or by debit or credit card. On crowds, Elizabeth Werbowsky - LaPointe reported very few people on a Monday early afternoon and said staff warned that Thursdays through weekends get very crowded, while Suraj Gupta recalled a fall visit with so few families present that the beach felt privately booked. Quiet has a price in connectivity: Raj Musku warned that the drive goes deep into the woods and cell signal drops, and Danielle Wales offered the same caution. Alifa Ara Heya also reported arriving to find parking and services closed despite maps indicating the park was open, a reminder that seasonal operation is worth checking before a long drive.

Visitor Highlights

Paraphrased summary of what visitors mention most — not direct quotes.

15 visitor mentions analyzed · 12 positive · 3 mixed

Read original reviews on Google Maps →

Facilities and Amenities: What Should You Know?

Facilities and amenities at Cherry Plain State Park, as described in the listing attributes, cover the basics a family day out tends to need. Public toilets are listed, and reviewers describe them as clean and modern with hot showers and a slop sink available at the bathhouse. Barbecue grills are listed among the amenities, and reviewers add the practical detail that charcoal is not supplied, so it needs to be brought along. A play area is noted in the amenities, and the children's attributes specify a playground with slides, which reviewers place close to the beach. Wi-Fi appears among the listed amenities, though multiple reviewers report losing cell signal on the wooded drive in, so connectivity should not be assumed to be reliable throughout the grounds.
On accessibility, the listing marks both a wheelchair-accessible car park and a wheelchair-accessible entrance. Dogs are listed as allowed, and one reviewer described the park as both pet friendly and family friendly. Payment attributes mention credit cards and debit cards as accepted, alongside a cash-only marker; reviewers describe paying six dollars per vehicle at the entrance in exact cash or by card, so carrying cash is the safer approach. Activities flagged in the data include hiking, fishing, tennis courts, volleyball and picnics, with the park described as good for walking, and reviewers confirm walking the access road along the lake as a popular low-effort option. For direct confirmation of anything above, the park's amenities page is published on the New York State Parks website at parks.ny.gov, and the listed contact number is +1 518-733-5400. The postal address is 10 State Park Rd, Petersburgh, NY 12138, United States.

Is Cherry Plain State Park Worth Visiting?

Cherry Plain State Park looks like a sound choice for anyone wanting a low-key, affordable day outdoors with children in tow, and a reasonable base for a quiet camping night. The combination that reviewers describe most often, a clean bathhouse, a shallow swimming area, a playground within sight of the beach, grills and picnic tables, is exactly what a family day trip needs, and the six-dollar-per-vehicle day fee that reviewers mention keeps the barrier to entry low. Campers who value privacy over proximity to the car should look at the higher-numbered sites, keeping in mind that some sit beyond the parking area. Travellers expecting a large lake with extensive trail mileage may find it modest, as one reviewer did. It suits families with young children, day visitors from nearby towns, beginner kayakers, picnic groups and campers seeking quiet; it is less suited to anyone who needs constant mobile coverage or who cannot plan around seasonal closures. Who it suits, in plain terms: families with small children wanting a beach and playground in one place; day visitors looking for an inexpensive picnic and grill outing; beginner paddlers who want easy water access; campers prioritising space and silence over amenities density; and dog owners, since dogs are listed as allowed.

What Are the Potential Limitations?

The source data does not establish official opening hours, seasonal operating dates or a current closure status, and one reviewer reported arriving to find parking and services shut while maps still showed the park as open. Prices are known only from reviewer statements about a six-dollar per-vehicle day fee, not from an official rate schedule, and boat rental availability is likewise mentioned by a single reviewer. Crowd levels are described only in anecdotes, with one visitor reporting weekday quiet and staff advice that weekends get busy. Trail mileage, lake dimensions and campsite counts are not documented in the available data, and the reviewer who called the park small relative to other lakes offers a subjective comparison rather than a measurement. Ratings and review counts reflect a snapshot of the listing and can change. Nothing here should be read as a statement about current conditions, water quality testing, or lifeguard coverage beyond the reviewers' repeated note that no lifeguard was on duty at the beach during their visits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there an entrance fee at Cherry Plain State Park?

Reviewers describe a day-use charge of six dollars per vehicle, payable at the entrance in exact cash or by debit or credit card. The listing itself records a zero price level, so the fee should be confirmed with the park before visiting.

Are there lifeguards at the beach?

Multiple reviewers state that no lifeguard is on duty at the swimming area, and one parent specifically advised watching children closely in the water. The listing data does not mention lifeguard coverage either way.

Can you camp at Cherry Plain State Park?

Yes, according to reviewers. Several describe staying in campsites, including lakeside hike-in sites and specific numbered sites, and note that each site permits two vehicles. Reservations are best confirmed directly with the park.

Are dogs allowed?

Dogs are listed as allowed in the park's attribute data, and one reviewer described the park as pet friendly as well as family friendly.

Is the park accessible for wheelchair users?

The listing marks a wheelchair-accessible car park and a wheelchair-accessible entrance. The data does not describe the condition of paths, beach access or other areas beyond those two entry points.

Final Verdict

Cherry Plain State Park earns its 4.7 rating across 301 reviews on the strength of things visitors can see and use: clean restrooms and hot showers, well-spaced campsites, a shallow swimming area with a playground nearby, grills and picnic tables, and easy kayak access, all at a day rate reviewers describe as modest. The caveats are equally concrete. Cell service fades on the wooded approach, the lake and grilling capacity are modest by one visitor's account, some sites require hauling gear from the parking area, there is no lifeguard reported at the beach, and at least one visitor found the park closed when they expected it open. For a family day out or a quiet camping night in Rensselaer County, the picture the reviews paint is a favourable one, provided expectations are set around a compact, peaceful park rather than a large-scale recreation complex, and details are confirmed with the park beforehand.