Halfway there, but worth the full stop
The campsite that glimmered and gave fossils
August 27-28,2025
My next campsite wasn’t carefully chosen — it was pure geography. I needed a spot halfway between New York and Libby’s place in Sturbridge, Massachusetts, and that’s how I ended up at a place called Glimmerglass State Park. The name made me laugh — it sounded more like a Disney Fairy tale than a campground — but once I saw the beautiful glacial lake-Otsego Lake of James Fenimore Cooper’s Leatherstocking Tales, it all made sense. The water really did glimmer.
The park had bike trails, so of course I went exploring. The problem was, the trails weren’t exactly well-marked… or long… or forgiving-with names like “erratic” and “sleeping lion”. Let’s just say my sense of adventure got a better workout than my legs. Still, I was rewarded with a gorgeous lake view, and that made every confusing turn worth it.
While poking around the shoreline, I noticed the rocks looked like they’d been split open — as if someone had been mining for treasure. So naturally, I gave it a try. I tossed a rock down and — crack! — it split clean in half. Inside were tiny fossils, little time capsules from long before Glimmerglass had a name.
As if that wasn’t enough treasure for one day, I also found an old, rusty piece of decorative metal. It looked interesting enough that I carried it over to Hyde Hall, a National Historic Landmark right there in the park. They were giving tours, so I handed it off to the historian — maybe it’ll end up in a display case one day!
Before I left, I stopped by the Hyde Hall Covered Bridge, which dates all the way back to 1825. It’s one of the oldest covered bridges in the country, and walking through it felt like stepping straight into another century.
That night, after dusk, I biked down to the beach area for one last look at the lake. The air was calm and the water shimmered in the fading light. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of something extraordinary — the NASA launch of the TOMEX+ (Turbulent Oxygen Mixing Experiment Plus). The rocket lifted off from Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia, and though it was hundreds of miles away, I still managed to see its faint glow in the sky. It was studying atmospheric turbulence 56 miles above the Earth, right where meteors burn up — a reminder that even in the quietest places, there’s always something amazing happening above us.
The park staff were exceptionally friendly and informative, happy to share bits of history and local knowledge. The camping itself was great too — peaceful, clean, and surrounded by the kind of scenery that makes you forget to check your phone. I only spent one night there, but it’s definitely a place I’ll go back to.
Glimmerglass is also just a short drive from Cooperstown, New York, home of the Baseball Hall of Fame. I didn’t have time to explore it on this trip, but it’s on my list for next time.
All in all, Glimmerglass turned out to be one of those random picks that shines — literally and figuratively. Between the glittering lake, fossil hunting, and a bit of accidental archaeology, it was a stop that truly lived up to its name.