Lake Taghkanic State Park, nestled next to Lake Taghkanic in the rolling hills and lush forests of Columbia County, offers a wonderful variety of recreational activities. The park has tent and trailer campsites and cabin and cottage lodging facilities. Large trucks, RVs and campers can enter from the Route 82 entrance. The park also features a swimming beach, picnic areas, boat launch sites, rowboat, paddleboat and kayak rentals, playgrounds, sports playing fields, a rentable pavilion, as well as a recreation hall and showers. In addition, the park has hiking, biking, swimming, fishing, hunting, cross-country ski and snowmobile trails. Ice skating and ice fishing are permitted when conditions are appropriate. Please call the park office at (518) 851-3631 to check ice thickness.

There are four Vacation Rental Cottages that have the amenities of home. The units are outfitted with a bathroom with toilet and shower, a kitchen with hot and cold running water, refrigerator, stove, microwave, cooking and eating utensils, enclosed/screened-in back porch facing the water, a picnic table and fire ring. Lake Taghkanic accepts Camping Gift Cards from Reserve America. The Camping and Cabins Information & Rates brochure provides prices and locations on campgrounds, cabins and cottages as well as how to reserve on Reserve America.

Pavilion Information
Lake Taghkanic has one pavilion. The day use price is $75 and can accommodate up to 60 people. Check availability at ReserveAmerica.com. Please note: as of June 15, 2020 Governor Cuomo announced gatherings will be limited to 25 people in areas that have begun Phase Three of reopening. Pavilions in state parks will limit attendance in accordance with the governor's ruling.

Lake Taghkanic State Park

Taconic State Park is located along 16 miles of the Taconic Mountain Range, sharing a border with Massachusetts and Connecticut. Two developed areas, Copake Falls and Rudd Pond, offer an extensive trail system with terrain that varies from easy to challenging, offering spectacular views.

The extensive campground at Copake Falls has sites to accommodate campers seeking a more rustic experience, as well as those seeking a more "home like" experience. There are 45 tent sites, 25 tent platforms, 36 trailer sites and three cabin areas for a total of 106 campsites and 18 cabins. The trailer sites allow trailers up to 30 feet in length, but do not offer hook up facilities. Centrally located restroom and shower facilities are located in all campsite areas. The cabin areas vary in number of cabins, location and size. The smallest cabins accommodate up to 4 people and the largest 6 people. All cabins have electricity, lights, hot and cold running water, a kitchen with a refrigerator and stove, a dining area, a picnic table, and outdoor camp fire ring with grill. The "Ironworkers" cabins are equipped with private showers and flush toilets; campers in the "Bash Bish" cabins utilize a centrally located shower facility with flush toilets. Some cabins in the Greenwich Cabin Area are wheelchair accessible and offer extra amenities such as a microwave, sofa, shower, dishwasher and cable television hookup.

There are plenty of activities for campers, as well as day visitors to enjoy in the oldest State Park in the Taconic Region. Bike or stroll along the Harlem Valley Rail Trail, hike to Bash Bish Falls, just over the Massachusetts border or up Brace Mountain, the highest point in Dutchess County. Stop at the newly created Copake Iron Works Museum to learn about the iron industry at the former site of Copake Iron Works, established in 1845. Copake Falls offers swimming opportunities at a designated swimming area with a dock in Ore Pit Pond and at the adjacent kiddie pool. The small but deep Ore Pit Pond is a popular destination due to its excellent water quality. Swimming is permitted when lifeguards are on duty-- floatation devices are not allowed. Fresh water fishing enthusiasts will delight in hooking brown trout and other fish in the Bash Bish Brook or rainbow trout in the old iron ore mine pit.

The fun doesn't end in wintertime. There are great trails for cross country skiing and snowshoeing, as well as 5 miles of snowmobile trails.

In season deer and bear hunting (rifle/shotgun/bow), turkey hunting (bow/shotgun), squirrel, fox and ruffed grouse hunting are permitted. Small game season begin November 1st. A New York State hunting license is required. Please be aware that Taconic State Park property encompasses land in both Columbia and Dutchess Counties. Please adhere to the appropriate regulations set forth by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The use of handguns are not permitted in any state parks. No youth hunts.

Taconic State Park - Copake Falls Area

Taconic State Park is located along 16 miles of the Taconic Mountain Range, sharing a border with Massachusetts and Connecticut. Two developed areas, Copake Falls and Rudd Pond, offer an extensive trail system with terrain that varies from easy to challenging, offering spectacular views.

Rudd Pond has 15 tent sites and 26 tent platform sites, each providing campers with grand views of the ridge, pond, and nearby countryside. Each campsite has a picnic table and a camp fire ring and grill. Comfort stations and a hot water shower house are conveniently located in the campground. Campers or day visitors to the Rudd Pond area can participate in a wide variety of activities including swimming, picnicking, hiking, and biking. Families and individuals alike will enjoy boating on the scenic 64 acre pond. Motorized boating is not permitted, however, rowboats and canoes are available for rental from the park. Visitors who possess regional boating permits (available for purchase at the Park Office) are also welcome to launch their own rowboats, canoes, or kayaks. A variety of fish, including bass, sunfish and pickerel, inhabit the pond and fishing is permitted with a New York State Freshwater Fishing License. Licenses are available for purchase from nearby locations in town. In the winter months, visitors can ice skate and fish on the pond, conditions permitting.

In season deer and bear hunting (rifle/shotgun/bow), turkey hunting (bow/shotgun), rabbit/hare hunting, squirrel, fox and ruffed grouse hunting are permitted. Small game season begin November 1st. A New York State hunting license is required. Please be aware that Taconic State Park property encompasses land in both Columbia and Dutchess Counties. Please adhere to the appropriate regulations set forth by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The use of handguns are not permitted in any state parks. No youth hunts.

Taconic State Park - Rudd Pond Area

Accessible only by boat, Hudson River Islands State Park facilities are concentrated on the islands of Gay's Point and Stockport Middle Ground. These islands are fragile communities with many rare and endangered plant and animal species. Day-use facilities include picnic areas with grills and nature trail. Fishing is popular and transient camping is allowed. 

Please Note: There are no docks. Boats must be moored off the island or visitors can bring their kayaks/canoes on shore. It is a first come first serve park for camping. There is no entrance fee and no reservations are needed.

Hunting is NOT allowed.

Pet Policy: A maximum of two pets are allowed in campsites and day use areas unless prohibited by sign or directive. Pets are to be supervised at all times and either be crated or on a leash not more than 6-feet in length. Proof of rabies inoculation shall be produced if requested by staff. Pets are not permitted in playgrounds, buildings, golf courses, boardwalks, pools and spray-grounds or guarded beaches (this does not apply to service animals).

Hudson River Islands State Park

Ogden Mills and Ruth Livingston Mills Memorial State Park adjoins Margaret Lewis Norrie State Park and together, comprise more than one thousand acres. Mills Memorial State Park is the home of Dinsmore Golf Course and Staatsburgh State Historic Site. The numerous trails that thread through the grounds of both Mills and Norrie State Parks are ideal for walking, jogging, hiking, cycling, cross country skiing, and snow shoeing - treating visitors to fabulous views of the Hudson River which runs directly along the parks' western boundaries. For information on the campground and marina located at Margaret Lewis Norrie State Park, please visit the park's separate web page.

Dinsmore Golf Course is one of the oldest public golf courses in the country. This scenic course offers tee times for either 9 or 18 hole rounds of golf. The original course was built in 1893 and consisted of only 9 holes on the south side of the present course. At that time, Dinsmore was a private course enjoyed by the many prominent families living along the Hudson River. In 1952 the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation acquired the golf course and in the early 1960's created an additional 9 holes. These holes currently form the north side of the present course. Dinsmore Golf Course is also home to a full service restaurant and office. The office offers golf carts for rental and gift certificates for purchase.

Staatsburgh State Historic Site, an elegant country house located atop a grassy hill overlooking the Hudson River and the Catskill Mountains, is the centerpiece of Mills State Park. Designed by Stanford White, this elegant beaux-arts estate is open year round. In the summer months, the grounds of Staatsburgh provide a dramatic backdrop for a concert series co-sponsored by Hyde Park Recreation, as well as numerous community businesses. In addition guided tours of the mansion are available and special programs are offered throughout the year.

Pet Policy: A maximum of two pets are allowed in day use areas unless prohibited by sign or directive. Pets are to be supervised at all times and either be crated or on a leash not more than 6-feet in length. Proof of rabies inoculation shall be produced if requested by staff. Pets are not permitted in playgrounds, buildings, golf courses, boardwalks, pools and spray-grounds or guarded beaches (this does not apply to service animals).

Ogden Mills & Ruth Livingston Mills State Park

Margaret Lewis Norrie State Park adjoins Ogden Mills and Ruth Livingston Mills Memorial State Park and together, comprise more than 1,000 acres. Margaret Lewis Norrie State Park offers a full menu of exhilarating recreational opportunities and activities for visitors of all ages. The numerous trails that thread through the grounds of both Mills and Norrie State Parks are ideal for walking, jogging, hiking, cycling, cross country skiing, and snow shoeing - treating visitors to fabulous views of the Hudson River which runs directly along the parks' western boundaries.

A serene wooded area with glimpses of the river provides an ideal location for camping. Campers will have convenient access to attractions within the park and in nearby towns like Hyde Park, Rhinebeck and Poughkeepsie. There are 46 tent sites and 10 cabins available for rental at the park. Recreational vehicles are also welcome; however, the park does not offer hook up facilities. River access is available for campers with boats at the Norrie Marina and at the Norrie Environmental Center. Restroom facilities and showers are located within walking distance.

A marina consisting of slip space and a boat launch ramp is a popular area within the park. There are 145 slips, both fixed piers and floating docks, which are rented on a seasonal basis. Transient boaters are welcome if space allows. The marina also houses showers and a pump out station. For a nominal fee, electrical hookups are available.

Mills Norrie State Park (Margaret Lewis Norrie)

Schodack Island State Park sits off the eastern shore of the Hudson River just south of Albany. Approximately seven miles of Hudson River and Schodack Creek shoreline bound the 1,052-acre site. The park has been designated a State Estuary, and a portion of the park shelters a Bird Conservation Area (BCA) that is home to bald eagles, cerulean warblers and blue herons that nest in the cottonwood trees. Eight miles of multi-use trails wind through a variety of ecological communities. In addition, the park has 66 campsites for use, an improved bike trail, volleyball nets, horseshoe and a kayak/canoe launch site. Interpretive signage highlights the park's historic and environmental significance. Picnicking (tables and grills) are available to groups by reservation (fee - call park for details).

Please consult the tide chart when you are planning any trips on the Hudson River or Schodack Creek. If you have any questions about the challenges of boating in tidal water, please call the park office.

Lake Taghkanic State Park Maps

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Lake Taghkanic State Park Description

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