A Little Piece of Heaven on Earth

In the Welcome post of this blog, I mentioned how we are in the habit of believing that we have to drive hours from home in order to find neat places when in reality there are so many cool places right here in the Capital District.  Yesterday we found the most perfect example of just such a place and the entire time we explored it, I just kept saying, "Wow, this places is gorgeous.  Why have I never been here?"  I can't remember the last time I experienced such a state of awe.

Dunham Reservoir



Over the years, I've heard people going to  Grafton for the day.  I never thought much about it - why would I?  I grew up spending summers on Saratoga Lake until I was 13 when my parents bought a home there.  So for me anything to do with water automatically involved Saratoga Lake.   My dad loved Saratoga Lake so much he never went anywhere else, except in his retirement years, he and my mom would occasionally ice fish on Lake George.  But Saratoga Lake was his heaven on earth and there was no point in trying to convince him there were other wonderful places to see because to him, Saratoga Lake was "IT".  Yesterday the blue sky and brilliant sun beckoned me to the road in search of photo opportunities and boy did we find what we were looking for at Grafton Lakes State Park. 

First of all, Grafton has SIX different bodies of water and encompasses a forested area between the Taconic and Hudson Valleys and spans nearly 2,500 acres.  We followed the directions of our GPS and ended up beginning our tour on the other side of the highway at Dunham Reservoir, pictured above.  What struck me about Grafton Lakes State Park is the variety of recreational opportunities it offers, not to mention the combination of stunning bodies of water and many wooded trails.  We were like kids in a candy shop driving along the dirt roads waiting to get to our next jackpot - and that we did!!!  That was in part due to the fact that we entered the park using the "Winter Entrance" as opposed to the main entrance.  Each body of water we came upon was more stunning that the last.  It didn't hurt that the air was calm and the sky was brilliant blue, because even without leaves on the trees everywhere we turned was simply spectacular.  The only thing that may have surpassed the view was the truly tranquil quiet - only to be disturbed by an occasional bird or duck call.  I think you will agree, this place is a treasure - one that I know I will be visiting again.

 Grafton Lakes State Park is open year round.  Just 12 miles outside of Troy, Grafton offers swimming, boat/canoe/kayak rentals, fishing, nature trails, and picnic areas for your summer enjoyment.  Come winter you can cross country ski, snowshoe, snowmobile, and ice fish.  Beginning in May it will cost you $6 entry per vehicle, and after the swimming season begins, that increases to $8 per car.  However, if you buy the Empire Pass for $65 per year,  gets you in free to over 179 state parks.  Another great getaway right here close to home!    Please use the link at the very bottom of this page for more information on hours, fees and swimming schedules from the park website.

 

http://www.nysparks.com/parks/53/details.aspx