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Grafton Lakes State Park, Grafton, NY

Photo: Nick Hepler from Troy, New York, USA, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Cropped and resized.

Sports & OutdoorsOutdoor AdventureFamily Favorite

Grafton Lakes State Park

Swim at Long Pond's sandy beach, paddle six ponds and hike or ski about 25 miles of forest trails on a plateau near Troy.

254 Grafton Lakes State Park Way, Grafton, NY 12082 · Grafton, NY

About Grafton Lakes State Park

Grafton Lakes covers nearly 2,500 acres of forest and six ponds on a plateau between the Hudson and Taconic valleys, northeast of Albany. Long Pond has a large sandy beach with lifeguarded swimming in summer, and you can rent boats or launch your own canoe; Long, Second and Shaver ponds hold trout. About 25 miles of trails serve hikers, bikers and riders, and in winter they are used for snowshoeing, skiing and snowmobiling. The Shaver Pond Nature Center runs programs. Parking is $8 per vehicle in summer and $6 on spring and fall weekends.

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  • #swimming beach
  • #hiking
  • #fishing
  • #paddling

What's around here?

The closest stops to Grafton Lakes State Park, ordered by straight-line distance. A few more like it, plus some different kinds of fun so you can build a full day.

  • Sports & Outdoors
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    Cherry Plain State Park

    Under $25

    A small summer park on Black River Pond in the Rensselaer Plateau, with a beach picnic area, rowboat and kayak rentals, trails and 30 campsites.

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  • Museums
    Rainy-Day Pick

    The Clark Art Institute

    Under $25

    See French Impressionist paintings by Renoir, Monet and Degas, then walk trails across 140 acres of Berkshires meadow and woods.

    Transit: reachable by public transit

    13 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Museums

    Williams College Museum of Art

    No admission fee

    A college-affiliated art museum on the Williams College campus in Williamstown, known for contemporary art, photography, prints, and Indian painting.

    14 mi awaySwitch it up: Museums

  • Sightseeing
    History Buff

    Bennington Battle Monument

    Under $25

    See the 306-foot stone obelisk, the tallest man-made structure in Vermont, marking the depot fought over in the 1777 Battle of Bennington.

    Transit: reachable by public transit

    15 mi awaySwitch it up: Sightseeing

  • Sports & Outdoors
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    Natural Bridge State Park

    Check prices

    Walk above and through a quarter-mile marble chasm to see North America's only natural white marble arch, plus an old quarry and a marble dam.

    19 mi awayMore like this

  • Sports & Outdoors
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    Mount Greylock State Reservation

    Check prices

    Drive or hike to the 3,491-foot top of Massachusetts, climb the War Memorial Tower and look out up to 90 miles on a clear day.

    20 mi awayMore like this