Grafton Lakes State Park

06/07/2026

This Week at Grafton:

Animal Ambassadors Tent Event:
Meet our animal ambassadors and learn all about them! This event is drop in at our Education Tent at the beach. Please call 518-279 with any questions.

Forest Friends Tot Time- Fish:
Enjoy a relaxing hour of Toddler Time at Grafton Lakes State Park. We will learn about fish through exploration, art and storytime. This program will be completely outdoors and meets at our program tent at the beach. This program is intended for ages 2-6 and requires parental supervision at all times. This program is completely free and requires registration at 518-279-1155.

Trail Crew:
Volunteers meet every other week with an educator to perform trail matinence, accomplish various trail-related goals, and clean trails around the park.

Star Party:
Calling all night owls! The Albany Area Amateur Astronomers will have telescopes to give you a tour of the night sky during this free program held at the Deerfield Pavilion.
No preregistration required. Enter via main entrance and follow signs to program-- first left off main entrance road. Please drive slowly in the park at night. No charge.

Meet the Animals:
Come meet our Ambassador Animals in an afternoon program. We will meet in the Welcome Center at 2:00pm and then talk about our animals. You may even be able to help feed or hold one of them! This program is free to attend but requires registration at 518-279-1155.

Seeing Slowly: Skull Duggery:
A nature journaling workshop with a focus on learning how to draw from nature, basic techniques, ideas, and concepts for all skill levels. This week, we will practice shapes, details, and a little biology. Come practice new skills with educator Cai.

Geocache Event:
Use your noggin', GPS, and exploration skills during this fun geocaching event. No registration required, parking fee applies.

06/06/2026

A nature journaling workshop with a focus on learning how to draw from nature, basic techniques, ideas, and concepts for all skill levels. This week, we will practice shapes, details, and a little biology. Come practice new skills with educator Cai.

06/06/2026

Thank you to everyone who attended our first pride event this month: Birding with Pride!

We are having a second Birding with Pride program on Sunday June 28th at 9am. Please call 518-279-1155 to register for the program.

06/06/2026

Echo doing very important work at the end of a long week. We hope everyone is enjoying the first week of June!

06/05/2026

Come meet our Ambassador Animals in an afternoon program. We'll meet in the Welcome Center at 2:00pm and then talk about our animals. You may even be able to help feed or hold one of them! This program is free to attend but requires registration at 518-279-1155.

06/05/2026

Calling all night owls! The Albany Area Amateur Astronomers will have telescopes to give you a tour of the night sky during this free program held at the Deerfield Pavilion.
No preregistration required. Enter via main entrance and follow signs to program-- first left off main entrance road. Please drive slowly in the park at night. No charge.

06/04/2026

Our Summer Movie nights are back at Grafton Lakes State Park are back! All movies are completely free to attend.

This year each movie night will be themed and feature a fun activity hosted by our educators.

Please call 518-279-1155 with any questions

06/04/2026

The common snapping turtle is New York's state reptile! From late May throughout June, females will soon begin nesting efforts, leaving the water to find loose sandy soils and mulch. Like all turtles, snapping turtles take years to mature and so the death of any adult female can have significant negative impacts on the local turtle population. To help protect these amazing reptiles, please be mindful of crossing turtles. If you find a turtle crossing the road, please allow it to cross in the direction it's already heading, and drive carefully near bodies of water.

Did you know? There's only two species of snapping turtles! the second, the alligator snapping turtle, is found across the southeastern United States.

06/04/2026

06/03/2026

WARNING! Please be aware that there is a Harmful Algae Bloom (HAB) at the Martin-Dunham Reservoir.
Please do not enter the water, allow pets into the water, or fish at this moment. We will post as soon as the HAB is observed to be gone.
Harmful algal blooms (HABs) in freshwater (lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams) generally consist of visible patches of cyanobacteria, also called blue-green algae. Cyanobacteria are naturally present in low numbers in most aquatic (freshwater and/or marine) systems. Under certain conditions, including adequate nutrient (e.g., phosphorus) availability, warm temperatures, and calm winds, cyanobacteria may multiply rapidly and form blooms that are visible on the surface of the affected waterbody. Several types of cyanobacteria can produce toxins and other harmful compounds that can pose health risks to people and animals through ingestion, skin contact, or inhalation.
More information can be found here: https://dec.ny.gov/.../water-quality/harmful-algal-blooms