Thacher State Park

09/25/2026

Looking for a fun Saturday morning activity? Volunteer with us!
Tomorrow, September 26th from 10am to 1pm, we'll be having volunteers taking care of some hedge trimming in the gardens out in front of the Visitor Center. If you'd like to help, give us a call at (518) 418-7442, or send an email to [email protected] to register!
Gloves and tools provided. All ages, but those under 14 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian, and those under 18 must have their volunteer service agreement signed by a p/g.

09/25/2026

🌧☔⛈ Due to this weekend's pending wet weather forecast - our food trucks will not be on site for our normally scheduled dates and times at the Overlook! 🌧☔⛈

Here's to nicer weather for the fall weekends ahead with our amazing food trucks scheduled to join us through the end of October! 🍂🔆

❓Contact us at the Visitor Center.

09/24/2026

Welcome to our new BARK Rangers! 🐶🐾

Congrats to Pam, Kaytie, Toby, Roadie, Miguel, and Sienna!

Ranger Roadie, who has been completing Bark Ranger programs across the country on a road trip with his human mom, stopped in at Thacher Park on a very foggy day.

Ranger Toby fell in love with Helderberg Room Specialist Julie (it was love at first sight). 😍

👉 Stop in at the Visitor Center to make your pup a Thacher BARK Ranger - and the best part is the swag is FREE!

09/24/2026

Bark Ranger Roadie visited Thacher Park earlier this week! Thanks for stopping by!

09/23/2026

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09/23/2026

Say goodbye 👋 to September with a Thacher program this week! You can even hop on the Capital District Transportation Authority - CDTA's Nature Bus this Saturday to check out what's happening!! Keep reading for more information!
Knee-High Naturalists
Thursday, September 24th, 10-11am
Explore the outdoors with our Knee-High Naturalists series! Best suited for children ages 3-5 accompanied by an adult. Each session will explore a different theme - activities may include crafts, games, storybook readings, or a kid-friendly nature walk. Takes place on the second and fourth Thursday each month. Registration required. Call 518-872-0800 to register.

Birding Walk
Friday, September 26th, 9-10am
The birds are ramping up for their fall migration! Join an educator for a casual walk on part of our Perimeter Trail and see what species we can identify. Binoculars will be available for participants. We will travel around 1 mile on a flat path. Meet at the Carrick Road trailhead. Registration required. Call 518-872-0800.

Pitch in for Parks
Saturday, September 26th, 10am-1pm
Join us at Thacher Park for a regularly scheduled group volunteer day! Projects rotate between trail work, invasive species management, and miscellaneous natural habitat objectives; there’s always something new and exciting to work on. Dress for a hands-on workday, with close-toed shoes, and be prepared to pick up some hand tools! Meet at the Nature Center, ages 12+. Registration required: Call 518-872-0800.

Marine Touch Tank
Saturday, September 26th, 1-2pm
Join educators from Via Aquarium to see and touch live sea creatures while learning about their biology, anatomy, and conservation needs. Children must be supervised by an adult. No registration is required.

Gelli Printing Fall Leaves
Saturday, September 26th, 11am-12pm and 1:30pm-2:30pm
Learn the basics of Gelli printing with resident artist Diane Steele! We'll use easy techniques to paint beautiful fall-inspired pictures. Free program with all materials provided. Meet at the Thacher Visitor Center. Registration encouraged. Call 518-872-0800.

Caves & Karst
Sunday, September 27th, 9:30-11:30am
Discover the development of Thacher Park's unique landscapes as we observe limestone layers, resurging underground streams, and an active sinkhole! Each participant will follow the group leader in their own vehicle as we caravan to different sites. Ages 14+. Registration encouraged. Call 518-872-0800.

Want to keep tabs on what's happening at Thacher Park? Sign up for our newsletter, just one email each month straight to your inbox with our schedule of events! Click here: http://bit.ly/ThacherNewsletter

09/22/2026

🧪 Science in action at Thacher! 💚

👉 Earlier this month, researchers from Virginia Tech conducted a bat survey here at Thacher State Park to study how White-nose syndrome (Pseudogymnoascus destructans) has been impacting bat populations.

🦇 White-nose syndrome is a white, fuzzy fungal disease that affects bats during hibernation by causing them to wake up earlier and more often. The bats use up all their energy and stored fats they built up for the winter, leading to either starvation or dehydration. This fungal disease was first spotted in the United States in 2006 at a cave in NY less than 30 miles from Thacher. It has now spread to 42 states and 8 Canadian provinces resulting in massive bat population die-offs of up to 100% in some infected hibernation sites. Thankfully due to increased protections, evolved resistance, and other conservation measures, bat populations are slowly rebounding at Thacher and increasing in a few other infected sites.

📋 With help from wildlife technicians with the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation, the researchers safely captured and collected data on the bats living at Thacher before releasing them back into the night sky. They hope that their research will improve conservation efforts for bats by understanding the factors that help them survive with white-nose syndrome. They also hope their work will reveal how this disease has changed long-term bat behaviors.

🧑‍🔬All bats were handled by trained professionals, and survey was conducted with permission and proper permitting from the NYSDEC.

09/22/2026

09/22/2026

Free Fishing Day!! 🎣🐟

Have you been wanting to try fishing, or maybe you have fished before and didn't renew your fishing license? Either way this Saturday you can fish for free without needing a NYS fishing License!

📅September 26th, 2026

Stop over to Thompson's lake and test your skills!

📸Photo Credit: The Beard 🧔‍♀️@ Thompson's Lake Campground

09/22/2026

Sunday - September 27th - Join our geology educator - Mike here in the Visitor Center for Cave's and Karst!

Discover the development of Thacher Park's unique landscapes as we observe limestone layers, underground streams, and an active sinkhole! Each participant will follow in their own vehicle as we caravan to different sites. Meets at the Thacher Visitor Center. Ages 16+

Registration encouraged. Call 518-872-0800 to register!