Grafton Lakes State Park

06/14/2026

This Week at Grafton:

Pride Paddle:
Join us on a calming paddle around Long Pond to celebrate Pride. This guided tour will include topics about LGBT+ history and our local ecosystem. Registration is required as we have limited spots at 518-279-1155. This program is $10 a person which includes the kayak rental.

Animal Ambassadors at Cherry Plain:
Meet our animal ambassadors and learn all about them! This event requires no registration and is free to attend. Please call 518-279-1155 with questions.

Pond Hopping Paddleboard Meetup:
Explore a new pond each month with our educator Cai. This program is completely free, all you need is to pay the entrance fee. This program is also bring your own paddleboard, supplies will not be provided. Please call 518-279-1155 to register.

Invasive Plant Removal Project at Grafton:
Join environmental educators to learn the impacts invasive plant species have on our local forests. You will learn how to identify and remove different species. These programs will involve being off trail and using different hand tools. Each field day begins at 9am and ends at noon, followed by an optional post-activity. Free admission into Grafton Lakes State Park is given day of volunteering. Please call 518-279-1155 or email [email protected] to register. The best part of the project is you can choose which days and parks you’d like to volunteer! After signing up you will receive our 2026 schedule.

06/13/2026

Explore a new pond each month with our educator Cai. This program is completely free, all you need is to pay the entrance fee. This program is also bring your own paddleboard, supplies will not be provided. Please call 518-279-1155 to register.

06/12/2026

Introducing our new Grafton Toy Community Library at the beach! This is a place where lost toys can be put so other families can use them.

Check out the cool library over at the beach and check the comments for progress shots over the past week.

06/12/2026

Join environmental educators to learn the impacts invasive plant species have on our local forests. You will learn how to identify and remove different species. These programs will involve being off trail and using different hand tools. Each field day begins at 9am and ends at noon, followed by an optional post-activity. Free admission into Grafton Lakes State Park is given day of volunteering. Please call 518-279-1155 or email [email protected] to register. The best part of the project is you can choose which days and parks you’d like to volunteer! After signing up you will receive our 2026 schedule.

06/11/2026

We have new fun stickers here at Grafton! You can find our new stickers at the front desk in the Welcome Center. Each sticker is $1 a piece.

You can visit our Welcome Center Wednesday-Monday from 9am-4pm.

06/10/2026

Attention park goers! As part of biomonitoring of Emerald Ash Borer (EAB), we have set out yellow pan traps on certain Ash trees in the park.

What is Emerald Ash Borer? Emerald ash borers are small wood-boring jewel beetles natively found in east Asia where they don't cause significant issue. It's suspected they were inadvertently introduced to North America on packing crates and other wooden materials between the 1980s and 2000s. Without their natural control counterparts to moderate their population, they've become a devastating threat to many of our ash tree species. After initial infestation of a given area, with no control measures, all ash trees there will perish within 10 yrs or less.

The good news is that several species of parasitoid wasps have been released as biological control agents. These wasps have been studied and tested by USDA. These pan traps are set out to monitor the released control agents and see how successful they've been at establishing.

06/10/2026

This weeks Star Party has been moved to Saturday due to poor weather. It will be at the same 8;45pm start time.

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.

06/09/2026

Is this male polythemus moth shivering...? Yes! Large moths such as these need time to warm up their flight muscles before take off. While insects are exotherms (eg cold blooded, meaning they don't burn calories to make their own body heat) they can occasionally use similar methods as our own to warm up on chilly mornings.

06/09/2026

A rarely seen beauty... This male *Antheraea polyphemus*, or Polythemus moth, is a member of the Saturniidae or giant silk moth family. This family of moths includes Luna moths! Like other saturnids, these moths do not eat as adults. Instead, they store up calories as caterpillars so that they can spend their entire adult lifespan searching for mates and laying eggs. The caterpillars can eat 86,000 times its weight in the first eight weeks after it emerges.

Did you know? When threatened, they flash open their wings and show off the previously hidden eyespots, which can deter predators.

06/08/2026

Join us on a calming paddle around Long Pond to celebrate Pride. This guided tour will include topics about LGBT+ history and our local ecosystem. Registration is required as we have limited spots at 518-279-1155. This program is $10 a person which includes the kayak rental.