On two very different days I visited two of my favorite local State Parks. On a cloudy cooler day I went to Grafton Lakes State Park to hike the Dickinson Hill Fire Tower trail. I loved foraging raspberries along the way, looking at the flowers, mushrooms insects, and animals.
We encountered some woodpeckers in the woods, always a splendid sight. Our hike would have been much shorter if we did not miss the short turn off to the fire tower, but the small sign had fallen down and we continued down the road. If you do decide to do this hike, make sure you find good directions and take heed of them! The sights were lovely from atop the tower, very peaceful and quiet.
The sun decided to stay behind the clouds all day, so I didn’t feel like swimming in the cold lake. I did sit on a dock to read the fellowship of the ring, and allow fishies to bite at my toes for a while!
It was a peaceful relaxing day, but on a sunnier day one might want to swim, kayak, or visit other Grafton area places of interest. On a sunny day we hiked into Moreau State Park. We laid out a towel in a quiet spot and enjoyed our own piece of paradise swimming in the refreshing waters of the lake. You can also rent a kayak here.
There are always many interesting birds and insects to view, and this day we spotted a Woodcock in a tree and Jeff caught a frog.
I also found a perfect little birds nest on the ground.
Both of these parks are approximately 40 minutes from Albany. They have great hiking and swimming options in beautiful natural surroundings.
http://www.nysparks.com/parks/53/details.aspx
http://nysparks.com/parks/150/details.aspx