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Lake Taghkanic State Park
Ancram, NY
- Dates: July 24–26, 2015.
- Site Number: G015
- With: The Hoffmans
- Vibe: Convenient campsites and cabins adjacent to a nice day-use swimming lake.
- Weather:
- Pleasant and sunny all weekend!
- Pros: Convenient: park entrance is literally on the Taconic State Parkway, 80 miles from our house. Beautiful lake with large well-guarded swimming area.
- Cons: A bit noisy. Sites are not level or very private. The beach is not shady.
- Verdict: Good, but might be better for an extended stay rather than a weekend.
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Steve's Review:
We've swum in Lake Taghkanic before. The day-use area has a large sandy beach with a half-dozen lifeguards, large bathhouses and ample parking. There are a mix of camping sites here including cabins, ground tent sites, platform tent sites and trailer sites. Sites are somewhat generous but they are not very level and the lack of vegetation between sites gives no privacy. The borders between sites are not well defined.
I forgot to bring our dual-burner Coleman stove and elected not to bring the screenhut. Bad move on both counts. Still, we had a fun weekend camping mith my cousin and her family. Lots of laughs, good food, games and a colorful campfire!
The campsite was pretty busy and seemed inordinately noisy. In fairness, these were high-season weekend nights at a campground close to New York City. A week-long stay here would likely reveal a different side of the park. The cabins offer a great late-season fall option that might be worth trying.
After packing out, we all travelled just over the Massachusetts state line to Bash Bish Falls State Park for a pleasant easy hike and a picnic. This is a great spot with a dramatic 60-foot waterfall that is well worth a visit. Parking is in Copake, NY and a well-groomed 1.5-mile trail leads to a stunning view of the falls.
—SBW
