Grafton Lakes State Park

Have you enjoyed our trails over the last year during covid? Come out next Saturday to help do some trail maintenance! We need your help! Call the park at 518-279-1155 to register.

It's April and that means the beginning of trail work season! If you are hiking and see a tree down blocking the trail or hazardous dead tree by the trail, please call the park at 518-279-1155 and include a detailed description of the location. Happy hiking!

Ice Conditions Update 1/3/2021: Long Pond Beach: 6.75" Long Pond Boat Launch: 6.5" Mill Pond: 6.0 " Second Pond: 7.5"... White Lily Pond: 6.5" Dunham Reservoir: 6.0" *Please note that access to the ice on Shaver Pond is prohibited at this time. There is only 2" of ice in some spots and access to the ice is sketchy in a lot of spots.*

Registration is open for Cabin Fever! Sign up today for hikes, educational walks, live animals, or the Embrace the Cold guided trail. Length of hikes vary based on mileage. Assume 1-2 hours for most. Fire Tower hike will take about 3 hours. Join us on the guided trail and hear from local organizations on topics such as winter survival, winter hiking, sled dogs, etc. as they try to convince you to embrace the cold (lasts ~1 hour)! Uncharted Wild will have a variety of live animals for their 30 minute presentations. Embrace the Cold guided trail: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0A4DAEA72DA4FB6-cabin Outings: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0A4DAEA72DA4FB6-cabin2 Uncharted Wild- Live Animals: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/70A0A4DAEA72DA4FB6-cabin1

With leaves off the trees, it is much easier to spot and appreciate many of our long-lived shelf fungi species found throughout the park. Sprouting out of tree trunks like noses or fans, these woody fungi show their years of growth similar to tree rings. Each year they grow a new layer of reproductive spore tissue that is added like a layer of frosting on a cake but on the bottom. Taking a look on the underside of this species, you will notice hundreds of little tiny holes, or pores, making it a type of "polypore" meaning "many pores". These tiny holes are tubes where spores develop and disperse from. This species was found growing on an American beech tree and had the shiny evidence of a slug that traveled across it. What other kinds of fungi have you been noticing? Post your pictures in the comments below!

Do you have your bird feeders out? Today's list of birds seen at 8:30am: 2 Downy Woodpecker 3 Blue Jay 6 Black-capped Chickadee 2 Tufted Titmouse... 2 Red-breasted Nuthatch 1 White-breasted Nuthatch Post a picture of the birds that are visiting your feeders!

Alternating days above and below freezing have made for some wet and icy conditions out on the trails. Be sure to come prepared with warm, waterproof shoes or boots, layers, and crampons or other traction devices for icy spots. Though much of yesterday's snow is forecasted to melt, the ground underneath and rocks are still very slippery!

Dunham Reservoir sunset.