Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation

Hours of Operation

• Park is open year round, sunrise to sunset, weather and conditions permitting.
• 2025 Swimming Season:
  11am - 7pm
  

  May 24 - June 15 - weekends only

  June 21 - Labor Day - daily

  
  

  Swimming season dates are subject to change based on lifeguard availability. 

  
  
• Picnicking: Year-round. Picnic Pavilion available year-round.
• 2025 Camping Season: 5/9 - 11/15
  
  Ironworkers & Bash Bish Cabins: 5/16-10/18
  Greenwich cottages: 5/16-11/15
  
  *Please note within the camping season time frame, some loops/sites may open later or close earlier. For more details, please call the park or visit http://www.newyorkstateparks.reserveamerica.com.
• Hunting: Park Permit Required. DEC rules and regs apply. All Deer seasons; Spring and Fall Turkey seasons, bow until noon only.

Fees & Rates

Most New York State Parks charge a vehicle use fee to enter the facility. Fees vary by location and season. A list of entry fees and other park use fees is available below. For fees not listed or to verify information, please contact the park directly.

The easy-to-use Empire Pass card is $80- and your key to all-season enjoyment with unlimited day-use entry at most facilities operated by State Parks and the State Dept. of Environmental Conservation including forests, beaches, trails and more. Purchase online or contact your favorite park for more information. Learn more about our Admission Programs including the Empire Pass.

• Camping
• Campsites: $15-22/night
  
  *Additional $5/night for non-NYS residents
  
  Cabin:
  $546-$624/week
  Daily rate is 1/4 the weekly charge
  
  Cottages:
  $700 weekly/ $175 daily
  
  -Non-NYS residents $28/week, $7/daily
• Vehicle Entrance Fee
• Cars: $8
  Bus: $35
  
  (Swimming season only.)
  
  Fee Collected:
  5/24 - 6/28, weekends/holidays
  6/28 - 9/1, daily(subject to change depending on staffing)

Maps

New! Download this park's digital map to your iOS Apple and Android device.

• Taconic State Park Trail Map (Middle Section)
• Taconic State Park Trail Map (North Section)
• Taconic State Park Trail Map (South Section)

Firewood source maps show a 50-mile radius from which untreated firewood may be moved to this campground. For more information see firewood restrictions.

• Firewood Source Map (pdf)

• Copake Iron Works Trail Map (pdf)
• Hunting Map (pdf)
• Camping Map, Rates & Policies (pdf)
• Harlem Valley Rail Trail Map & Brochure (pdf)
• Trail Map North (pdf)
• Trail Map South (pdf)

Copake Iron Works Museum's Summer Tours

Visit the expanded Copake Iron Works Museum (33 Valley View Road, Copake Falls, NY) in Taconic State Park, with tours on Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend, Saturdays and Sundays, May 28 through September 4, 2-4 PM, and on Monday, September 5, from 2-4 PM. On display are a series of iron artifacts, ranging from plow parts to chisels and unknown objects. Each one has been catalogued by the Friends of Taconic State Park's Historic Preservation Committee. In its heyday, a total of 5,000 tons of iron ore were wheeled into Copake Falls each year from surrounding towns such as Pawling and Amenia. Admission is free. For more information visit http://www.friendsoftsp.org. 

The Pomeroy Family Railroad at Copake Iron Works Historic Site

The Pomeroy Family Railroad at the Copake Iron Works Historic Site in Taconic State Park is open Saturdays and Sundays from 2pm to 4pm, from Memorial Day weekend to mid-October. There is no charge to ride the railroad and no reservation is required. Adults and children of all ages are welcome. The railroad is fully accessible for differently-abled passengers.

Built entirely by volunteer labor and private funds, the Pomeroy Family Railroad runs on a 950-foot loop. The engine pulls two retrofitted ore carts to carry passengers. The rail line replicates the narrow-gauge railroad that transported iron ore from the nearby mine (now known as the Ore Pit Swimming Area in Taconic State Park) to the blast furnace at the Copake Iron Works during the 19th century. A narrative describing significant points on the rail line helps riders understand the area's rich industrial heritage.

Francis and Ella R.K. Masters were prominent New Yorkers who had a farm in the area and an interest in preserving the region's natural treasures. In 1924, they donated a large tract of land to New York State as the first parcel of what was to become Taconic State Park. That same year the newly created New York State Council of Parks signed agreements to purchase over 2,600 acres of land. In 1925, the Taconic Regional Commission was created and Francis became Columbia County's first Parks Commissioner. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was the commission's first chairman. Two years later, when Taconic State Park opened to the public, it became the region's first State Park.

Attention Hunters: Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (i.e., "bird flu") has recently been detected in New York State in a variety of waterfowl species. Although the NYS Department of Health (NYSDOH) has stated that avian influenza rarely spreads to humans, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) is encouraging hunters to take extra precautions while processing harvested waterfowl. For more information on best practices for hunters to minimize risk of exposure, please read NYSDEC Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza - What Hunters Need to Know (leaves State Parks website).

For general information on Avian Influenza, please see: Cornell University, College of Veterinary Medicine - Avian Influenza Fact Sheet (leaves State Parks website).

For additional updates on Avian Influenza, including current updates, see NYSDEC - Animal Diseases (leaves State Parks website) and NYSDOH - Questions and Answers about Avian Influenza (Bird Flu) (leaves State Parks website).

Taconic State Park Hunting Map

Obtain Permit (No Cost) from the Park Office to be displayed in vehicle dashboard while hunting. Office hours vary - call ahead.

Big Game:

Deer and Bear archery season (early bow): 10/1 to 11/15.

Deer and Bear late bow: 12/9 to 12/17 & 12/26 to 1/1

Deer and Bear Crossbow: 11/6 to 11/15

Deer and Bear regular season (rifle/shotgun): 11/16 to 12/28

Deer and Bear muzzle loading season: 12/9 to 12/17

Note: Columbia County allows rifles - Dutchess County is shotgun only (Rudd Pond - DEC Zone 4Z).

Small Game:

No Rabbit Hunting

Turkey, archery and shotgun: Fall season: 10/19 to 11/1 Spring season: 5/1 to 5/31.

Squirrel (Shotgun only): 11/1 to 2/28

Fox (Shotgun only): 10/1 to 2/28

Ruffed grouse (Shotgun only): 10/1 to 2/28

No Rabbit or Hare. No waterfowl. No migratory birds. No reptiles. No amphibians. No youth hunts. No handguns. No target practice.