Wheelchair-accessible car park
Yes
Lake Taghkanic State Park in Ancram
Categories
Location on the map
Ancram, Columbia County, New York, US
Accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible entrance
Yes
Amenities
Good for kids
Yes
Phone: +1 518-851-3631
Site: https://parks.ny.gov/parks/laket...
Site: https://parks.ny.gov/parks/laket...
Opening hours
- Monday:8AM–6PM
- Tuesday:8AM–6PM
- Wednesday:8AM–6PM
- Thursday:8AM–6PM
- Friday:8AM–6PM
- Saturday:8AM–6PM
- Sunday:8AM–6PM
Comments (100)
I have gone to Lake Taghkanic a number of times in the last few years, mainly to kayak and fish. The lake is beautiful and it is great for paddling. I have also enjoyed my fishing trips and have caught a number of large mouth bass and chain pickerel. Only recently have I camped at Lake Taghkanic. The camping experience here was overall good, however be prepared for smaller camp sites.
Great place for camping very clean facilities and a lot of fun for the family You con go fishing,boating swimming and the beach is awesome they have good food or you can have a barbecue,big lawn where you can play games like volleyball,soccer catch and Nice trails to walk. My family and I loves this place.
We have walked all around the lake today, enjoying the view across the water and the beautiful forest gradually changing into fall colors. The trails are well maintained and marked, it took us 3 hours to complete the 5 miles loop without hurrying. We walked past the fantastic sandy beaches where you can rent boats for paddling. We will try that next time!
Coming from the hustle and bustle of NYC it was a nice change of pace. Peaceful, clean and EVERYONE wore a mask. Good time for the whole family.
Great place to enjoy tons of outdoor activities with the family! Pics are taken from the center of the lake!
They were very accommodating with camping. Gorgeous lake. As for the negative reviews about the amount of people here, there weren’t that many people when we went. But it all depends how many people head north from the city. That isn’t the park’s fault. We enjoyed:)
Beautiful and relaxing this lake, not much people and restrooms very clean.
Had so much with the kids here they love it perfect to come early and spend the whole day really good place for the family time have trails,parks beautiful scenery you we love it yu wont be disappointed
When we arrived there was plenty of room for our blanket and social distancing. Around 11am a lot of people showed up and some walked on our blanket (twin sized for 2 adults to sit on). After the 4th time we left.
Absolutely beautiful. Very clean. Due to COVID they ask that you stay 10 ft away from others which a good portion of people complied with. The water had an array of fish. If you get there early youll be able to get shade with the trees and set up a blanket by the sand. It was a great experience
My wife, daughter, and I had a wonderful time at this park. The beach is beautiful and was not at all crowded, particularly during the week. We stayed in one of the cabins, and it was clean and well-maintained. The showers were great, too - hot water, and the staff checked them three times a day. I found every staff member I interacted with to be friendly, enthusiastic, and positive. It was a great trip!
The new rule now is no pets are allowed. About 5 park rangers came up to me several times within a half an hour to say I couldn’t have my puppy there who sits on my lap the whole time. My dog is a certified emotional support dog and they still did not care. Very rude staff and unaccomodating.
Spent the weekend in a cabin on at this park and it was absolutely beautiful. The cabin was spacious and the only reason I didnt give 5 stars is because the oven smelled terrible when it turned on and we couldnt use it all weekend.
This place it’s very clean, they provide a garbage bag , but you have to bring whit you ! . I love have fun to fishing
The parking fee is a little pricey but the views are great for a family gathering.
I got there just as it opened. I saw one person cleaning in the parking lot. I was very disappointed about all the garbage on the grounds. He didnt do a good job.
Easy access, a lot to explore, the beach a s the lake are awesome.
Swam laps in clear water without seaweed weighing me down, knotting my hair.Fantastic clean beach. Not lots of people.No time for photos
Sorry to have to post this negative review but! The lake used to be very nice! Went there today and was very disappointed. This place looked like Jones Beach without waves. Way way to many people for this lake to accommodate. There was not enough beach to handle the amount of people that was there. There werent enough lifeguards to manage the swimming areas. And the water looked stressed. Like I said way to many people. I know it was very hot today but somebody needs to look at this problem and evaluate what this lake can handle. Realistically I dont see that happening though because of the revenue that is generated for the state by abusing this lake!!!!! What a shame😔
I was just there for a few hours at a BBQ but the lawns are Beautiful , great view, nice lake and clean bathrooms. Really relaxing!
Went here for a camping trip. Awesome state park for outdoor activities including volleyball, swimming, and people watching.
This is a beautiful, hilly park on a beautiful lake with a nice swimming beach and concession stand. A wonderful place to spend time swimming, camping, sunning, rowing and the like. In addition to the campground, it has a large number of cabins that looked very nice and are convenient to the beach. The facilities at the beach, including showers, are well maintained and clean.I used the campground with my 19-foot mobile home for four nights. The lack of electric and water connections is a shame, as the campsites are rather nice. If the park is full, you are pretty close to neighbors, many in groups that can be loud. If less than full, it is a beautiful place.Restrooms and showers at the campground are just adequate, nothing more. And there is a little camp store open a couple of hours morning and afternoon. That is convenient.One annoyance, it is very difficult to get a sense of the location of campsites from the maps on the website, or to know how close or far they are from the lake and amenities. I chose a site that was close to the nature center and the “east beach,” and then found that both were closed for the season. (The beach closing was disclosed on the website, but I missed it.) So it was a long walk – maybe half an hour – or a short bike ride to the west beach.In spite of the noted deficiencies, I enjoyed my time there and would consider going back. I grade the park a B/B-.
Came here with my two kids ages 3 and 9 for a weekend camping trip in the middle of May. Since it was the first official opening weekend for camping and it being chilly at night, the grounds had people but overall nice and quiet. I cant say enough about how well the campgrounds are maintained. The bathrooms are immaculate compared to all other campgrounds Ive been to. They had 6 private bathroom stalls each with a toilet and shower in each. Every morning it was already cleaned and people seem to be respectable here for the most part. I read some bad reviews, maybe in the summer it changes but I would certain return here in the fall or spring again. Highly recommend here for camping, or even for a day picnic near the lake.Oh and my 3yo got a tick so just be sure u have tweezers and bug spray on hand. Ticks can happen anywhere in the woods!
Since it was after Labor Day i got into the park without the $10 admission. I did some hiking here and the trails were great to walk on. The campground looks good too. This was a nice park to visit.
This is a beautiful park with some sad parts to it, namely the CCC work that has steadily been neglected and it shows. Trails and beach are great.
A great local park for families, and one of the best swimming lakes in the Hudson Valley. If you explore the woos around the park, you can still find remnants from the original conservation corps.
Our whole family goes every year. The cabins are awesome and the platform sites make it easy to have flat ground for the tents. The whole park is beautiful, but the lake is stunning. I will never get sick of the view while kayaking!! Everyone should go!
Very unprofessional and bad communication, very poor customer service. I got there at 3:30pm and female worker VERYYY RUDE said no more rentals but the state park has a sign in red which clearly says “rentals no later then 4” and we got there @3:30 and boats have to be back @5 she just lied to us and didn’t let us rent a 2Kayaks
Spending Labor day weekend 2019 here in a cabin for my twins birthday.Pros: beautiful, clean, plenty of facilitiesCons: 0% rule enforcement for loud music or number of people per cabin-site; we are currently listening to 15 + people come and go from a 3 bedroom cabin listening to music so loud that its vibranting my drink. A Ranger just came and parked, watched, and left...I might not stay again. The whole point of camping for us was to get away and enjoy the peace and quiet of nature but we were not able to do that.
Amazing park!! The park, the trails, the water and fishing and camping are all amazing. I wont be able to describe how great this place is in words. The water is always warm and clear. Every bass and pickerel I catch out of this lake are usually large to huge. Since motors arent allowed on the lake, I used a really nice bass to pull me around. My favorite park of all the parks Ive been to.
Been going to Lake Taghkanic for almost 40 years. Love the the lake the fishing and the quiet. Have camped up there a couple of times and loved it. Was here last year camping with 4 of 5 grand kids. This year my wife and I are bringing the 3 year old too. Cant wait.
I would give this five stars but for misinformation on the website. Though it says all boats are available to rent May to October, we were not allowed to rent a canoe in June. We were told by the check in staff that the camp store for be available for supplies (worms, ice) and the brochure says this also. But apparently that is only if you arrive on a Saturday, so we were stuck with no wood or ice when we arrived for a Sunday to Tuesday visit. The website should be update with days, times, and seasonal dates so people can adequately plan. Also, there is a roped swimming area with lifeguard, but there is ONLY swimming in the swimming area, unlike other lakes we have visited. We thought we would have the option of swimming in a non-guarded spot, at our own risk, or at least wading in the water near where we have to be to launch the boats. As a family of 7, and they would only rent us the smaller 4-person boats, there was nothing for the kids to do while waiting for their turn on the boat since they werent allowed in the water.Otherwise, the showers and bathrooms were very nice. So we had several disappointments in this trip but will probably come back to give it another try.
A super nice park, which is prettier with the autumn leaves. A beautiful sunset and good memories to keep.
It is a beautiful park and I really hope everyone helps to keep the beauty intact. It was heart wrenching to see people emptying up the oil tank from their portable grills or just merely washing the grills in the lake all around us as we were there on July 3rd for a BBQ. It is not that difficult to refrain from such acts. You decide what you are leaving for your children - a dead swamp or a natural landmark!
The park is well maintained and comfortable while still being fully immersed in nature
They have Punk kids as life guards with arrogant attitudes., Used to be nice to come here. The swimming area has been reduced and the so called life guards yell at you for doing anything more than just literally standing in the water, and prices went up!! They all need a lessons in etiquette and knowing how treat people. I will be speaking with management! And add to this review after!
My daughter was going to have my grandsons party here and it was very disappointing to know there was a capacity level after sitting here for a good 2 hrs. Mind u having friends and family to come as far as 2 hrs away. There was no warning on the website, just the word in bold red letters COVID 19. My daughter did get her money back.. spend the night before everyone!!!
One of the best lakes in state!
Beach was very crowded water was dirty
Best lake around..clean and nice. Playground close by. Not overly crowded and alot of lifeguards so you feel safe. Nice sand and water. Weve gone multiple times this year and will continue to go and recommend to people.. definitely worth the drive for me.
Great campsite for a weekend getaway if you also want a bathroom and other facilities within reach. The platform campsites were a little close together, which you could often hear other campers loud conversations or screaming children. The hiking trails are short but fun with great views of the lake.
Wonderful place for a vacation. Beautiful cottages to rent with porches overlooking the lake, fire pits for late night smores and full kitchens. Loved the kayaking and great concession stand with a good salad. The park has an incredible view of the stars at night and is a quick drive from NYC. Great escape into nature!
Great state park. Something for everyone. Best beach in the Hudson valley. Snack bar is awesome. Lots of recreation, hiking, camping. Open year round.
Amazing Experience, Family, Tents, BBQ grills, Lake, Beach, Boats, In the Woods, Smores, Watching the Stars at Night, Playing hide and seek at night, Spending time together!!! Speechless...
There should be a designated day once or twice a week throughout the whole summer that is dedicated just to adults. Because I don’t know about anybody else but I hate the sound and company of children..at least when I’m trying to relax and enjoy my day. I truly have nothing against them. But as a 22-year-old adult that honestly is never around kids to begin with I definitely don’t want to hear or see them when I’m trying to relax and have a vacation...And with how they break up the beach and swimming sections with the lifeguards you’re pretty much smashed inside a small area with a bunch of kids and it ruins the experience.One day. Just one. One per week where people over 18 years old can actually enjoy a day at the beach.As it is, this place is not couple friendly or loner friendly or friendly to anyone who seeks a peaceful day by the water. You just get a headache, paranoid that your stuff is going to be stolen and fear of a rash or infection from all the urine and feces in the water from, you guessed it, kids.Just one day a week. I don’t see that being so hard to do. And I’m sure they’d make a lot of money. They could set up adult specific events, allow us to have our own parties and get togethers.. hell, they’d make a killing on alcohol sales alone (Due to the fact that there are no kids around the adults would feel a lot more comfortable drinking and etc)...
Felt protected during this pandemic. Too many people by the beach, so I had to find a less crowded spot. Not easy. but I found a solo spot in a picnic area. Had a great fire and picnic.
I come here every year with my family, we made it a tradition to come up here every year since 1980 for vacation. the beach, the cottages, the smell, the view, the vibes are all so perfect. whenever i wake up here, i go to the porch and watch the lake, its so peaceful waking up not hearing a sound and looking at the lake. on rainy days its great to go to a nearby mall or go shopping because hutson is amazing (a lot of hobos but still great). theirs also movie theaters around the place. alright lets get to the actual lake! the beach opens around 12:00 and its amazing, theirs 5 stations of lake to swim in and there are trees all over the place that you can use for shade, and not to mention the beach is long. the consesions are pretty good, they have t shirts, beach items, and ok food and ice cream. place is beautiful, cottages are great too (gotta get them early though because they go fast) and its a 100% 5 star vacation!
Nice big lake, we normally go and rent kayaks or rowboats. There is a small beach with an area for swimming. There is also a small concession area for your normal food needs. Parking is adequate and areas can be reserved for groups. All in all a great park.
Have visited this park since I was 14 years old and have brought my two kids over the years. The condition of the lake has changed drastically. Years ago you could see clear to the bottom of the lake . There was very little algae and it was beautiful. I was there today with my 14 year old . Seems to me to be a reflection of what has happened to the environment-so sad that this beautiful lake may be in the process of dying .There was a a lot of slimy algae and it was pretty muddy. V
Kayaking here is awesome, but swimming is kind of chaotic. The lifeguarded sections are very small and they often dont have most of them open. It ends up being a lot of people in a small area with little room to swim.
This place is great. Beach, paddle boat etc. Can get crowded when the weather is nice.
Very nice setting and extremely clean. Well worth the trip. Great for family/friend get togethers. Great BBQ and lawn area. The paddle boats are fun as well. I would recommend this lake to anyone.
We have went to this lake for years. And we do love it. But the staff are just straight up rude and that’s what kills it for us. If you can avoid dealing with any staff it’s a beautiful place.
The beach was clean, they have shower & changing facilities, & the concession food was good. The designated swim area is a small section of the whole beach so it probably gets crowded on weekends & holidays.
Really nice state park - well maintained and beautifully designed. We stayed in lake front cottage #162 during foliage season - gorgeous view. We also took a boat ride on the lake.
This place is amazing. If you want to get away from everything, this is the place to go. I went with my boyfriend and two kids and we had a blast! There are a lot of things to do, you wont get bored.
The hiking trails are larger and more fun than you would think. There is a lot of different foliage and scenery. Its a long walk and one you get a third of the way around you realize that you have to walk the full 5 miles. You then look into your pocket and reach for your cell phone just to make sure you have service just in case you wanna be helicoptered back to your car. Fortunately the trails are poorly marked which makes for a fun day of arguing with your spouse about which way to go to get back to the car before we die of thirst. Plan it like a Nascar driver. Always turn left. Our right if you go the other way. Itf you do get lost though is better for the world cause you arent smart enough to breathe my air
The water is amazing! Great place for picnics and BBQs. They have boat rentals to go out over the lake but make sure you get there early enough to reserve one, they go fast.
I’m not sure why this magnificent lake, like other NY State lakes, needs to be roped off to limit swimming to such a limited area. Why cannot the lakes be like NY beaches —Rockaway, Jones Beach, for eg. — where one swims without ropes at their own risk (lifeguards at the ready). Ok, let some sections be roped off for the children, but let the adults swim free in the lake.
Bathroom door to noisy. Hand drier not convenient in the middle of the night very loud noise. People should me respectful when going to the bathroom after 10pm.
Ideal winter hike around the lake
I proposed here and she said Yes!... If we dont get married or this ends in divorce this rating will go down to one star.
Clean beautiful park with lots to explore
Love my yearly getaway. Its nice to get away from the city hustle and bustle and just relax at the lake for a couple of days. Very well managed park.
Best place to go camping or staying in a cabin or cottage, feels so homey and amazing views. I went there when I was around 7 years old and loved it, I still love it today
Beautiful place, very relaxing. The lake manages to stay clean even though you have to bring in your own garbage bags
I visited for a day of hiking. The trails were excellent and varied, offering great views of the lake along the way.
I love camping there if you are looking in to going you shood defantly go I love the place also there is some rules but the main one.is to have FUN !!!
It has great fishing and swimming there.is a lil trash but not to much to impact anything i love it
Awesome place! Beautiful and with restrooms and showers! You can come and enjoy a wonderful sunny day with your family!
We went early on Saturday and enjoyed it for an hour (till about 9:30) before it got v crowded and people were not observing social distancing.
Its nice minus a few rules. The lake sections are small, and they put rocks in their sand. Food is delicious.
Great place to take the family and relax, you can rent a boat, go fishing and swimming. Great for a family barbecue. They have a concession stand too.
Clean and HUGE!!! Ill take this over freedom lake or wilcox any day. They charge per vehicle and not per person, which makes this perfect for large families and groups of friends.
Large clean lake and beach. Concession stand, showers, playground, boat rental, and walking trails. Everything you need for a fun beach day!
I love this place!! Nice places to spend time with friends and family.
Nice park, picnic areas some with pavilions. Two beaches, boat launch, and camping as well.
Great for family and friends.
Nice beach. Went as a kid and now go with my sons and have great times
Dont rent any boat at this place my son stood in line waiting with my 4 year old grand daughter and 73 year old mom to rent a paddle boat because the employee knew the people behind them they got the last boat n my family was told there was no more will not go to this park any more
Clean and well kept. Some sites are somewhat close to one another, but by no means on top of each other. Great time!
Great place for kayaking and swimming but dont forget to bring sun screen
Beautiful well kept park. Only spent an hour walking around but hope to be back again soon
Learned to swim here. Two generations later,Still a fan.Great for hiking in off season
Awesome place to do camping! Clean bathrooms clean atmosphere!
Nice state park with a small beach.
I have been going since I was little an its a family tradition an a great way to relax, explore, an have fun...
Great family place. Clean and lake is fun for the kids
We love this park. we go every year. to swim, fish and boat.
Lake Taghkanic is such a hidden gem. We love going there whenever we have a chance
Total reviews rating 4.5
100 Reviews for Lake Taghkanic State Park 2023:
Review №1
2022-06-27Best place. BBQ place is available and beach is open until 7pm. You also can fishing over there
Review №2
2021-07-20I visited this place with my daughter. Were from Texas and we came at the most beautiful time of year, the fall. It was so gorgeous and peaceful. I would love to come back in the summer.
Review №3
2021-06-27It was a fun day at the lake. My daughter loves it. She tried to catch the fishes but no luck.
Review №4
2020-09-10Overall this park is beautiful and has great facilities for swimming/kayaking/SUP. However, our camping experience was quite below par. We had a ground site which the website says fits two cars and 6 people. We couldn’t even park one car. We had to use backpacking small tents and squeeze 2 people into one of the tents. That’s not even the worse part, we had a septic sewer maybe 10 actual steps away from our site, so when the wind blew in a certain direction, it wasn’t the best air quality. I had to go back and ask that we park our car across from the site instead on at the site.Other than that, the park itself was really kool to explore. The picnic areas were very well placed around the lake and equipped with grills and picnic tables. Rangers did a great job to remind folks to take out their garbage which mean the place was very clean. Kudos to everyone working here for keeping it so pristine.
Review №5
2020-07-18Been coming here for over 30 years. Gets better everytime. So many things to do here you need a year or more to enjoy every single thing this place has to offer. Not just the beach, the adjoining park, and waterfall. All included in the price of a daily entry. There is still a hidden lake i have yet to find, someone told me about in this area. Well family oriented. Thanks for the years of memories.
Review №6
2022-05-23It is a very nice place to hang out. Camping here is tough during the summer, because of the demand to come here. Very nice.
Review №7
2020-08-14This is a great place for family visits. Stayed at the campgrounds for a couple of nights and had an absolutely fun and memorable experience. The park office staff was very friendly even prior to the trip. Emailed a few inquiries before arriving and received prompt/detailed responses.The bathrooms were VERY clean and the park staff cleaned/maintained them daily each morning. The campsites had their individual trash bins, which were picked up every morning by the park staff.At 10pm (quiet hours from 10pm-7am), wed see the park staff driving around ensuring that everyone was being respectful of the quiet hours, although the fellow campers nearby were not being noisy at all.Wed have loved to stay at the cabins, but these get filled pretty quickly. Took a quick drive/visit to the cabin area and Im looking forward to staying there hopefully sooner than later. Just need to reserve these upwards of a few months or a year! Theyre very popular.The swimming area/beach was very nice. A bit packed but everyone respected each others space and there was plenty of space in the swimming area & water to maintain your distance as needed. The sunfish were not at all spooked by people swimming in the water and would actually come up and by us frequently. One even bit my finger, which I was using to pretend it was a worm/bait. Great time.If youre thinking of doing a quick visit or staying here for camping, even if just for a couple of nights, Id strongly recommend it. Kudos to the park staff and park rangers for doing a great job in maintaining a safe, clean, and overall well-maintained campground. Looking forward to my next visit!
Review №8
2019-07-14This place is awesome. I have spent days and days here and never touched the beach. It stays very clean and is a carry in carry out park. Many great picnic areas, beach, trails, fishing, swimming. Blissful
Review №9
2018-11-22A memorable destination in any season! Snowmobiling, sledding, ice skating, ice-fishing, fly-fishing, cross-country skiing, swimming, camping, hunting, biking and boating all available (permits may apply through New York States Parks & Recreation). Cabins for rent. Sheltered beachfront and concessions of decent quality nearby at fair prices. Bathrooms with showers in the center. Sizable parking lot by the beachfront.
Review №10
2022-07-02Def worth the long drive! Lake front beach and kayaks! Love it here