Taconic State Park

Taconic State Park runs for 16 miles along the Taconic range where New York meets Massachusetts and Connecticut. Its Copake Falls area, at 253 Route 344, is the New York gateway to Bash Bish Falls, which State Parks calls the highest single-drop waterfall in Massachusetts, and has a lifeguarded swimming pond in an old iron-ore pit, a large campground and cabins, and the ruins of the Copake Iron Works. It is open sunrise to sunset year round, with an $8 car fee in season. State Parks lists it among the parks within 45 minutes of Lake Taghkanic.

Bash Bish Falls

State Parks points hikers from Copake Falls to Bash Bish Falls, just over the Massachusetts border. The falls themselves sit in Bash Bish Falls State Park, which Massachusetts' Department of Conservation and Recreation runs under its own rules, so check DCR's page for parking and trail conditions on that side of the line.

Swimming in the Ore Pit

Copake Falls has a designated swimming area with a dock in Ore Pit Pond, the flooded mine that once fed the iron works, and a wading pool beside it for non-swimmers and small children. Swimming is allowed only when lifeguards are on duty, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Weekend swimming begins the Saturday of Memorial Day weekend and goes daily from late June through Labor Day. The Ore Pit is 8 to 40 feet deep. Children 12 and under must pass a swim test, children 10 and under who pass must have an adult in the water with them, and no flotation devices or life jackets are allowed in the Ore Pit.

Camping and Cabins

The 2026 camping season opened May 8. The campground has ground and platform sites for tents and about 30 trailer sites for campers up to 26 feet, with no hookups; restrooms and showers serve every loop. Three cabin areas round it out: the Ironworkers cabins with private showers, the Bash Bish cabins with a shared shower building, and the Greenwich cabins, some wheelchair accessible. Book through ReserveAmerica. Compare with camping at Lake Taghkanic, where trailer sites take up to 20 feet.

Copake Iron Works

The Copake Iron Works opened in 1845 and ran until 1903. The blast furnace, blowing engine house, machine shop, office and powder house still stand, and the Copake Iron Works Museum opens in spring, summer and fall. The Pomeroy Family Railroad ride recreates the narrow-gauge line that carried ore from the pit to the furnace.

Hiking, Biking and Winter

The park's trail system ranges from easy to hard. Brace Mountain, the highest point in Dutchess County, is in the park. The Harlem Valley Rail Trail runs through Copake Falls. In winter, there are trails for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing and 5 miles of snowmobile trails.

Fishing

State Parks says anglers can catch rainbow trout in the old ore pit. A New York fishing licence is required for anyone 16 or older.

Fees and Rules

• Vehicle fee: $8 per car, $35 per bus (10 or more passengers), collected in season from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Buses must call the day before.
• Pets: up to two, leashed (6 feet) or crated, not in playgrounds, buildings or guarded swimming areas.
• Pavilion: one, $50 a day, up to 60 people.
• Hunting: permitted in season with a free park permit from the Copake Falls office.

Rudd Pond Area

Taconic State Park's second developed area, Rudd Pond, lies to the south with a large pond. State Parks gives it a separate page.

Getting There

253 Route 344, Copake Falls, NY 12517. Phone (518) 329-3993.