Two more nights of summer at Grafton Lakes: tot time Thursday, a moonlit hike Friday

Summer has about a week of official runway left, and Grafton Lakes State Park, fifteen-odd minutes up Route 2 from Speigletown, is spending it well. Two programs close out August, and both take a single phone call to the park office at 518-279-1155 to register.

Forest Friends Tot Time, Thursday, August 27, 10 to 11 a.m. A free, relaxed outdoor hour for the 2-to-6 crowd, this month on the subject of trees: exploration, art and storytime, meeting at the program tent at the beach. Parents stay with their kids the whole time, which is the point; it’s a fine excuse to spend a late-August morning at the lake. Free, but registration is required.

The Sturgeon Moon hike, Friday, August 28. The park’s invitation says it best: come experience the park in the dark. It’s a guided night hike under August’s full moon, meeting at the Grafton Lakes Welcome Center at 7:30 p.m. and heading out soon after. Flashlights are provided; you bring warm layers and shoes that can meet some mud with dignity. Ages 12 and up, $5 per person, and registration is mandatory since spots are limited.

If you’re wondering, the Sturgeon Moon is the traditional name for August’s full moon, from the giant fish once caught in the Great Lakes this time of year. A moonlit lake, a quiet trail, and somebody else worrying about the flashlights: there are worse ways to spend five dollars on a Friday night.

The park’s free movie nights under the stars ran monthly this summer and the listed dates have now passed, but the park says to stay tuned for more, so keep an eye on Grafton Lakes’ page or the park’s social channels if a lawn-chair movie sounds right for a fall evening.

Grafton Lakes is the closest state park to the hamlet, and one of the easiest wins in the area: beach, trails, boat rentals, and a program calendar that runs all year. More on it, and the rest of the area’s outdoor options, on our community page.

Program details from Grafton Lakes State Park’s announcements, shared by Rensselaer County Tourism; flyer courtesy of the park. The park’s post calls Friday’s moon the Pink Moon in one spot, but August’s full moon is the Sturgeon Moon, and the flyer agrees. Register for either program at 518-279-1155.