Lake Taghkanic State Park, nestled next to Lake Taghkanic in the rolling hills and lush forests of Columbia County, offers a wonderful variety of recreational activities. The park has tent and trailer campsites and cabin and cottage camping facilities, two beaches, picnic grounds and a boat launch. In addition, the park has hiking, biking, cross-country ski and snowmobile trails. Ice skating and ice fishing are permitted when conditions are appropriate. Environmental education programs are offered year round.

**General Information:**

**CABINS & COTTAGES:**

- You must be 21 or older to reserve and occupy a cabin or cottage. ID is required.
- All cabins and cottages are SMOKE and PET FREE.
- Cabins are 7 or 14-night reservations only from end of June to the end of August. Saturday to Saturday only.
- Cottages are 7 or 14-night reservations only from the end of June to the end of August. Friday to Friday only. 
- ACCESS PASS AND LIFETIME LIBERTY PASSES ARE NOT ACCEPTED FOR COTTAGES.
- No tents allowed in cabin or cottage areas.
- There is a two night minimum stay outside the time frames listed above.
- Check-in time for cabins and cottages is between 3PM and 9PM.

**CAMPSITES:**

- Campsite check-in time is 3PM. Check out time for all sites is 11AM. There is no admission to the park after 9PM. 
- You must be 18 or older to reserve and occupy a site. ID is required.
- Tent sites allow for 1 large tent or 2 small tents per site. 
- There are hot showers and flush toilets available. 
- Each site allows for 2 vehicles. Additional vehicles will be charged an additional fee. 
- Quiet hours are 10PM to 7AM and is strictly enforced.
- Firearms, fireworks, tree cutting, and gasoline boat motors are not allowed. 
- A permit is required on all private boats, available at West Beach office. No gasoline motors allowed.

<font color="red"><b>ATTENTION PET OWNERS:</b></font>

- Current proof of rabies inoculation is required at check-in (metal tags will not be accepted).
- At any time during your stay, pet owners may be required to provide proof of rabies inoculation upon request. Be sure to have this information available to present to park staff.
- Where pets are permitted, there is a maximum limit of 2 pets per site.
- Pets must be on a leash no longer than 6ft and under control at all times.
- Do not leave pets unattended and always clean up after them.
- Pet owners/permit holders are liable for any damage, personal injury, or nuisance caused by the pet.
- Pets are permitted in the East End Camp 1 and East End Camp 2 loops, parking lots, and hiking trails only. 
- NO pets allowed in cabin and cottages.

**SWIMMING:** Each year the campground makes every effort to provide safe swimming opportunities by testing the water and by keeping the swimming areas staffed with lifeguards. Please be aware that if the safety of our swimmers is compromised due to lack of lifeguard coverage or water quality issues, swimming will be prohibited. Swimming cannot be a guaranteed activity; therefore, we cannot offer refunds on camping stays. We apologize for this inconvenience as it may occur with little advance notice.

**Looking to reserve a campsite for just 1 night?** If you make your reservation within 3 days of your arrival you can book a 1-night stay online or through the Call Center. \*Applies to campsites only.

**PRE-REGISTRATION:** Have an existing reservation? Don't forget to PRE-REGISTER!! Two days prior to arrival you can sign into Reserve America and pre-register. IT SAVES TIME.

**LENGTH OF STAY:** A camping party and their equipment may occupy a site for a maximum of 14 continuous nights. After which, the camping party and equipment must leave the site and facility for 48 hours before registering again for another site.

**Please Note:** To ensure fairness for all NY customers, any reservation with departure dates outside the 9-month Maximum Window cannot be changed or cancelled until 18 days after the reservation was made.

Lake Taghkanic State Park Campground

My school friends decided on a camping trip since 1970's. We decided on Lake Taghkanic. Lake Taghkanic State Park was not a long drive from NYC, maybe 2 hours. The campsite was very clean and maintained. We loved the hot showers after a long day of fishing and swimming in the lake. The park offered many activities or just sit around the campsite drinking beers and reminiscing our youth days. We went on weekdays which is not crowded.  Wal-Mart was 25 minutes from the campsite which make making meals lots simpler and refilling our beers. LOL We will repeat.

Camping in our 50s

no complaints. everything is perfect every year we've been. the lake is beautiful and clean. expect to pay $15 fee (I think) to use your paddleboards / kyacks etc. Worth every penny. 

clean cabins, cottages, beach

Great beach, 5 minute drive from campgound. Clean facilities, with a rec room for rainy days. A camp store with all the supplies you might have forgotten.

One caveat: beware of site G006\. The grill at the fire pit is upside down, so it doesn't hold level above the fire. Impossible to use. I had to MacGuyver it with a large rock and wedge the grill into place, and then level it with a log. We were lucky that I was able to find these things, otherwise we would have been cooking on our single stove that night. Also, this site was downwind, so occasionally was in the cloud of septic stench.

My advice would be to take the sites on the hill, nearest to the bathrooms, as all these sites seemed to be generally very well maintained.

Good for family car camping

This was our second time coming to this campground and our second time getting dumped on by the rain, but have no fear!! The platforms kept us off the ground and were helpful in setting up appropriate tarp protection! The lake is gorgeous and there are plenty of nearby hikes for exploring. Wish I would have brought my fishing pole.

Platforms great for groups and inclement weather

Big and spacious state park with many camping options. Has options for trailers, tent sites, platforms for tents and even some cabins. Small store in park that sells firewood and ice and a few other things you may need. Big lake with swimming and boating as well as many hiking trails. Bathrooms on site as well as showers. Some sites are close together, but there are a few a little more secluded and set back. Fire pits are great. Can’t wait to camp here again!

Great Spot!

This place is very beautiful and rustic at the same time. The employees are all very friendly. Once you get the hang of getting around the area there is so much to do, I can't wait to go back.

Very Nice

Quiet, clean enough and well worth the price. 
Showers are hot and there’s great water pressure. The cleanliness of the bathrooms depends on how busy the campground is.

Superb 

Labor Day Weekend stay. A lot of people! Very nice beach but packed. Huge parties at the picnic area. If your okey with all that then it was a great time. Cottage was great besides all the bees. 