HOOTS AND HOWLS ON THE HARLEM VALLEY RAIL TRAIL
Night Hike at Taconic State Park, Copake Falls

Copake Falls, NY – September 26, 2008
Taconic State Park offers a free program on Sunday, October 12th from 6:30 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. along the Harlem Valley Rail Trail in Copake Falls. Creatures of the night, including owls and coyotes, will be the topic of discussion at this family-oriented program that will be led by park educator, Fran Martino. The program is suitable for children ages 6 – 10 years old, and everyone is welcome. Participants will test their senses to become more aware of how to use our eyes, ears, noses and sense of touch in the darkness.

The paved Harlem Valley Rail Trail passes through scenic farmland, woodlands, and rolling pastures. The trail is a joint effort between the New York State Offices of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the New York State Department of Transportation, Dutchess County, the Harlem Valley Rail Trail Association (HVRTA), the towns of North East and Amenia, and the village of Millerton. Federal highway funds have paid for more than half of the rail bed acquisition and trail construction. Currently, there are 15 miles of trail paved and open to the public.

Taconic State Park is open year-round and offers more than 6,000 acres of land for outdoor recreation along an 11-mile border that separates New York from Massachusetts and Connecticut. The park has an extensive trail system that provides challenging terrain and spectacular views. Trails vary in length from 0.6 miles to more than 8 miles, and vary in difficulty from nearly flat to climbing more than 1,000 feet per mile.

Taconic State Park is one of thirteen parks and six historic sites administered by New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP, Taconic Region. Participants may register to attend the program by calling the park office at (518) 329-3993. To learn more about Taconic State Park, or other New York State Parks, visit the website at www.nysparks.com.

RETURN TO TOP OF PAGE