There are a ton of different trails here to hike and this is just overall a nice park to be at. There's also a heck of a view. The park is easily accessible for anyone. Playground for the kids, tons of hiking trails that are great for beginner hikers with great views. And with ,what used to be, waterfalls along some of the trails. And a viewing area towards the beginning of the park which I HIGHLY recommend stopping at if it's your first time there.

Beautiful park! I thought the hike was going to be harder but it wasn’t too bad. The most difficult park is probably the stairs. And be careful when you walk through some parts because if it’s wet it will be very slippery to walk on the rocks. I went around noon which wasn’t too busy. But if you want more of a peaceful experience get here early. This place definitely made me feel like I was part of a fairy SYFY movie set.

Really good state park in capital region. Went here for the hike and really enjoyed it. We did the Indian ladder trail and the escarpment trail. It was 3.7 miles round trip. The trail itself passes through 2 water falls. There are stairs in some steep sections. Overall an easy trail. You are hiking mostly in the woods and there is lots of shade. Along the way you pass buy a lot of bbq spots where people are barbequing. The visitor center is in the middle. On the right is the Indian ladder trail and on the left is the escarpment trail. The escarpment ends with the halies caves. Lovely place for outdoor activities with friends and family. Highly recommend this place.

It's a beautiful place to spend an evening. All the trails are very calm and clean. The view is also good. Trails are not that hard or risky to follow but in rain it might be a bit sketchy. The rocks are the best part of it. The trees and rocks make this place a must visit.

Visitor Center Closed after 5pm Saturdays, so we could not find any open public restrooms. Park was nice but they need better signage. The view was pretty from the lookout point. We liked the Indian Ladder Trail.

Wow! Such a beautiful State Park!! It was an enjoyable morning hike. There are a lot of trails to go explore! It was raining at times but you can still see the beautiful views. Photos and videos just don’t do justice! There are caves and waterfalls but maybe next time the waterfalls won’t be dried up. It’s very peaceful and all you can hear are the birds chirping. You may also come across some woodchucks like I did! Definitely come here and go explore and see the beautiful views!!

Worth taking the trail to seeing the waterfall & streams. Accessible bridges if you have unsteady walkers. The community room w/ interactive learning experiences & some outdoor slides also made for some added fun!

I absolutely love it here! Such a beautiful place. The Hiking here is amazing. The Trails are great. Me and my friends when on a few trails, and one of them was Indian head trails. And it was absolutely awesome. The trail has a lot too offer. From great view over looking and amazing landscape to beautiful rock and rock formations. Each trail has its on difficultly levels. Some are easier then others and some are harder then other. So do a little research to find the right trail for you and if you have a party. Definitely stop here and hit the trails. If you’re a hike or just starting out. You’ll love this park. Just like I do.

This was a great park to visit. It's early in the season so not all the trails are open yet -including the one I really wanted to experience. Will def return. The staff was really nice as well. She answered all our questions.

Fabulous State park. Great easy walks, hikes fantastic unbeatable views. Staff at the visitors centre are amazingly helpful. Very clean and tidy bathrooms. Heaps of parking. Not busy at all. Highly recommend checking it out! We will definitely be back! Extra bonus it’s dog friendly!

Playground is really nice and shaded for most of the day. The disc golf course that we did was very nice and has some fun throws. Beautiful park, nice restrooms.

Really enjoy this park. Its been years and our visit in September 2021 was great to see the upgrades that have been made. The visitor center has some family fun adds, slides and rock climbing wall for kiddos. The views are awesome and the trail below past the falls is lovely.

Always a fun time visiting the John Boyd Thatcher State Park. Been coming here since my childhood, but haven't been back in years. We hiked the Indian Ladder Trail and it did not disappoint. The weather was perfect. Not too many people on the trail. There are a several areas were you'll need to be careful as it is very steep, without a safety railing. There are stairs and many steep inclines, so it's not for strollers or wheelchairs. The park has many great features...we didn't see everything, but from what we did see.... there's a playground, so many picnic areas, and plenty of public restrooms. However, we weren't able to use the restroom at the Visitor's Center, as there was a private event and they had locked the doors to the public. Overall, I'm super happy we went. It had been quite a while. And, those breathtaking views 🤩!!

Amazing walking trails and views. I can't recommend this enough. Also, great for kids.

What amazing park! Playground was super fun, trails were nice and the grounds were well maintained. The view was superb!

Cool spot for hiking and scenery. Hikes are relatively easy but some stairs in some parts. Magnificent scenery. Not too crowded. Can be some waterfalls depending on the time of year. Amazing views. Interesting visitor center though may not be open depending when you go. Need to pay for parking. Dogs are allowed on leash. Worth checking out!

It was a great day, we had a shelter to sit it to get out of the sun all in all a very nice place to spend the day. Hiking trails and playground for the younger kids as well.

I am not from NY so to see things like mountains and to get to the top and overlook at all the land below is such a wonderful experience for me. I take it all in because I don’t get to see views like this all the time. Such a nice place. Plenty of parking. Wish I had bought food and ate it at the park to overlook everything simultaneously. Would definitely recommend for someone to do that.

We loved it. My husband is not a hiking person, but he enjoyed the upper trail and the trail to the waterfall. He wants to come again. We will be back.

This is a nice and simple place to either just watch the nature, or take a quick hike. People visit with their children as well. Fall colors are amazing here. Expect good amount of people as this park is not too far away from Albany and neighborhood towns.

Love this trail. Exciting! Unique, nicely maintained. Dog friendly, but dog has to be able to do stairs. Incrediblely picturesque. Lots of parking. Only one way in and out of the trail due to the stairs. However you can go in either direction. You can make it as short as long as you want to. From stairs start to to end it's about .75 mile. You need to be agile or go slowly.

Thacher State Park is one of the best NY State Parks in the Capital Region. The park offers numerous recreational activities. There are many hikes in the park including the Indian Ladder Trail, Paint Mine Trail and the Long Path. There are also playgrounds, picnic benches, pavilions, volleyball nets, and disc golf in the park. There are a few caves in the park as well. However, you are not allowed to go into most of the caves without permission from the park. The most popular part of the park is the Indian Ladder hiking trail. The trail offers spectacular views of the area and is home to one of the richest collections of fossils in the US. Depending on how much rain there has been waterfalls can sometimes be seen along the trail. Check the website or call ahead to make sure the Indian Ladder Trail is open; it is not open all year! The visitor center provides lively information the geologic history of the park. There are several interactive displays. The center also has a nice viewing area. The staff at the visitor center is helpful and friendly. If you don't want to hike the park, plenty of good views can be obtained by simply driving through the park. Wildlife is also abundant throughout the park. You are likely to see large vultures flying around the cliffs! Nearby, Thompson's Lake provides a chance to get out on the water as well. Thacher State Park is a can't miss and must do if you're in the Albany area!

Thatcher Park has been on my list for a long time. Not sure why it took me so long. My friend and I hiked the most popular and impressive hike, the Indian Trail. It's less than a mile and spectacular! Although it was a fairly easy hike, there are several sets of stairs going down and then up. The grounds were wet where the waterfall is, so I recommend hiking boots. There was not a lot of water coming down the rocks. The ranger informed us that it's best to go on this hike after a rainfall. There's a small playground for kids near the visitor center. The park and trails (except for Indian Trail) are open year round. I can't wait to return and explore the other trails! I highly recommend this park.

I am so happy this land was donated and remains protected. The magic is still alive and well. The hiking trails are ideal for most levels of hiking. The views are breathtaking. The abundance of nature is fantastic. This is a must visit park. Perfect for all ages. Rent a pavilion and stay for the day. Park closes at dusk, and police do patrol the area to ensure this.

Lovely. Took a 6 and 8-year-old, and they were able to complete the Indian Ladder Trail and were thrilled about getting to be behind the waterfall. There are nice bathrooms in the visitor center, as well as a playground and picnic areas with grills nearby. Tons of parking.

A beautiful, clean, well maintained, serene environment. Spots to do BBQ with a nice view, a good hike to enjoy the waterfall. one of our favorite spots.

I visited Thatcher State Park on a recent trip to upstate NY. It had been several years since my last visit to Thatcher State Park. The playground is a great upgrade for children. The stairs on the trail have been improved, making it safer. Years ago, you could go in the cave, but that has been roped off. It's a little disappointing to see, but I would guess that is for safety, too. Overall, it was nice to walk the trail with a new generation of my family.

Beautiful views from the Indian Ladder trail; farms down below, mountains in the distance, birds circling overhead, rock formations, nicely kept trail with steps where appropriate, small waterfalls you walk under on the trail below the ridge above. Visitors center is modern in great condition with nice, clean restrooms. $6 to park. Staff were very helpful about trails and other info. Plenty of picnic tables in the area. Dogs on a leash welcome.

You can see the whole vicinity from the overlook and some part of the downtown as well. The color is fabulous in October. The ladder trail leads you to the visitor center through the rocks and the waterfall. There are some up and down but overall an easy hike.

Absolutely love Thacher Park. I haven't been on the Indian Ladder Trail in a few years as the cliff was eroding away and was very easy for kids to accidentally slip through and down the cliffside. We do love being on the opposite side near the creek, finding fossils, small fish & tadpoles. For the first time ever we went to Thacher Parks Nature Preserve. I was pleasantly surprised, they had a room for toddlers/young children with stuffed animals, puppets, animal track stamps, books and more. For my oldest, there was microscopes, bones, furs, a few live animals (snakes & turtles), bees working in their hive and more.

For last 2 years my husband and I have brought both friends and family to Thatcher State Park. It has breathtaking views of nature in its glory.

What I love most about NY! An excellent state park that captures history—cultural and geological—and packs a lot of nature into its punch. Waterfalls, overlooks, hiking, and rec. Something for everyone. A must visit in the Capital Region.

I love this place, especially the overlook and the visitor center. Unfortunately it was closed when I visited yesterday. Hence no washroom was available. Parking is free as far as I know (at least the parking lot near the overlook). Beside that Indian ladder trailhead was under maintenance and restricted to visitors. I have added a few photos of my last visit (Jan 15, 2023).

What a beautiful place to visit! Excellent trails, facilities (real bathrooms) and views. Pet friendly too! Kids would love the large slides.

A really beautiful place to spend the whole day with family. Visitor center is recently renovated and lots of things to see in there. We were unlucky the Indian ladder trail was closed, so make sure before coming here.

The Overlook and The Indian Ladder Trail are often what people think of / visit when they come here. It is so much more than that. The welcome center has some great indoor exhibits for all ages. The outside of the welcome center has a small rock climbing wall and two side-by-side CRAZY LONG slides. There are other climb-on activities as well. Next to the welcome center is a playground area, probably appropriate for kids age 7 and under. Keep driving past that and you'll find a few kid friendly zip lines. There are endless walking trails next to the cliff side with beautiful views. Across the street there are also wooded walking trails. There are picnic tables and hibachi available all over. It's also a great place for young kids to ride bikes (paved & no strenuous hills). Go there... you won't regret it

Beautiful park with some great views. If you don't mind a bit of exposure, the Indian Ladder hike is great. Interesting rock formations, waterfalls, and great views! I highly recommend it!

Great views and has many hiking trails. Went on 11/10/2022 and there was NO parking/entry fee of $6 and plenty of parking spots available. Has a rock climbing area for experienced people.

Absolutely love this place. This whole place was underneath 1 mile of ice during the ace ages, there are also fossils from Devonian era, for someone who's into prehistoric geology and animal/plant life and fossils like me, this is a great place to visit. Nice trail if you want to get some cardio in as well.

Love this park! Every time we go and visit family near Albany, we make sure to pick a hike to do there. Indian ladder trail is a must. It's short and beautiful. My favorite hike so far is the High Point and Hang Glider's Cliff trail loop. This park is very well maintained, the staff have informative demos, and there are always plenty of trails to pick from. Make sure you check before you go, if you're heading up in late fall/winter. Some trails are closed during that time. Final note, please respect the park and follow the basic principles of leave no trace 🙏 let's make sure it stays as awesome as it is now.

Great trails with wonderful views, great for families and pets, and some difficult trails for experienced hikers too.

Very beautiful, wonderful views, lovely lake and campsite though swimming area was very small, good for canoeing. No cafe at visitor centre, they are not making the most of the place they have. Since so many walkers are passing through more amenities for them would be good. Nature centre closes at 4pm which seems very early given the number of visitors around.

It's a beautiful place for any level of hiker. Whether you're looking for a leisure walk or a good hike, Thatcher Park has it. Also, if you just want to go for a view drive up to the overlook. It's a beautiful view. Thru also have an adventure park. Make sure to pay the parking fee and leave the receipt on the dashboard, if you go hiking. They do check and will fine you. It's definitely a worthwhile experience.

My favorite place on the planet. So much to do and explore for all ages and abilities. The trails are well-maintained and the views are gorgeous. Indian ladder trail is a must. Pack a picnic and plan for a day with friends or family. 😊

Thacher park is a fabulous and wonderful state park with lots of trails for hiking. great easy walks, hikes fantastic unbeatable views. Employees at the visitors centre are pretty helpful we visitors needs. Very clean restrooms, enough parking spots for weekend bbq, hike, bike plan. I highly recommend thatcher park in fall season! Plus, extra bonus 😁 it’s dog friendly environment! Wish they add few charging spots for electric cars!

Always enjoy the overlook. This weekend it was enhanced by a Hawk Migration event. Many other less obvious trails throughout the park provide for excellent experiences in nature.