With our purchase of the Newcomb Pond parcel, visitors to Dyken Pond now have access to forty more acres for hiking, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, birding, and Center programs. Click here to read about the parcel and how you can donate to help us reach our goal.
Please see our News & Other Info page to see 2011 Highlights at the Center.
The Dyken Pond Environmental Education Center is a Rensselaer County Park located in Grafton, New York and designed as a low-use recreational area. Open during daylight hours, the park features over 6 miles of trails for hiking, geo-cashing, and bird watching, with a launch for non-motorized boats, and areas on the shoreline for great fishing. There is no swimming, open fires or collecting of any kind.
“The Friends” is a not-for-profit organization created in 1991 to be a support group for the Center. It is designed to enhance the education, research and appreciation of the natural resources found at the Center, primarily through sponsoring programs, fundraising, and protecting the park and its boundaries.
Canoe and kayak rentals are offered here for enjoyment of the lake. GPS units can be rented from the Center for a beginner series of geo-caching on easy terrain throughout the park. During the snowy seasons, snowshoes are offered for a rental fee. Dyken Pond additionally has a lean-to tucked into the forest, located near Dustin Swamp, which is available for over night camping, by reservation only.
The Center offers activities and workshops dedicated to environmental education. All programs are open to both adults and children accompanied by their parents.
Group programs are offered to schools, scout troops, 4-H clubs, lake associations, outdoor clubs or any group with a minimum of six people. Classes include environmental science, current environmental issues and outdoor living skills. The programs give kids an extended outdoor experience.
Dyken Pond is the principal headwaters of the Poesten Kill, and the largest lake on the Rensselaer Plateau. Its historic dam was built in 1902 by Manning Paper Company and regulated the stream flow powering ma
chinery along the Poesten Kill to Troy.
Manning Paper Company donated its land holdings to Rensselaer County in 1973. Since that time, Rensselaer County has owned and operated this living watershed as an ecological teaching unit as well as a low-use recreation area. As of 2011, there are a total of 594 acres of property at Dyken Pond open to public access. Of this total, Rensselaer County owns 228 acres of land and 180 acres of surface water. The remaining 226 acres of property is conservation land, allowing public use through conservation easements and is used by the Center for trails and educational programs. Of this conservation land, 86 acres is in private ownership and 140 acres is owned by the Friends of the Dyken Pond Center. Tax liability is maintained on all conservation land. Rensselaer County also owns the Dyken Pond dam. The Center coordinates with the Rensselaer County Highway Department for maintenance of the dam. Rehabilitation of the dam using environmental bond act funds was completed in 2003.
Thirty-three ecological communities are found on the property, ranging from beech-maple forests to spruce-fir swamps and vernal pools. This variety offers visitors an exciting blend of places to explore and enjoy.
Friends of the Dyken Pond Center
475 Dyken Pond Road
Cropseyville, New York 12052
(518) 658-2055
dykenpond@fairpoint.net
