Grafton Lakes State Park is a glorious little destination that is very popular and well-known in its local area for its beach, which is always packed on a hot summer day. However, there is far more to Grafton Park than its beach. We went off the “beaten path” here, onto their small trail that went around Shaver Pond, and had a very private experience.
Grafton Lakes State Park
Grafton Lakes is made up of six ponds of various sizes. Long Pond is the largest and has the popular sandy beach on its southwest shore where 90% of visitors to this state park go to. If you’re looking for a nice social event, this is for you. If you’re looking for something more private, I recommend any of the other remaining five ponds which all have trails and boat launches.
Shaver Pond
We decided to hike the SP (Shaver Pond) nature trail that circles around the water. This pond is known for its clear and deceptively deep water. After seeing how populated the parking area was, we only saw two parties on this nice, short trail. This meandering path takes you through a variety of different landscapes, from old woods with tall, thick trees, to fern covered brush areas, to grassy paths.
The trail also takes you past a small beach and boat launch. Unfortunately, there is no swimming in this pond. At the southwest part of the pond, you pass over an inlet on a wooden bridge.
There is a network of trails so you can make your walk short or as long as you want. The trails all connect at some point so you can also start off at one place and end up wherever you want.
Where is it located?
Grafton Lakes State Park is located on either side of New York Route 2 in the town of Grafton, New York. The majority of the lakes and park acreage, including Shaver Pond, are located north of the road.
Map
A trail map for Grafton Lakes State Park can be found here.