Did a little hike with my one year old at Grafton Lakes State Park up on the Rensselaer Plateau on an overcast but comfortable October morning. I parked along Route 2(Elevation 1420 feet) at the unmarked trailhead for the Gartlers Trail and headed south through the open meadows, with foliage popping down below in the wetlands. The fall colors are actually progressing quite nicely at these higher elevations.
The placid Quacken Kill, surrounded by fall foliage.
The trail eventually arrives at Johnson Road, a seasonal dirt access road, which provides direct access to the Dunham Reservoir. This was my turn around spot for the day, as light rain and ominous skies above became more threatening.
A uneventful, but tranquil walk back on the Gartlers Trail brought me back to my car as the rain thankfully held off. Unfortunately all of the recent wet weather meant that the trail was in a general wet state anyway, sp no way to avoid muddy boots. Covered about 2.5 miles total on a nice fall day.
