Nighttime Activities at NYS Parks

With Halloween around the corner, we're getting in the spooky spirit, looking for ways to explore the outdoors after dark. Parks and historic sites around New York State provide ample opportunities for beautiful sights and goosebumps, spooky or not. We’ve compiled a list of nighttime activities to take your Halloween spirit outside at a park or historic site near you. We've also compiled a list of parks that are open after dusk for that special stargazing experience.

NIGHTTIME EVENTS

Taconic Region Moonwalk, Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park, October 26 Legends by Candlelight Ghost Tours, Clermont State Historic Site, October 27 Genesee Region Crepuscular Walks: Full Moon Over the Gorge, Letchworth State Park, October 24 Niagara Region Fall Foliage Photography Walk, Knox Farm State Park, October 20 Full Moon over the Falls, Knox Farm State Park, October 24 Full Moon Adventure Series: Harvest Moon, Niagara Falls State Park, October 24

Thousand Islands Region Creatures of the Night Hike for Adults, Point Au Roche State Park, October 11 Luminarias on North Field Loop, Minna Anthony Common Nature Center, October 27 Saratoga/Capital District Region Critters of the Night Hike at Thacher Nature Center, Thacher State Park, October 26

PARKS THAT CLOSE AT 8 PM OR LATER

Parks aren’t just for the daylight hours. Nature takes on a whole new quality after the sun goes down. You can go stargazing and see the Draconids Meteor Shower, the Orionids Meteor Shower, or see Uranus in the night sky. You can go for a nighttime run or hike, tell scary stories over a campfire or candlelight picnic, and listen for a wealth of nocturnal wildlife. Instead of mourning the loss of daylight, you can celebrate the extra hours of seeing New York's beautiful parks and trails in a whole new light. Just don't be surprised when you find yourself howling at the moon in delight.

Finger Lakes Region Buttermilk Falls State Park Palisades Region Harriman State Park Storm King State Park Long Island Region Brookhaven State Park Captree State Park Gilgo State Park Wildwood State Park

Genesee Region Darien Lakes State Park Genesee Valley Greenway State Park Hamlin Beach State Park Lakeside Beach State Park Letchworth State Park Oak Orchard State Marine Park Silver Lake State Park New York City Region Gantry Plaza State Park Riverbank State Park Roberto Clemente State Park

Niagara Region Joseph Davis State Park Woodlawn Beach State Park Thousand Islands Region Point Au Roche State Park Saratoga/Capital District Region Schodack Island State Park