Taconic State Park

East of the Harlem Valley of New York and west of the Housatonic Valley of Connecticut and Massachusetts rise the Taconics.  They extend north through western Massachusetts and eastern New York into southwestern Vermont, where they reach their highest elevations.  The name "Taconic" is a modern rendering of a Native American name variously spelled Taghkannock and Taghkanic.

• Seemingly remote from civilization, much of the highland in the south is protected as a relatively wild area.  The trail system features sweeping views over the adjacent valleys to Mount Greylock to the north, the Catskill Mountains to the west, and the Hudson Highlands to the southwest.

A large part of the New York section of the highland lies along the western range and slope, sharing a border with Massachusetts and Connecticut.  Near the northern end is the Taconic State Park Recreation Area.  The park has outdoor recreation and camping facilities at its Copake Falls area south of Hillsdale and at its Rudd Pond area north of Millerton, both at the base of the highland. 

The best-known natural site in the area is Bashbish Gorge, east of Taconic State Park in Massachusetts, with its towering walls and cascading brook ending in Bashbish Falls.  Adjacent to the falls, also in Massachusetts, is Mount Washington State Forest extending further south and traversed by the South Taconic Trail.

The Connecticut part of the highland is loosely called Mount Riga.  Most of this section is owned by Mount Riga, Inc., a private conservation-minded body, but the National Park Service has acquired 1,225 acres from this group as a protective corridor for the Appalachian Trail.  In 2008 The Nature Conservancy acquired an additional 621 acres from Mount Riga, Inc., along the New York State side of the Berkshire Taconic Ridge.

To reach Taconic State Park, take Taconic Parkway, exit at Claverack-Hillsdale Exit. Take Route 23 east for 8 miles into Hillsdale. Turn right onto Route 22 south and go 4 miles to Copake Falls. Turn left onto Route 344 east. Park entrance will be ½ mile on the left.