![]() ![]() Tucked inside Mohonk Preserve, off the Coxing Trail and only a short hike away is an absolutely breathtaking wading pool known as Split Rock - which hopefully sets the drama of the stage. Word to the wise: the water remains extremely cold, even in July and August - ripe for swampy days.Ģ53 NY-344, Copake Falls $7 parking fee open 11 a.m. The water-filled ore pit spans over 3 acres and is 40 feet at its deepest - swimmers under 12 need to take a swimming test before diving in. Now there’s a roped-off section for swimmers that’s become a favorite for weekend cooling off when other nearby lakes or falls are crowded or permit-only. Like the Iron Mine in Millerton, Ore Pit Pond in Copake came into existence from the iron-ore mining trade in the region and is under Taconic State Park jurisdiction. While the pond is part of Taconic State Park, it’s still a discreet locale mostly frequented by its neighbors.ġ4 Shagroy Road, Millerton Ore Pit Pond, Copake, Columbia County Now there’s a small parking lot on Shagroy Road, off Rudd Pond Road, though the Rudd Pond lot can also be used. Iron Mine Pond, accessed by a short hike, has become a local spot for beaching, water sports and fishing - it’s tucked behind the well-trodden Rudd Pond that on hot summer days can fill up quickly. The town of Millerton was a center of the state’s iron-ore mining industry 150 years ago, and as a result, the remaining quarries were filled with water (and fish!) for both environmental conservation and human recreation. Iron Mine Pond, Millerton, Dutchess County We do not recommend geo-tagging your swimming hole selfies on social media, either, as Instagram-fueled over-tourism has put many sites in ecological peril. Be mindful of parking regulations and property lines. Leave-no-trace principles still apply to all natural spaces, as does common sense. They’re either in state parks or on public land that is either so well-managed or so far off the beaten path, they are not at risk of being overrun. ![]() But more importantly, these swimming posts are not secret. Instead, we purposefully highlighted places that are not threatened by overuse, according to local tourism and park officials. With that in mind, we do not recommend pursuing any swimming holes on the banks of private land, or in highly touristed areas. In 2019, the inn’s owner Tom Bullard reportedly told local papers, “I’d like to say the stream is being loved to death but more accurately it’s being used to death.” The now-closed-to-swimmers private section of the Millstream behind the Woodstock Inn is a cautionary tale. ![]()
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