Cliff Trail Loop

John Boyd Thacher Park, located 16 miles west of Albany, is situated along the Helderberg Escarpment acknowledged by geologists as one of the richest fossil-bearing formations in the world. Today the park comprises 2,300 acres, including the original 350 acres donated by Emma Treadwell Thacher in 1914 in memory of her husband. John Boyd Thacher was born in Ballston Spa, New York, in 1847. He was mayor of Albany from 1886 to 1887 and again from 1896 to 1897. He was also a New York State senator and historian. Panoramic views of the Hudson-Mohawk Valley can be seen along the park’s escarpment as well as the foothills of the Adirondacks, the Green Mountains of Vermont, and the Taconic Mountains in Massachusetts. On a clear day, the Empire State Plaza, the SUNY campus, and the state office buildings can be viewed from the Overlook parking area. Surface quality: Ungroomed, user tracked.