Mine Kill State Park — Attraction in Town of Blenheim

Nice day trip with dogs and/or adventurous children. Hiking trails are well blazed and well maintained (including pretty long detours around fallen trees) but trailheads are very poorly marked. The park really needs to improve the parking lot signage to the trailheads (and explain the differences between the trails including length and elevation change). Even with the AllTrails maps downloaded (and the NYS park map), we still struggled a bit to find where to start out.

My understanding is that there are two entrances to hiking from Route 30: the Mine Falls Overlook and the Main Entrance. We chose the main entrance, because we wanted to hike the red to orange trail to the lower falls (based on reviews), which was supposed to be about 2.3 miles round trip. I think the Overlook would have been an easier trail to follow (to the top of the falls), but possibly less scenic. When we entered the park, there is a VERY confusing wooden map which was hard to follow. It recommends parking at the boat wash, and walking up the road to find the orange trail head. Others recommended parking in the "small parking lot" on the right side of the road (across from the pool). We chose the "small parking lot" next to the disk golf course. The boat wash would have been more straightforward. According to my Garmin, the route we took from the "small parking lot" from the red trail to the orange trail was approximately 3.6mi round trip.

What we didn't realize coming: The orange trail is a loop (which will take you to the aqua trail to the lower falls), but it doesn't connect to any obvious parking lot. Instead, you must either take it from the park road (and parking in the boat wash or the pool parking lot) or the red trail (which connects to the "small parking lot" by the disk course).

If you do take the orange trail to the falls: we recommend the lower loop. You will get wet walking through the streambed, but it is more interesting than walking back up to the road and the view from the bottom of the falls is worth it!

Overall, our (leashed) dogs had a great time. We saw many kids having a great time as well. I just wish that the trailheads were more straightforward (and that the forks in the trailheads in the woods actually had explanations, e.g., left will take you .5 mi and right will...

This is one of the best parks you'll ever go to. Free parking, free to swim, showers (for FREE) in the (free) locker rooms. The pool water is always disturbingly cold but it's always better to jump right in rather than slowly climb down the steps. The kitty pool has an amazing mushroom shaped water fountain which should be its own road side attraction. Lots of space in the pools there is also a dive tank and space for swimming laps. The locker rooms are always squeaky clean. The tiles in the shower stalls are the most gorgeous blue color. The shower water is aggressively forceful and always cold but you really can't beat free. SEVERAL play grounds (1 outside the pool area and 2 inside the fenced pool area). Lots of amazing hikes but you MUST check out the mine kill falls hike it is a hidden gem!!!! The whole park is pack in pack out and the only trash can you'll be able to find is inside the snack shack but is supposed to only be used for restaurant trash so it's better to plan accordingly and have a trash bag in ur car. If you haven't been to this park yet you need to stop what you're doing and plan a trip there now. And even if you have been before I'm sure there is something you haven't seen yet. It took my sister and I over ten years to discover the waterfall hike that brings you down to the bottom of the waterfall. There is so much at this park...

I visited the pool and drove down to the 'lake's thinking I might rent a kayak. Ut the lake is an ugly barren reservoir. I prefer to kayak in a natural setting. The pool was large and well maintained but as I have run into with three other NYS park pools this summer, they dont open the whole pool, even though there are plenty of lifeguards sitting in the office/on break. Just a small section was open and an unroped lap lane area which the lifeguard did not protect from playful kids. This was frustrating. The dive tank opened at noon, with plenty of kids chopping at the bit to get in. Not sure why they wouldnt open it earlier since, again, there were more lifeguards off sort than on duty. I did enjoy a lounge chair rental which was different than other parks. The grassy areas were plentiful with a large shady tree and a shaded picnic area. Plenty of parking. The locker rooms and showers were outdated but in good condition. If I was in the area, I'd swim here again. There was a moderate swing set near the pool parking and grassy, sunshade...