There are 50 geocaches hidden within 16 state parks and state historic sites in the Saratoga/Capital District region, and geocachers finding them all will be eligible to enter their names in a drawing for valuable prizes. If you are interested in taking up the challenge, you can pick up a geocache passport at any of the participating parks and sites, or download the passport at www.nysparks.com.
This cache contains a unique stamp which must stay with the cache. Use this stamp to stamp your passport. This stamp is NOT a trade item. The items in the cache are park souvenirs and do not need to be replaced with a trade item.
To reach this cache drive up North Long Pond Road and take a left into the parking lot for Second Pond’s boat launch(N 42 46.6496 W 73 26.9815). You will walk along the edge of the pond and then go up the hill on your left for a short jaunt to where the cache is located.
This piece of history marks the remains of the old homestead of the Scriven family. Their farmhouse was located up the hill near the current site of the Deerfield Pavilion. At that time, Grafton was part of the Manor of Rensselaerswyck, which included land that is now part of Albany, Columbia, Greene, and Rensselaer County and was controlled by the Van Rensselaer family. If you look through a list of those that supported the Anti-Rent movement in the mid-1800s, you will not find the Scriven family there. As a fairly prosperous family, they most likely had no desire to be involved in that revolt against the patroon.
If it’s a beautiful day, you may want to continue along this informal trail skirting Second Pond. Second Pond has beautiful lakescapes and is a lovely spot to walk with camera in hand. You’ll walk by an active beaver lodge and plenty of sign they’ve left behind. Watch the water’s edge for crayfish or signs of the mink who eat them!
Have a Great Grafton Day!