Name: Hike Away the Dark Luminary Walk
Start: 2026-04-11T18:30:00-04:00
Location: 830 Thacher Park Road, Voorheesville, NY, United States, New York 12186

In partnership with the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, John Boyd Thacher State Park is hosting a Hike Away the Dark sunset luminary walk on Saturday, April 11, 2026, from 6:30pm-9:00pm.
Interested participants can pre-register here: https://supporting.afsp.org/hikeawaythedark. Day of registration will also be accepted.
All donations to this event will go toward research, education programs, advocacy, and support for those affected by suicide in the Capital Region.
Check-in begins at 6:30pm at Thacher State Park’s Visitor Center, 830 Thacher Park Rd. Voorheesville, NY 12186. Free parking is available at the Visitor Center. Participants will take a free shuttle to the Overlook where there will be lawn games, organizations tabling, Uncle Ginos Italian Ices and Annabel’s Pizza. Participants will have the opportunity to decorate a luminary bag to honor a loved one or their own mental health journey. An opening ceremony with speakers and a moment of silence will be held at 7:15pm, before the hike begins. The trail will be lit, and volunteers will be located along the route to guide participants. Participants can place their luminary bags and tea lights along the route as they hike.
The hiking route from the Overlook to the Visitor Center along the Escarpment Trail is 0.75 miles long. The trail tread material is compacted soil with a base layer of shale. The route will descend a flight of five stone steps in the beginning. The hiking route crosses two wooden elevated pedestrian bridges that are 10ft long and 8ft wide. There is a step to get on and off the bridges.
Participants will arrive back at the Visitor Center to enjoy a fire and s’mores until 9pm.
Participants are encouraged to wear comfortable shoes and bring water. Leashed dogs are allowed and must be under the control of their owner at all times.
For questions and more information, please call the Emma Treadwell Thacher Nature Center at 518-872-0800 or the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention at 518-791-1544.
John Boyd Thacher State Park is situated along the Helderberg Escarpment, one of the richest fossil-bearing formations in the world. Even as it safeguards six miles of limestone cliff-face, rock-strewn slopes, woodland and open fields, the park provides a marvelous panorama of the Hudson-Mohawk Valleys and the Adirondack and Green Mountains. The park has volleyball courts, playgrounds, ball fields and numerous picnic areas with eight reservable shelters. Interpretive programs are offered year-round, including guided tours of the famous Indian Ladder Trail. There are over 25 additional miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, winter cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and snowmobiling. For more information, visit https://parks.ny.gov/visit/state-parks/thacher-state-park, call the park office at 518-872-1237 or find us on Facebook and Instagram.