Often mistakenly referred to as a volcano, Stark’s Knob near Schuylerville, in Saratoga County, New York, is actually a basaltic pillow lava formation.
Deeded to the New York State Museum in 1916, it formed about 460 to 440 million years ago in relatively shallow sea water as molten rock surged through the sea floor.
It gets its name from General John Stark of New Hampshire, who cut off the retreat of British General John Burgoyne’s army at the Battles of Saratoga during the American Revolution.
In 2005, the site was incorporated into the master plan of Hudson Crossing Park.
Dr. Ed Landing, State Paleontologist Emeritus, will discuss the fascinating story of Stark’s Knob and New York’s volcanic geology at the State Museum in Albany on Wednesday, December 11, 2024 at noon in the Museum’s Huxley Theatre. Admission is free.
Located at 222 Madison Avenue in Albany, the New York State Museum is open Tuesday through Sunday from 9:30 am to 5 pm.
The Museum is closed on the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day. Admission is free. For additional information, visit the New York State Museum website.
Illustrations, from above: Starks Knob (courtesy Saratoga Woods and Waterways); and a 1912 picture of Stark’s Knob in Saratoga County (note how the right side (northern half) is stripped bare of vegetation).
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