The Pomeroy Family Railroad at the Copake Iron Works, operated by the Friends of Taconic State Park, opens for its third year of operation on Saturday, May 23, 2026 (Memorial Day Weekend). The Railroad runs on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 2 pm to 4 pm through mid-October.
The Pomeroy Family Railroad is part of the Copake Iron Works National Heritage Area in Taconic State Park, which also includes the remains of the iron works, a museum, visitor center and 25 point historic trail.
The historic site and railroad are located at 35 Valley View Road, in Copake Falls, Columbia County, NY. Train rides and museum visits are free and reservations are not required. The train does not run in the rain.
The Pomeroy Family Railroad, built and operated entirely by FTSP volunteers, runs on a 950 foot loop and pulls two ore carts retrofitted to carry children and adult passengers. It is fully accessible for all riders.
The train replicates the narrow gauge railroad that circumnavigated the Copake Iron Works during its 19th century heyday. The original train transported iron ore from the nearby mine (the area now known as the Ore Pit Swimming Area) to the blast furnace located in the center of the Copake Iron Works.
The ride consists of two runs around the quarter mile track, the first run to enjoy a train ride; the second run has three stops where the conductor describes points of interest and the history of the historic Copake Iron Works.
About Friends of Taconic State Park
Friends of Taconic State Park was established in 2008 to support cultural, recreational and educational activities within the park with the preservation of the Copake Iron Works National Heritage Area Site its priority.
The group has implemented a 20-year plan to create a pre-eminent site of historic iron-making and a national destination for tourists in Copake Falls. The Copake Iron Works Visitor Center features a video documentary chronicling the history of the site and an extensively interpreted trail from the Copake Iron Works to the Bash Bish Falls, for which trail maps are available.
To learn more about Friends of Taconic State Park, visit www.FriendsofTSP.org or email info@friendsoftsp.org.
Read more about New York’s Railroads, or Iron Industry.
Photo of Pomeroy Family Railroad at the Copake Ironworks provided.
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