Welcome to Buckingham Pond
Buckingham Pond, located in the Buckingham Lake neighborhood of the City of Albany, New York, is an urban oasis for residents and wildlife alike.
Whether you call it a lake or a pond, this man-made urban body of water and its park is a welcome respite and a wonderful resource for the City of Albany.
The pond and grounds are the property of the City of Albany and has an area of 5 acres (about 4 city blocks long by one city block wide). The pond itself is three feet deep in most places, with a maximum depth of six feet at the eastern end, and a small wetland at the western end.
The L-shaped park includes the pond and an adjacent wild area. There are benches and picnic tables, a seasonal drinking fountain, an inclusive playground, a gravel walking/jogging path around the pond, and a few small paths in the wooded areas throughout the park.
Getting there:
- Parking is available for about fifteen cars in a small parking area on Berkshire Boulevard near Colonial Avenue, and there is ample street parking around the pond.
- Several CDTA bus routes have stops within an easy walking distance.
- Bike racks are located at the playground,and there is a CDPHP® Cycle! bike station a half block away at Circle Lane and Colonial Avenue.
We encourage you to explore all the wonderful activities at the Pond and reach out to us at [email protected] if you would like to help keep the Pond a valuable resource for all of us.
Experience Buckingham Pond
Year round, our little pond offers lots to do. On any given day, you will find families with kids enjoying the playground, regulars taking their daily constitutionals, runners enjoying the shady pond path, and birders and other naturalists enjoying the natural oasis in Albany.
FOR KIDS & FAMILIES
Families and kids visiting Buckingham Pond park can take advantage of many free-of-charge activities throughout the year. The Buckingham Pond Conservancy is working to expand learning opportunities around the Pond, so explore the pond, park and trail to find your own adventures.
Things to do in Spring, Summer, and Fall
Go fish, responsibly and follow New York fishing regulations
Observe and learn about wildlife in and around the pond
Walk, run, and explore!
Play at the accessible playground installed in 2018
Picnic
Enjoy the view from benches around the pond
Attend Conservancy events
Keep Wildlife Wild.
Please don’t feed the ducks and geese!
While it’s fun to feed the wildlife, it’s not good for the pond
or for the wildlife!
Feeding the wildlife can cause:
- Poor nutrition
- Spread of disease
- Unnatural behavior
- Pollution
- Overcrowding
- Development of Deformed Wings
- Loss of flight ability
- Delayed migration
Read more about waterfowl feeding habits
from the NYS Department of Conservation.
Things to do in Winter
The pond is very shallow and freezes solid for parts of every winter – it’s a great place to skate or play hockey. Pond skating is so different than rink skating – so much fun to explore rather than to skate in circles!
The City of Albany Recreation Department tests the ice and posts signage around the pond and on their website when the ice is safe for use. Sadly no skate rentals are available. To change into your skates, we recommend you bring a lawn chair from home out on the ice or use a bench or picnic table near the edge of the pond.
   Ice skate
   Play hockey
   Investigate nature in winter
   Cross-country ski – the trails are heavily used by walkers, and not groomed, but you can often ski if you get out just after it snows and before people have walked on the path, or on the pond itself if the ice is frozen
   Attend planned events, including the Conservancy-hosted skating party held in February when the ice allows
FOR OUTDOOR ENTHUSIASTS
Running and jogging are common around the pond all year long. The main trail is flat and unpaved. It encircles the pond and is about 0.78 miles / 1.26 km long according to USA Track & Field.
Because the pond path is heavily used and narrow it is not appropriate for cycling except for our youngest visitors. But we encourage you to bike to the park! Bike racks are located near the playground, and a CDPHP® Cycle! Bike Station is nearby at Circle Lane and Colonial Avenue. A map of the trail is available below.
FOR NATURE LOVERS
Buckingham Pond supports a surprising number of wildlife species,
including both flora and fauna.
In 2014, Buckingham Pond Conservancy, in cooperation with the City of Albany, commissioned a Lake Management Plan funded in part by grants from the Hudson River Valley Greenway Communities Council and the Bender Family Foundation. The Lake Management Plan surveyed the biology, ecology and water quality of Buckingham Pond and made recommendations for addressing areas of concern. The plan continues to form the basis of future prioritization and selection of projects undertaken by the Conservancy at the pond. Whether you want to enjoy observing the plant and wildlife or roll up your sleeves and get to work with us, there are plenty of volunteer opportunities to support the life of the pond, contact us at [email protected].
Plant Life
DID YOU KNOW?
The Park is home to several Eastern Larch trees – a unique species that look like evergreens, but lose their needles seasonally. Look for them near the Playground.
Learn More
at USDA Plants Database
The Conservancy has tagged the larch trees and 22 other different types of trees so that we all know a bit more about what a fantastic small wilderness this is!
We have also worked with Capital Region PRISM (Partnership for Regional Invasive Species Management) to identify and actively manage invasive species on the grounds.
Wild Life
DID YOU KNOW?
Buckingham Pond is home to over 140 types of birds as reported by avid local birdwatchers on eBird.com.
DID YOU KNOW?
Fishing at Buckingham Pond is subject to New York State fishing regulations. According to the Department of Environmental Conservation, common fish in the pond are Panfish, Goldfish, Common Carp, Brown Bullhead, Pumpkinseed, Bluegill, Black Crappie, Yellow Perch.
Please fish responsibly, hooks and fishing line can injure or kill birds and mammals.
Citizen Science
DID YOU KNOW?
Every summer, Conservancy volunteers test the water in the pond for pesticides, pollutants and other chemicals that impact the water quality in the pond as part of New York State’s Citizen Statewide Lake Assessment Program.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Conservancy regularly removes invasive species and plants native perennials to encourage a healthier ecosystem. If you would like to help, email us.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Conservancy recruits volunteer naturalists to educate community members young and old at our Ice Cream Social and other events. If you would like to help, please email us.
YOU CAN HELP! There are so many ways.
In 2014, Buckingham Pond Conservancy, in cooperation with the City of Albany, commissioned a Lake Management Plan funded in part by grants from the Hudson River Valley Greenway Communities Council and the Bender Family Foundation. The Lake Management Plan surveyed the biology, ecology and water quality of Buckingham Pond and made recommendations for addressing areas of concern. The plan continues to form the basis of future prioritization and selection of projects undertaken by the Conservancy at the pond. Whether you want to enjoy observing the plant and wildlife or roll up your sleeves and get to work with us, there are plenty of volunteer opportunities to support the life of the pond, contact us at [email protected].