What a gem. We have been visiting Plotter Kill for over a year and the changing seasonal characters…read moreof the part are just one of the many draws for us. The place is deceptively vast and you could easily get lost in it - not literally and in the most delightful ways. First off, parking is usually no problem since the parking lot fits about 20 vehicles, although there has been one occasion where it spilt over to the main road in the summer. The short trail from the parking lot to the first two forks is gorgeous with tree shade and mostly gravelly than the majority of the trails which are more natural. The creek and the falls are beautiful, although water level can be quite low in the summer and early fall. All in all this is a great park suitable for most people to navigate, and I'm glad for another natural reserve like this.

Gorgeous scenery here, but we had some issues with the trails/trail maps that I suspect weren't…read morecompletely down to my being bad at reading them. What's shown on the map at the entrance doesn't seem to conform to reality, and many trails are very obviously blocked off with warning signs, end in abrupt dead ends, or head off in directions that don't seem to reflect what the map shows. The blue trail on the map brings you past several waterfalls, but the real one seemed to reroute you away from the water and onto a muddy track through the woods heading in the opposite direction. This might have eventually led back in the direction of the falls, but we decided to turn back from when the mud got tough to deal with. To find the interesting bits in my pictures, we went to the first observation point on the blue trail, doubled back to take the bridge to the red trail, then went past there and took the yellow trail to the water before heading back to the parking lot, with a few accidental detours in between. With all of the backtracking and wrong turns I'd guesstimate that we walked a total of about three miles, but if you were more systematic about it you could probably do it under two. However, the short dead-end yellow trail especially was very steep and somewhat challenging for keeping our footing on the downhill, so appropriate hiking/walking shoes are still a good idea. Don't come here in flip flops! All in all this was still totally worth it, but I'd be really happy to learn that they've managed to re-open the trails that have been closed (for safety reasons?) and/or updated the maps to make it a bit easier to hit the scenic highlights.

Nice walk that very quickly takes you to a cute little stream. I will come back just to play in…read morethe stream one day soon. Nice walk through the woods with access to the water multiple times. Saw dogs and kids playing in the water at various points. Very quiet in sections and you forget how close you are to everything. There are exposed roots etc so not fully an "easy" walk but it is a fairly gentle walk.

Firstly, I love nature, so any well-intentioned effort to preserve nature gets extra love from me…read more Lisha Kill Natural Area is one of the best and most beautiful of the many beautiful parks and reserves in the area. And it also more than lives up to the "natural" in its name because there's vast unspoiled natural elements for many to enjoy and appreciate, including streams, unpaved trails, and hills. Speaking of unpaved, this park is largely not wheelchair accessible, and there's no public restroom that I'm aware of, either in the parking lot or within the park. Regardless of which trail you eventually pick, the first about 0.5 mile has steep hills before you cross a bridge over a small creek to climb up to a decision point. The trails are clearly marked with colours on tree trunks, so staying on marked trails has so far been easy. The parking lot has never been full, so parking has never been an issue. Enjoy!

Wouldn't recommend this trail. It feels swampy and my small dog was getting smacked in the face…read morewith various things. It's very narrow. Lots of noise from nearby traffic. Did not feel serene at all. We actually stopped walking on this trail and decided to drive 20 minutes to Peebles Island State Park which was spectacular.

We recently had a good-weather weekend this September, and decided to check out some nature…read morepreserves. We found the Dwaas Kill Nature Preserve in Clifton Park and thought it looked like a nice place to explore. We found parking right along the road, and there were a decent number of spaces left. Just a note, when it was time to leave, you have to back out into the road. There was someone before us who carefully backed up and was almost hit by someone speeding around the curve. It was a little nerve-wracking to back out into the same place, as people come flying around the bend. Just a word of caution. Right off the bat, we realized we had missed a trail. There is supposed to be a fishing trail to the left, but had walked right by it. When we returned back to the beginning of the trail later, we saw the fishing trail had grown in. We were able to follow the orange trail, which had some markers. The beginning of the orange trail was pleasant, with attractive wildflowers. After a couple minutes of walking on the trail, we reached a sandy area. I see on the trail map that there is a sandy pit area. It seems like there is a lot of dirt bike activity over hear, and the sand and trails are torn up. We also noticed lots of trash, like beer bottles and other junk. We made our way back to the car, following paths that meandered through the woods. We noticed the signs on the way out that prohibit motorized vehicles. It is nice that there is land set aside in a preserve, but sad to see that people aren't respecting natural areas like this. It seems like the area has been misused a lot, and the fishing trail has been neglected. Hopefully in the future there will be improvements made to the nature preserve. We did not spend a lot of time here, as the trails are short and we decided not to hike the entire preserve after seeing all the trash and damaged areas.

I have logged many-a-mile on this trail over the years; most often between Kiwanis and Aqueduct…read moreParks. I especially enjoy starting near Schenectady Community College - an easy-to-spot local landmark with lots of room to park for group run meet-ups, a small track space perfect for timing splits and speedwork, and plenty of benches and grasses spaces for stretching and chatting before/after a walk, run, bike, or blade. The path varies in flatness, tree cover, nature-views, and frequency of traffic crossing, offering a nice variety for any activity. I've spotted loads of unthreatening wildlife while on the path, including turtles, deer, snakes, ground hogs, beavers, and many different birds, squirrels, and enjoy being near the water and especially stopping at the locks to stretch, rest, or fuel mid-long run, too. [extra garbage cans, tables/benches, and proximity to other humans makes it feel like a safer space to slow, perhaps?] I am hopeful that the Color the Canal project will return for the third year in 2021, which creates visual and sculptural art to welcome the CEC cyclists riding from Buffalo to Albany each July.

My wife and I walked the portion between Watervliet and Albany recently and it was a pretty nice…read moretrail. Much of it was in the woods along an old railroad right-of-way, so there were plenty of trees providing shade. A couple of clearings allowed for sightlines of the expressway but it wasn't too noisy. One area had a bench, picnic table, and informational display about the location of the old Troy Iron Works. A few areas had cutaways in the trees for sightlines to the river. I wish there was more to see or do along the trail, and it would have been appreciated to have some more benches or tables or whatnot to rest on. But, the area in Watervliet where the parking lot is had a couple of tables.

A great trip for anyone of any experience level in the outdoors! Me and my boyfriend chose the…read moreupper winding river and it was great! John is very accommodating, helpful, and has great energy on the trips. He even brought his dog which was a great surprise! One thing I would say to make sure of is that you check with John first to see how much the trip will cost, other than that we had an amazing experience!

Wonderful 4 days hiking and kayaking! The trails and…read morewaterways are gorgeous, food delicious, accommodations rustic and comfy. ATA is professionally run and takes care of everything--all you have to do is show up! Friendly and competent guides are icing on the cake!

My wife was part of a group that rented out a pavilion in this park recently. Of note, the parking…read moresituation is a bit unusual so follow the signs (which take precedence over common sense). There were two pavilions in the area and we had the one on the right, but the one on the left was being used by two different groups of people celebrating two different events. I don't know if either or both rented it, or if both showed up at the same time, but it looked like an awkward situation. The pavilion we rented had at least one electrical outlet good for a crock pot or stereo, but don't think there were many more. Next to it was a small barbecue grill that was about 18x24". It was big enough for a family gathering, but it couldn't possibly hold enough food for a crowded pavilion unless they were all eating hot dogs. We tried, and only got about 16 burgers on it at a time. A large garbage can with a bag liner was inside at the corner, but we were told that it was NOT for use by people who rent the pavilion (rental is carry in-carry out) but instead was for use by those who don't rent the pavilion. That must be a mistake as nobody would have such a stupid policy. Nearby was a nice kids playground, and all around us and mixed through the trees was a disc golf course. I should have brought my old Frisbee from college. I was told a creek also ran in the area. Bathrooms were within sight but I never ventured near them. All told, a decent place to rent.

Shenantaha, meaning "deer water," is the Iroquois name for the Ballston Creek, which forms the…read moreeastern boundary of the park. The gates to drive to the park area closed. However, you can park your car upfront and take a long walk. Zin Smith trail passes through this park allowing hiking, bicycling, rollerblading, horseback riding, and snowmobiling. In the park there are remains of a mill that pressed flax seed oil.