We’ve been really enjoying our walks at the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy, but decided to wander over to the other side of the Hudson River this week. We decided upon the Hand Hollow Conservation Area; a large conservation area with ponds, trails, and a lake. In the title I say “a glimpse” because our hike was cut short by the very strong and cold wind on the day of our visit. It was just not conducive to a small child. No worries! We shall return!
Hand Hollow Conservation Area
The Hand Hollow Conservation Area is a 447 acre preservation that is maintained by the Columbia Land Conservancy. http://www.clctrust.org/ It is made up of several family properties acquired by the conservancy. It is named after one of the earliest documented owners of the land, Samuel Hand, who moved here with his family in the 1700s.
This conservation area is quite diverse, complete with woodlands, wetlands, and meadows in addition to the lake and ponds.
This environmental variety is the reason that this conservation area has such a diverse array of wildlife. During our walk, we startled a pheasant that startled me equally as much when it took off. We also passed by a very cozy beaver home (okay, dam).
Hiking Trails
Hand Hollow has several miles of trails. A parking lot on either end allows visitors the option of bringing a friend with a car, and doing a straight through hike by parking at both ends. There are four different trails (red, green, blue, and yellow). We hiked the blue and part of the green, staying near the lake the whole time.
Where is it located?
There are two parking areas at the Hand Hollow Conservation Area. 387 Gale Hill Road in New Lebanon, New York, takes you to the western parking lot while 4079 County Road 9 in New Lebanon, New York, takes you to the eastern parking lot. The conservation area lies between the two parking areas.
Maps
As always, I love to have a proper map while hiking. There are some pamphlets with maps of the trails on the Conservation Area available at the kiosk, but if you’d like a downloadable pdf of the map, you can find a wonderful one at the Columbia Land Conservancy’s website here.
