Continuing our hiking adventures along the trails around the Capital District brought us to a new (to us) area; the Louise E. Keir Wildlife Management Area.
Louise E. Keir Wildlife Management Area
The Louise E. Keir Wildlife Management Area consists of approximately 188 acres of public land in the Town of Coeymans, New York that is managed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. It is made up of three parcels of land. The original parcel was gifted to the state in 1978. In 2004 and 2006, the state purchased the additional two parcels.
This wildlife area is centered around Blodgett Hill near the southern extent of the Helderberg Escarpment. With an elevation of 1,150 feet, there are parts where hikers are even provided with a view. Historically, this land was cleared for farming purposes. After 1978 and its change in ownership to public lands, it has reverted back to forests.
The forests at the top of the hill is unique for the area, with the majority of trees within the heath scrub consisting of pitch pine-oak. The only other instance of those trees in Albany County are within the Albany Pine Bush Preserve.
The flora is perfect for wildlife, and during our walk around the top of the hill we saw a group of wild turkeys cross the trail ahead of us.
Hiking
There are two main trails within the Louise E. Keir Wildlife Management Area. Each path takes you to the top of Blodgett Hill. The trail itself follows along an old gravel access road. Several old stone walls adorn the sides of the road.
We hiked along the southern trail that led up from the parking area with the kiosk, past a metal gate. It took us past a private residence up to a flat plateau section of the preserve. There are no blazes indicating which way to go, and there were several options, but if you find yourself on a road that leads into private property, signage will alert you and you can turn back.
Where is it Located?
The Louise E. Keir Wildlife Management Area is located off of County Route 103, Blodgett Hill Road, in Coeymans, NY in Albany County about 30 minutes south of Albany.
There are two parking areas for the Louise E. Keir Wildlife Management Area. Each takes you to a different trail up to the top of the hill. The first is 593 Blodgett Road, which is mostly just a small pull off from the road which is quite small and relatively easy to miss. The second is at 533 Blodgett Hill Road which has a larger gravel parking area with an informational kiosk south of the first area, just south of the intersection of Blodgett Hill Road and Keir Road. We intended parking at the northern area, but missed it and ended up parking at the more southerly access point.
Map
There is a great map of the Louise E. Keir Wildlife Management Area located on the DEC website here and a downloadable PDF version of the same map here.
