We visited the Winn Preserve on a perfect day. The temperature was in the mid-60s, the air was crisp, the sun was shining, and the leaves were changing color all around us. It was also the first time our son put his boots on the ground and “hiked” on the trail with us! Okay, so he didn’t hike the whole thing, but he did walk a stretch of the trail and loved every second!
The Hudson and Nancy Winn Preserve
The Winn Preserve is a Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy preserve located in the Town of Knox just outside of Albany, New York. With 208 acres, there are around 2 miles of trails to choose from. We ended up zigzagging from trail to trail, trying to see as much as we could.
You can hike along an old farm road, Truax Road, for about a half mile. This is where we let our son get his portion of the hike in, as it’s more level and wide. Truax Road is part of the green trail.
Helderberg Escarpment
The Helderberg Escarpment runs through the Preserve. The rocks of the Helderberg (Dutch for “clear mountain”) date way back to the Middle Ordovician and Early Devonian periods, when the vertebrates of the water developed legs and started walking on land. Exposed rock with crevasses are everywhere and they are very cool to see. Just keep a close eye on your little ones or clumsy friends.
Cabin
This piece of land was a gift from the Winn family to the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy. The old cabin that the Winn’s would stay at while visiting is still standing. It’s not open to the public, but it’s a fun feature to hike to and is exciting for the kiddos to see. It really must have been a nice quiet place for the Winn family to retreat to, and we’re glad to see it still standing.
Audio Tour
The Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy does great work, and they have downloadable audio clips that you can listen to while hiking around various parts of the trails. Visit the Winn Preserve page here to find out more.
Where is it located?
The Winn Preserve is located just off of Street Road in the Town of Knox, upstate New York.
Maps
A great trail map for the Hudson and Nancy Winn Preserve can be found at this site.
For other great Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy Preserves, check out my posts on Normans Kill West, Wolf Creek Falls, and Keleher Preserve.