VISCHER FERRY NATURE & HISTORIC PRESERVE hiking, biking, paddling.

A large preserve in southern Saratoga County NY on the N shore of the Mohawk River - includes old sections of the Erie Canal and some ponds. You can easily spend a few hours here. Easy, flat terrain on wide trails, some of the route has fine gravel (good for biking, done in 2016). From Clute's Dry Dock to Lock 7 dam is 4.7 miles (9.4 miles round-trip) via the shortest route. Details.

Jamuary 2, 2020. The picnic area has Adirondack chairs, 3 picnic tables, 3 BBQ grills. Nice when there are no gunshots across the river at the Town of Colonie shooting range. Most of the ponds & canal are iced over, Mohawk River was open & a merganser pair was seen.

November 13, 2016.

June 5, 2016.

April 13, 2016 canoeing. Paddled 4 ponds (lots of cattail marsh) & the old Erie Canal with portages of up to 200 yards. Saw an osprey flying with something in its talons. Canada geese, mallards, green-winged teal, wood ducks, ring-necked ducks, buffleheads, gb herons, turkey vultures, red-winged blackbirds, tree swallows, cardinals, eastern phoebes, red-bellied woodpeckers, kingfishers, painted turtles & muskrats. On the canal it is 1.2 miles from the Whipple bridge to old Lock 19. 9 miles, 4.6 hours.

April 11, 2016 walk. Had lunch at the picnic site on the Mohawk River. Found a tick on my leg.

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