Normans Kill Ravines Park
Managed by Town of Bethleham
282 acres8.6 mi of trail
White TrailOrange TrailYellow TrailRed/White Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Igoldste · CC BY-SA 2.5B+Outdoors
Outdoors in Bethlehem
Bethlehem has 48 miles of mapped trails, 1.0 for every square mile of land
The biggest trail networks: Normans Kill Ravines Park (8.6 mi), North Bethlehem Park (4.2 mi), Hollyhock Hollow Sanctuary (3.4 mi). 1,077 acres are parks and preserves, 31 per 1,000 residents. 4% of Bethlehem’s land is conserved, about 1,230 acres.
Ahead of 74% of U.S. towns · #312 of 758 in New York. What drives it
Conserved land
4%
1,230 acres · of 49.0 sq mi of land
Trails
48 mi
1.0 per sq mi of land
Park land
1,077 ac
31 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
66%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
15 mi
1.4 mi lanes · 12 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
13
1 boat launch
What kind of outdoors town is Bethlehem?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Bethlehem have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Bethlehem is ahead of 74% of U.S. towns, #312 of 758 in New York. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
B+
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Bethlehem’s overall grade.
Conserved land4% of the land · typical NY town 5% · U.S. 4%BTrails1.0 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (48 mi) · NY 0.4 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land31 acres of park per 1,000 residents (1,077 acres) · NY 31 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home66% of residents within a half mile of a park · NY 70% · U.S. 72%B−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 74%
LessMore
New York towns of 2,500+ (758)Ahead of 59%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B to A−. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Normans Kill Ravines Park, with 8.6 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
North Bethlehem Park
Park
21 acres4.2 mi of trail
Orange TrailRed TrailYellow TrailBlue Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Hollyhock Hollow Sanctuary
Nature preserve
136 acres3.4 mi of trail
White trailBlue trailGreen TrailYellow Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Elm Avenue Town Park
Managed by Town of Bethlehem
159 acres2.7 mi of trail
nature trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lot
Binnen Kill Wetlands
Managed by The Scenic Hudson Land Trust
235 acres1.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Normanskill Preserve
Managed by Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy
44 acres1.4 mi of trail
Normanskill Preserve Trail - RedNormanskill Preserve Trail - Yellow
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Moh-He-Con-Nuck Nature Preserve
Managed by Town of Bethlehem
51 acres1.2 mi of trail
Hilltop Loops (orange)Lake trail (yellow)Ridge Loop (red)Entrance (yellow)+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto Moh-he-con-nuck Preserve
Van Rensselaer Wildlife Preserve
Managed by First Reformed Church of Bethlehem
81 acres1.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
All 26 parks & preserves
Normans Kill Ravines Park282 acres · 8.6 mi of trail · Town of Bethleham
DirectionsNorth Bethlehem Park21 acres · 4.2 mi of trail
DirectionsHollyhock Hollow Sanctuary136 acres · 3.4 mi of trail
DirectionsElm Avenue Town Park159 acres · 2.7 mi of trail · Town of Bethlehem
DirectionsBinnen Kill Wetlands235 acres · 1.5 mi of trail · The Scenic Hudson Land Trust
DirectionsNormanskill Preserve44 acres · 1.4 mi of trail · Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy
DirectionsMoh-He-Con-Nuck Nature Preserve51 acres · 1.2 mi of trail · Town of Bethlehem
DirectionsVan Rensselaer Wildlife Preserve81 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · First Reformed Church of Bethlehem
Colonial Acres Park28 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Town of Bethlehem
DirectionsThe Bio-Reserve68 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · The Bio-Reserve Inc
DirectionsSchiffendecker Farm Preserve44 acres · 0.8 mi of trail · Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy
DirectionsTouhey Family Preserve49 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy
DirectionsSwift Wetland21 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy
DirectionsVan Dyke Preserve32 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy
DirectionsPhillipin Kill Preserve19 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy
DirectionsPoplar Island205 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · New York State
South Bethlehem Fishing Access Site58 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · Town of Bethlehem
DirectionsYMCA29 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsHenry Hudson Park93 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Town of Bethlehem
DirectionsFive Rivers Environmental Education Center36 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DirectionsMHLC81 acres · Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy
DirectionsSouth Bethlehem Town Park9 acres
DirectionsMagee Park6 acres
Maple Ridge Town Park6 acres
Volunteer Fire-EMS Services Memorial Park2 acres
DirectionsNormans Kill Fishing Access Site1 acres · City of Albany
DirectionsWho protects it
1,230 conserved acres
4% of Bethlehem’s land. Who manages Bethlehem’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Land trusts & nonprofits1,486 ac
Town or city294 ac
Regional Water Districts96 ac
State conservation58 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government50 ac
Private owners2 ac
Private Conservation · 811 acLocal Park · 322 acConservation Easement · 313 acAgricultural Easement · 182 acUnknown Easement · 140 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 344 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 7 of 35 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Town Of Bethlehem Land Local Park | Town or city | 272 | Unknown |
| Waste Management, Inc. Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 261 | Unknown |
| Scenic Hudson Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 219 | Unknown |
| Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy Land Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 196 | Open |
| Albany Water Board Land Local Other or Unknown | Regional Water Districts | 94 | Unknown |
| Henry Hudson Town Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 50 | Open |
| Normanskill Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 42 | Closed |
| Schiffendecker Farm Preserve Private Agricultural | Land trusts & nonprofits | 40 | Closed |
| Open Space Institute Land Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 38 | Open |
| Colonial Acres Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 38 | Closed |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
23 places to go in Bethlehem
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Bethlehem
Bethlehem Town ParkIn Elm Avenue Town Park
DirectionsPlus 12 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Bethlehem
Delmar Dog ParkIn Elm Avenue Town Park
DirectionsBoat launches in Bethlehem
Henry Hudson Park Boat Launch
DirectionsFishing spots in Bethlehem
1 fishing spot without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Scenic views in Bethlehem
Rogers RockIn Henry Hudson Park
DirectionsPicnic areas in Bethlehem
3 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Disc golf in Bethlehem
Colonial Acres Disc Golf CourseHours: dawn-dusk · In Colonial Acres Park · Town of Bethlehem
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 13 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 9.0 miUnpaved · 28.2 mi
Albany Waterline Path (South)3.0 mi
Orange Trail2.2 mi
White Trail2.2 mi
Yellow Trail1.9 mi
White trail1.7 mi
Albany Waterline Path (North)1.5 mi
Red Trail1.4 mi
nature trail1.2 mi
Normanskill Preserve Trail - Red1.0 mi
Red trail0.9 mi
15 more trails
Blue Trail
0.8 miBlue trail
0.7 miColonial Acres Walking Trail
0.6 miWalking Trail
0.6 miOrange trail
0.5 miWoodland Trail
0.5 miYellow trail
0.5 miTranquility Trail
0.5 miNormanskill Preserve Trail - Yellow
0.4 miHilltop Loops (orange)
0.3 miLake trail (yellow)
0.3 miFisher Trail
0.3 miGreen Trail
0.3 miRed/White Trail
0.3 miLoop Trail (Red)
0.3 miBiking & sports
15 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
1.4 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
12 mi
off-road bike paths
1.9 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
26Tennis
25Baseball
13Soccer
7Basketball
3Multi-sport
1Volleyball
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →14 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 5 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Bethlehem HouseBuilding · listed 1973
About itUS Post Office-DelmarBuilding · listed 1988
About itHarmanus Bleecker LibraryBuilding · listed 1996
About itAlbert Slingerlands HouseBuilding · listed 1997
About itPatterson FarmhouseBuilding · listed 1997
About itDistrict School No. 1Building · listed 1998
About itVan Derheyden HouseBuilding · listed 2001
About itSchoonmaker HouseBuilding · listed 2001
About itBethlehem Grange No. 137Building · listed 2002
About itFirst Reformed Dutch Church of BethlehemBuilding · listed 2002
About itDr. John Babcock HouseBuilding · listed 2003
About itRowe FarmBuilding · listed 2012
About it2 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Bethlehem: April, May, August and September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 33 | 36 | 45 | 59 | 71 | 79 | 84 | 82 | 74 | 62 | 49 | 38 |
| Rain (in) | 2.7 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 3.3 | 3.6 | 4.3 | 4.1 | 3.9 | 3.9 | 4.1 | 2.9 | 3.3 |
February is the driest month (2.4 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.3 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Bethlehem →
Next door
Bethlehem and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
New Scotland66 miAlbany49 miGuilderland48 miBethlehem48 miSchodack34 miCoeymans34 miEast Greenbush11 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethlehem | 4% | 1.0 | 31 | 66% | B+ |
| Albany | 15% | 2.3 | 19 | 98% | A |
| New Scotland | 13% | 1.2 | 278 | 60% | A |
| Coeymans | 17% | 0.7 | 111 | 65% | A |
| Schodack | 6% | 0.5 | 97 | 32% | B+ |
| Guilderland | 10% | 0.8 | 46 | 67% | A− |
| East Greenbush | 3% | 0.5 | 23 | 48% | B |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Bethlehem
Where can I hike in Bethlehem?
The longest trail networks: Normans Kill Ravines Park, 8.6 miles; North Bethlehem Park, 4.2 miles; Hollyhock Hollow Sanctuary, 3.4 miles; Elm Avenue Town Park, 2.7 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Bethlehem is conserved land?
4% of its land, against a typical 5% for a New York town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Bethlehem’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Elm Avenue Town Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Bethlehem?
15 miles of bike routes are on the map: 1.4 of painted or protected lanes, 12 of off-road paths and 1.9 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Bethlehem?
19,077 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Bethlehem or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,113 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Bethlehem have?
Ahead of 74% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #312 of 758 in New York. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Bethlehem neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →