Vischer Ferry Nature & Historic Preserve
Nature preserve
887 acres13 mi of trail
Erie Canal Towpath1825 Erie Canal towpathTall Spruce TrailForts Ferry Loop+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: JJBers Public · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Clifton Park
11% of Clifton Park’s land is conserved, and 96% of residents live within a half mile of a park
2,512 acres are parks and preserves, 66 per 1,000 residents. 55 miles of mapped trail cross Clifton Park, 1.1 per square mile of land. 11% of Clifton Park’s land is conserved, about 3,529 acres.
Ahead of 95% of U.S. towns · #76 of 758 in New York. What drives it
Conserved land
11%
3,529 acres · of 48.2 sq mi of land
Trails
55 mi
1.1 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,512 ac
66 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
96%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
9.4 mi
5.2 mi paths
Lakes & rivers
8
3 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Clifton Park?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Clifton Park have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Clifton Park is ahead of 95% of U.S. towns, #76 of 758 in New York. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; park acres per resident rank highest, conserved land lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Clifton Park’s overall grade.
Conserved land11% of the land · typical NY town 5% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.1 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (55 mi) · NY 0.4 · U.S. 0.4A−Park land66 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,512 acres) · NY 31 · U.S. 13A−Parks close to home96% of residents within a half mile of a park · NY 70% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 95%
LessMore
New York towns of 2,500+ (758)Ahead of 90%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A 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 Vischer Ferry Nature & Historic Preserve, with 13 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Garnsey Park
Nature preserve
147 acres4.8 mi of trail
Yellow LoopBlue LoopRed LoopOrange Loop+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Dwaas Kill Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
263 acres2.8 mi of trail
unmarked pathWestern Views Trail (Blue)Fishing Trail (Red)Far Outlook (Blue)+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
North Woods Nature Preserve
Managed by Town of Clifton Park
80 acres2.4 mi of trail
Yellow TrailBlue Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Veterans Memorial Park and Mooney Carrese Forest
Park
205 acres2.2 mi of trail
YellowRed LoopOrange (Beaver)Blue Loop+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Woodcock Preserve
Managed by Saratoga PLAN
73 acres1.7 mi of trail
White TrailBlue TrailRed TrailYellow Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Ushers Road State Forest
Managed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
105 acres1.3 mi of trail
Ushers Road State Forest
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 26 parks & preserves
Vischer Ferry Nature & Historic Preserve887 acres · 13 mi of trail
DirectionsGarnsey Park147 acres · 4.8 mi of trail
DirectionsKinns Road Park67 acres · 3.4 mi of trail
DirectionsDwaas Kill Nature Preserve263 acres · 2.8 mi of trail
DirectionsNorth Woods Nature Preserve80 acres · 2.4 mi of trail · Town of Clifton Park
Veterans Memorial Park and Mooney Carrese Forest205 acres · 2.2 mi of trail
DirectionsWoodcock Preserve73 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · Saratoga PLAN
DirectionsUshers Road State Forest105 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DirectionsHayes Nature Park42 acres · 1.1 mi of trail · Town of Clifton Park
Directions41 Acres Natural Area42 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Town of Clifton Park
DirectionsClifton Park Town Center Park39 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsMohawk Landing Nature Preserve6 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · Town of Clifton Park
DirectionsBarney Road Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
DirectionsCrescent Estates Park5 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Bernini Drive Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsBoyack Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Clifton Common Park69 acres
DirectionsMartin Jewett Park11 acres
DirectionsLocust Lane Park9 acres
Collin's Park7 acres
DirectionsParkwood Drive Park4 acres
George T. Smith Park3 acres
Clifton Gardens Park2 acres
Heritage Pointe Park1 acres
Pico Road Park1 acres
Presidential Estates Park1 acres
Who protects it
3,529 conserved acres
11% of Clifton Park’s land. Who manages Clifton Park’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city1,515 ac
Regional Water Districts975 ac
Other state land869 ac
State conservation106 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits85 ac
County63 ac
Private owners36 ac
Local Park · 1,264 acLocal Other or Unknown · 1,045 acState Recreation Area · 869 acUnknown Easement · 192 acState Conservation Area · 106 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 200 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 6 of 22 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Town Of Clifton Park Land Local Park | Town or city | 1,232 | Unknown |
| Latham Water District Land Local Other or Unknown | Regional Water Districts | 962 | Unknown |
| Erie Canal State Recreation Area | Other state land | 869 | Open |
| Ushers Road State Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 106 | Open |
| North Woods Nature Preserve Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 78 | Open |
| Saratoga PLAN Land Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 76 | Open |
| Saratoga County Lands Local Conservation Area | County | 63 | Restricted |
| Private Lands Private Recreation or Education | Private owners | 36 | Closed |
| Kimberly Court Park Local Park | Other or Unknown Local Government | 19 | Open |
| Town Of Colonie Land Local Park | Town or city | 11 | Unknown |
4 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
13 places to go in Clifton Park
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Public pools in Clifton Park
Barney Road Pool
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Clifton Park
Barney Road PlaygroundIn Barney Road Park
DirectionsBeechwood Playground
DirectionsLocust Lane PlaygroundIn Locust Lane Park
DirectionsPlus 3 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Clifton Park
Canoe/Kayak LaunchIn Mohawk Landing Nature Preserve
DirectionsPlus 2 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Clifton Park
Lock 7 DamIn Vischer Ferry Nature & Historic Preserve
DirectionsPicnic areas in Clifton Park
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 8 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 10.5 miHorses · 10.5 miUnpaved · 30.3 mi
Erie Canal Towpath4.5 mi
1825 Erie Canal towpath1.5 mi
Tall Spruce Trail1.4 mi
White Trail1.2 mi
Yellow Trail1.2 mi
Blue Trail1.2 mi
Red Loop1.1 mi
Hayes Nature Park1.1 mi
Ushers Road State Forest1.1 mi
Yellow0.9 mi
15 more trails
Blue Loop
0.9 miYellow Loop
0.9 miForts Ferry Loop
0.8 miClifton Park Water Authority Access
0.7 miunmarked path
0.6 miWestern Views Trail (Blue)
0.5 miOrange (Beaver)
0.5 miSweetbriar
0.5 miFishing Trail (Red)
0.4 miMcGaffin Trail
0.4 miOrange Loop
0.4 miSouth Broadleaf Drive Path
0.4 miBear Brook Trail
0.3 miErie Canal Towpath Community Connector Trail
0.3 miTerrace Hollow Connector
0.3 miBiking & sports
9.4 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
5.2 mi
off-road bike paths
4.2 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Erie Canal Towpath Community Connector TrailBike route
3.7 miTall Spruce TrailBike route
1.4 miForts Ferry LoopBike route
0.9 miCourts & fields
37Tennis
25Baseball
9Basketball
9Tracks
7Softball
3Soccer
3Multi-sport
3Pickleball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →11 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 8 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Vischer Ferry Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1975
About itGrooms Tavern ComplexBuilding · listed 2000
About itClifton Park Center Baptist Church and CemeteryBuilding · listed 2004
About itCyrus Rexford HouseBuilding · listed 2011
About itJonesville StoreBuilding · listed 2011
About itAbraham Best HouseBuilding · listed 2011
About itNathan Garnsey HouseBuilding · listed 2012
About itMohawk Valley Grange HallBuilding · listed 2012
About itSmith's Grain and Feed StoreBuilding · listed 2012
About itJonesville CemeteryBuilding · listed 2014
About itSchool No. 5 "The Little Red Schoolhouse"Building · listed 2025
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Clifton Park: 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 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 32 | 35 | 44 | 58 | 70 | 78 | 83 | 81 | 73 | 61 | 48 | 37 |
| Rain (in) | 2.8 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 4.3 | 4.0 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 3.1 | 3.4 |
February is the driest month (2.5 in) and July the warmest (highs of 83 °F). 4.5 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Clifton Park →
Next door
Clifton Park and its neighbors
Clifton Park has the second most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Colonie77 miClifton Park55 miNiskayuna23 miMalta17 miHalfmoon12 miBallston6.4 miCountry Knolls5.2 miRound Lake0.2 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clifton Park | 11% | 1.1 | 66 | 96% | A |
| Halfmoon | 3% | 0.4 | 22 | 91% | B+ |
| Niskayuna | 16% | 1.6 | 57 | 99% | A+ |
| Ballston | 4% | 0.2 | 30 | 56% | B |
| Malta | 10% | 0.6 | 51 | 62% | A− |
| Colonie | 7% | 1.4 | 29 | 78% | A− |
| Country Knolls | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Round Lake | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Clifton Park
Where can I hike in Clifton Park?
The longest trail networks: Vischer Ferry Nature & Historic Preserve, 13 miles; Garnsey Park, 4.8 miles; Kinns Road Park, 3.4 miles; Dwaas Kill Nature Preserve, 2.8 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Clifton Park is conserved land?
11% 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 Clifton Park’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Kinns Road Park. For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Clifton Park?
9.4 miles of bike routes are on the map: 5.2 of off-road paths and 4.2 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Erie Canal Towpath Community Connector Trail, Tall Spruce Trail and Forts Ferry Loop.
Is there public land near Clifton Park?
20,807 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Clifton Park or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,512 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Clifton Park have?
Ahead of 95% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #76 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 Clifton Park 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 →