Gurney Lane Recreation Area
Park
150 acres9.1 mi of trail
Red (foot)Blue (foot)Yellow (foot)Race Course+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Photo: JBC3 · Public domainAOutdoors
Outdoors in Queensbury
Queensbury has 5,243 acres of parks, 180 for every 1,000 residents
79 miles of mapped trail cross Queensbury, 1.3 per square mile of land. 15% of Queensbury’s land is conserved, about 5,813 acres. The biggest trail networks: Gurney Lane Recreation Area (9.1 mi), Sullivan Preserve (2.7 mi), Hudson Pointe Nature Preserve (2.3 mi).
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns · #121 of 758 in New York. What drives it
Conserved land
15%
5,813 acres · of 62.4 sq mi of land
Trails
79 mi
1.3 per sq mi of land
Park land
5,243 ac
180 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
61%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
9.2 mi
3.8 mi lanes · 5.4 mi paths
Highest peak
1,841 ft
Darling Mountain
Lakes & rivers
14
2 beaches · 5 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Queensbury?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Queensbury have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Queensbury is ahead of 90% of U.S. towns, #121 of 758 in New York. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Queensbury’s overall grade.
Conserved land15% of the land · typical NY town 5% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.3 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (79 mi) · NY 0.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land180 acres of park per 1,000 residents (5,243 acres) · NY 31 · U.S. 13AParks close to home61% 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 90%
LessMore
New York towns of 2,500+ (758)Ahead of 84%
Water is 8% of Queensbury’s area (5 of 68 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 14%.
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 Gurney Lane Recreation Area, with 9.1 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Sullivan Preserve
Nature preserve
56 acres2.7 mi of trail
Ridge TrailGalien's GlidePig AlleyDeadman's Path+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Hudson Pointe Nature Preserve
Nature preserve
151 acres2.3 mi of trail
Green trailYellow trailOrange trailBlue connector trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Leon M. Steves Big Bay Preserve
Nature preserve
63 acres2.3 mi of trail
Yellow trailRed trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the trailheadWebsite ↗
Van Dusen Preserve
Nature preserve
55 acres1.7 mi of trail
Nature trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
McPhillips Preserve
Nature preserve
166 acres1 mi of trail
French mountain trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Moreau Lake State Park
Managed by New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
116 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 19 parks & preserves
Gurney Lane Recreation Area150 acres · 9.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSullivan Preserve56 acres · 2.7 mi of trail
DirectionsHudson Pointe Nature Preserve151 acres · 2.3 mi of trail
DirectionsLeon M. Steves Big Bay Preserve63 acres · 2.3 mi of trail
DirectionsVan Dusen Preserve55 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
DirectionsMeadowbrook Preserve63 acres · 1.3 mi of trail
DirectionsMcPhillips Preserve166 acres · 1 mi of trail
Moreau Lake State Park116 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
DirectionsHovey Pond Park15 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · Town of Queensbury
DirectionsClendon Brook Preserve8 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsFeeder Canal Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsLake George Wild Forest1,430 acres · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DirectionsHudson River Park56 acres
DirectionsRidge/Jenkinsville Park41 acres · Town of Queensbury
DirectionsNicholson Preserve13 acres
DirectionsLake George Islands Intensive Use Area7 acres
Elk's Preserve4 acres
DirectionsWest End Park3 acres · Town of Queensbury Recreation Department
Glen Lake Boat Launch1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
5,813 conserved acres
15% of Queensbury’s land. Water is left out: Queensbury has 62.4 square miles of land and 5.3 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Queensbury’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city3,818 ac
State conservation2,098 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits228 ac
State parks137 ac
Regional agency104 ac
County19 ac
Private owners5 ac
Local Park · 3,641 acState Conservation Area · 1,440 acForest Stewardship Easement · 307 acUnknown Easement · 306 acPrivate Conservation · 140 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 398 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 12 of 32 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| City of Glens Falls Land Local Park | Town or city | 3,143 | Unknown |
| Lake George Wild Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 1,440 | Open |
| Town of Queensbury Rec Dept Land Local Park | Town or city | 360 | Open |
| Moreau Lake State Park State Park | State parks | 137 | Open |
| Meadowbrook Preserve Local Conservation Area | Town or city | 122 | Open |
| Ridge/Jenkinsville Park Local Park | Town or city | 80 | Open |
| Gurney Lane Recreation Area Local Recreation Area | Town or city | 78 | Open |
| Faith Bible Church - Hudson Point Nature Preserve Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 66 | Closed |
| Queensbury Union Free School Land Local Other or Unknown | Regional agency | 65 | Unknown |
| Glens Falls City School Dist. Land Local Other or Unknown | Regional agency | 39 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
38 places to go in Queensbury
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Queensbury
2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Public pools in Queensbury
Gurney Lane PoolIn Gurney Lane Recreation Area
DirectionsPlus 1 public pool without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Playgrounds in Queensbury
Freedom Park
DirectionsTimbertown Popjets
DirectionsPlus 12 playgrounds without a name on the map.
Dog parks in Queensbury
1 dog park without a name on the map.
Boat launches in Queensbury
Big Boom Boat Launch
DirectionsPlus 4 boat launches without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Queensbury
Plus 2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Queensbury
Darling Mountain1,841 ft elevation
DirectionsFrench Mountain1,440 ft elevation
DirectionsBurnt Hill564 ft elevation
DirectionsJoshua Rock525 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Queensbury
Northwoods Picnic Grove
DirectionsPlus 4 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 14 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 26.3 miUnpaved · 60.0 mi
Rush Pond Nature trail2.3 mi
QUFSD Trail1.8 mi
Nature trail1.8 mi
Hawkeye1.7 mi
Yellow trail1.6 mi
Excess1.4 mi
Escape1.3 mi
French mountain trail1.0 mi
Halfway Brook Trail0.9 mi
Green trail0.9 mi
15 more trails
Red (foot)
0.9 miRed trail
0.8 miOld School
0.8 miBlue (foot)
0.7 miRace Course
0.7 miYellow (foot)
0.7 miFrench mountain trail (blue)
0.6 miTwitter
0.6 miRogue
0.6 miErratic
0.6 miInterstate
0.6 miSurf
0.6 miRock Buster
0.6 miQUFSD Connector
0.6 miGalien's Glide
0.5 miBiking & sports
9.2 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
3.8 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
5.4 mi
off-road bike paths
Courts & fields
30Tennis
24Baseball
12Pickleball
9Basketball
9Soccer
3Softball
2Field hockey
1Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →8 places on the National Register, one a National Historic Landmark
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 2 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Glens Falls Home for Aged WomenBuilding · listed 1984
About itHouse at 216 Warren StreetBuilding · listed 1984
About itSanford HouseBuilding · listed 1998
About itAsa Stower HouseBuilding · listed 2006
About itFORWARD shipwreck site (motor launch)Site · listed 2008
About itQueensbury Quaker Burying GroundSite · listed 2015
About itMountainside Free LibraryBuilding · listed 2021
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Queensbury: 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) | 9.3 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 30 | 33 | 43 | 57 | 69 | 78 | 82 | 80 | 72 | 60 | 47 | 36 |
| Rain (in) | 2.9 | 2.6 | 3.2 | 3.6 | 3.6 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 4.0 | 3.3 | 3.5 |
February is the driest month (2.6 in) and July the warmest (highs of 82 °F). 4.2 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Queensbury →
Next door
Queensbury and its neighbors
Queensbury has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Queensbury79 miFort Ann69 miMoreau48 miLake George35 miGlens Falls North23 miKingsbury6.4 miWest Glens Falls5.5 miGlens Falls1.6 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Queensbury | 15% | 1.3 | 180 | 61% | A |
| Moreau | 21% | 1.1 | 292 | 62% | A |
| West Glens Falls | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Glens Falls | 6% | 0.4 | 9 | 99%+ | B+ |
| Kingsbury | 5% | 0.2 | 54 | 63% | B |
| Lake George | 22% | 1.2 | 1,051 | 61% | A |
| Fort Ann | 28% | 0.6 | 2,280 | 67% | A |
| Glens Falls North | — 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 Queensbury
Where can I hike in Queensbury?
The longest trail networks: Gurney Lane Recreation Area, 9.1 miles; Sullivan Preserve, 2.7 miles; Hudson Pointe Nature Preserve, 2.3 miles; Leon M. Steves Big Bay Preserve, 2.3 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Queensbury is conserved land?
15% 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 Queensbury’s trails?
Gurney Lane Recreation Area and Sullivan Preserve don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Queensbury?
9.2 miles of bike routes are on the map: 3.8 of painted or protected lanes and 5.4 of off-road paths.
Is there public land near Queensbury?
65,218 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Queensbury or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 5,251 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Queensbury have?
Ahead of 90% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #121 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 Queensbury 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 →