Frear Park
Park
203 acres5.2 mi of trail
Perimeter TrailPiscawen TrailConnector TrailWright Lake Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Quintin Soloviev · CC BY 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Troy
Troy has 23 miles of mapped trails, 2.2 for every square mile of land
96% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Frear Park (5.2 mi), Poesten Kill Bends Preserve (1.8 mi), Prospect Park (1.7 mi). 8% of Troy’s land is conserved, about 508 acres.
Ahead of 86% of U.S. towns · #170 of 758 in New York. What drives it
Conserved land
8%
508 acres · of 10.4 sq mi of land
Trails
23 mi
2.2 per sq mi of land
Park land
518 ac
10 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
96%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
6.5 mi
2.3 mi lanes · 3.1 mi paths
Highest peak
85 ft
Mount Olympus
Lakes & rivers
7
1 beach · 5 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Troy?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Troy have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Troy is ahead of 86% of U.S. towns, #170 of 758 in New York. Trail miles hold the grade up; park acres per resident pull it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Troy’s overall grade.
Conserved land8% of the land · typical NY town 5% · U.S. 4%B+Trails2.2 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (23 mi) · NY 0.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land10 acres of park per 1,000 residents (518 acres) · NY 31 · U.S. 13B−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 86%
LessMore
New York towns of 2,500+ (758)Ahead of 78%
Water is 6% of Troy’s area (1 of 11 square miles), so every share here is of land; over land and water together, the conserved share would read 7%.
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 Frear Park, with 5.2 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Poesten Kill Bends Preserve
Managed by Hudson Taconic Lands
70 acres1.8 mi of trail
Red TrailWhite TrailYellow Trail
Dogs on leash
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Prospect Park
Park
87 acres1.7 mi of trail
Garnet Douglass Baltimore Trail (blue)Disc Golf pathNorthwest Access TrailFerry/Havermans Connector
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Burden Pond Preserve
Managed by City of Troy
65 acres1.6 mi of trail
The Narrows Cascade and Heritage Trail: Phase 1Connector Trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
John B. Staalesen Vanderheyden Preserve
Managed by Hudson Taconic Lands
23 acres1.3 mi of trail
Wynants Kill LoopRidge Loop TrailBack Steps TrailGrove Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto John B. Staalesen Vanderheyden PreserveWebsite ↗
Knickerbacker Park
Park
43 acres0.8 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
HVCC
Managed by HVCC
21 acres0.7 mi of trail
LaPan Upper Trail (Blue)McDonough Trail (Red)LaPan Lower Trail (Orange)
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto B4-Lot
Stow Hill Nature Preserve
Managed by City of Troy
31 acres0.6 mi of trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lot
All 25 parks & preserves
Frear Park203 acres · 5.2 mi of trail
DirectionsPoesten Kill Bends Preserve70 acres · 1.8 mi of trail · Hudson Taconic Lands
Prospect Park87 acres · 1.7 mi of trail
DirectionsBurden Pond Preserve65 acres · 1.6 mi of trail · City of Troy
DirectionsJohn B. Staalesen Vanderheyden Preserve23 acres · 1.3 mi of trail · Hudson Taconic Lands
DirectionsKnickerbacker Park43 acres · 0.8 mi of trail
DirectionsHVCC21 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · HVCC
DirectionsStow Hill Nature Preserve31 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · City of Troy
DirectionsOsgood Woods14 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · City of Troy
DirectionsBeman Park7 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
DirectionsWilliam D. Chamberlain Riverfront Park4 acres · 0.3 mi of trail
DirectionsPoesten Kill Gorge Park10 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
Directions7th Ave Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Directions123rd Street Boat Launch Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Directions6th Avenue Park4 acres
DirectionsSage Park3 acres
DirectionsCarroll Hill Park2 acres
DirectionsSouth Troy Swimming Pool2 acres
DirectionsPowers Memorial Park2 acres
Directions112th Street Park2 acres
DirectionsIngalls Avenue Boat Launch2 acres
DirectionsKinloch Park1 acres
DirectionsRiley Park1 acres
120th Street Park1 acres
DirectionsCorliss Park1 acres
Who protects it
508 conserved acres
8% of Troy’s land. Water is left out: Troy has 10.4 square miles of land and 0.7 of water, so the share counts land only. Who manages Troy’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city942 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits38 ac
Regional agency5 ac
Other state land4 ac
Local Park · 944 acPrivate Conservation · 23 acPrivate Other or Unknown · 13 acLocal Other or Unknown · 5 acState Recreation Area · 4 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 2 of 26 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Troy City Lands Local Park | Town or city | 428 | Open |
| Frear Park Local Park | Town or city | 209 | Open |
| City of Troy Land Local Park | Town or city | 168 | Unknown |
| Knickerbacker Park Local Park | Town or city | 53 | Open |
| Burden Pond Park Local Park | Town or city | 44 | Open |
| Rensselaer Land Trust Land Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 23 | Open |
| Poestenkill Gorge Park Local Park | Town or city | 14 | Open |
| Beman Park Local Park | Town or city | 6 | Open |
| Lansingburgh Little League Lands Private Other or Unknown | Land trusts & nonprofits | 6 | Closed |
| Lansingburgh School Dist Land Local Other or Unknown | Regional agency | 5 | Unknown |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
68 places to go in Troy
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Troy
1 beach without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Public pools in Troy
Knickerbacker Aquatic Center PoolIn Knickerbacker Park
DirectionsSouth Troy Swimming PoolIn South Troy Swimming Pool
DirectionsTroy High School Pool
DirectionsPlaygrounds in Troy
24 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Boat launches in Troy
123rd Street Boat Launch
DirectionsPlus 4 boat launches without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Troy
Corning Cascade Falls
DirectionsLower Burden Falls
DirectionsLower Burden FallsIn Burden Pond Preserve
DirectionsPiscawen FallsIn Frear Park
DirectionsPoesten Kill Falls
DirectionsPoesten Kill Falls
DirectionsSmart's CascadeIn Burden Pond Preserve
DirectionsUpper Burden Falls
Directions1 more waterfall
Upper Burden FallsIn Burden Pond Preserve
DirectionsPlus 8 waterfalls without a name on the map.
Scenic views in Troy
Burden Pond Dam OverlookIn Burden Pond Preserve
DirectionsLookout PointIn Osgood Woods
DirectionsPoesten Kill Falls Overlook
DirectionsPlus 8 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Troy
Mount Olympus85 ft elevation
DirectionsPicnic areas in Troy
2 picnic areas without a name on the map.
Disc golf in Troy
Prospect Park Disc Golf CourseIn Prospect Park
DirectionsCommunity gardens in Troy
Stow HillCity of Troy
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 7 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Unpaved · 10.5 mi
Red Trail1.3 mi
The Narrows Cascade and Heritage Trail: Phase 11.3 mi
Perimeter Trail1.0 mi
Wynants Kill Loop0.7 mi
Cliff Trail (White)0.5 mi
Garnet Douglass Baltimore Trail (blue)0.4 mi
Piscawen Trail0.4 mi
Disc Golf path0.3 mi
Springwood Manor0.3 mi
Upper works0.3 mi
15 more trails
White Trail
0.3 miConnector Trail
0.3 miLaPan Upper Trail (Blue)
0.2 miWright Lake Trail
0.2 miNarrows: Cascade & Heritage Trail Mill Street Trail
0.2 miRidge Loop Trail
0.2 miWarren's Trail
0.2 miYellow Trail
0.2 miGorge trail
0.2 miNorthwest Access Trail
0.2 miFerry/Havermans Connector
0.2 miMcDonough Trail (Red)
0.2 miHill Trail (Green)
0.2 miLaPan Lower Trail (Orange)
0.1 miBack Steps Trail
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
6.5 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
2.3 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
3.1 mi
off-road bike paths
1.1 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Courts & fields
30Tennis
29Baseball
22Basketball
10Soccer
4Football
3Pickleball
2Multi-sport
1Beach volleyball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →66 places on the National Register, 4 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 54 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
★
Earl, Gardner, Memorial Chapel and CrematoriumNational Historic Landmark · Building · listed 2004
About itCannon BuildingBuilding · listed 1970
About itMcCarthy BuildingBuilding · listed 1970
About itFifth Avenue-Fulton Street Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1970
About itIlium BuildingBuilding · listed 1970
About itNational State Bank BuildingBuilding · listed 1970
About itTroy Gas Light CompanyBuilding · listed 1971
About itBurden Ironworks Office BuildingBuilding · listed 1972
About itTroy Public LibraryBuilding · listed 1973
About it54 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Troy: April and May
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) | 33 | 36 | 45 | 59 | 71 | 79 | 84 | 82 | 75 | 62 | 49 | 38 |
| Rain (in) | 2.6 | 2.2 | 2.6 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 4.3 | 4.3 | 4.2 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 2.9 | 3.2 |
February is the driest month (2.2 in) and July the warmest (highs of 84 °F). 4.3 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in Troy →
Next door
Troy and its neighbors
Troy has the most mapped trails of the 8 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Troy23 miNorth Greenbush13 miBrunswick11 miSchaghticoke6.3 miWynantskill4.7 miWatervliet0.9 miGreen Island0.5 miGreen Island0.5 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Troy | 8% | 2.2 | 10 | 96% | A |
| Brunswick | 2% | 0.3 | 33 | 45% | B− |
| Schaghticoke | 7% | 0.1 | 46 | 48% | B |
| North Greenbush | 1% | 0.7 | 5 | 54% | C+ |
| Watervliet | 3% | 0.7 | 3 | 99%+ | B+ |
| Green Island | 5% | 0.7 | 9 | 99%+ | A− |
| Green Island | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Wynantskill | — 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 Troy
Where can I hike in Troy?
The longest trail networks: Frear Park, 5.2 miles; Poesten Kill Bends Preserve, 1.8 miles; Prospect Park, 1.7 miles; Burden Pond Preserve, 1.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Troy is conserved land?
8% 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 Troy’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Poesten Kill Bends Preserve (on leash), Burden Pond Preserve (on leash) and Stow Hill Nature Preserve (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Troy?
6.5 miles of bike routes are on the map: 2.3 of painted or protected lanes, 3.1 of off-road paths and 1.1 of shoulders and shared lanes.
Is there public land near Troy?
17,784 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Troy or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 518 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Troy have?
Ahead of 86% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #170 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 Troy 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 →