Huyck Preserve

Headed out to the hills of Albany County for a little early taste of fall at the Edmund Niles Huyck Preserve in Rensselaerville, NY.  It is a high elevation preserve so the leaves were starting to show a tinge of fall color here and there and with temps in the low 60's with a Northwest wind it certainly was feeling like autumn.
This area is probably best known for its Falls at the south entrance of the property, but I had been there a couple times already so I headed to different entrance here to explore.  The Falls, known as Rensselaerville Falls, are quite spectacular, but there are over 12 miles of trails in this beautiful area, so there are plenty of other sites to see as well.
I parked at the kiosk next to the Eldridge Research Station and headed out on the Lincoln Pond trail.  To get started on the trail you must first pass by the Dam at the south end of the pond.

Once on the trail, you follow the pond closely along the east side with some nice views across the water.

There is a nice footbridge across a stream flowing in to north end of the pond.

The loop around the pond is an easy, short walk of only .6 miles.  It certainly left me wanting even more, so I decided to explore the longer Lake Myosotis Trail which is about 1.2 miles one way.  The term Myosotis is the scientific name for the flower forget-me-not.  The lake was formed in the early 19th Century when Ten Mile Creek was dammed to provide power for the local mills.
The trail follows Ten Mile Creek from the dam down to the lake.  There were some interesting areas in the creek where fallen leaves had gathered and looked like an artists work.

 Following some heavy rains the last couple of days, the water level was up some.

You quickly begin to see the lake on your left as you continue your walk.  It is slightly uneven terrain with boardwalks in some of the wetter areas.  Some breaks in the clouds made for some nice views out over the water.

Headed back to the car once I got from one end of the lake to the other, but was left with a good feeling here.  The trails are very well cared for, and the surrounding woods are ruggedly handsome.  A very nice area to get out and explore, only about 45 minutes west of Albany.