Van Dyke Spinney Preserve(Bethlehem)

Visited the Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy's brand new Van Dyke Spinney Preserve in the town of Bethlehem. To find the preserve, follow Delmar bypass west to Van Dyke Road, then bear left and take it almost all the way to the end just before Van Dyke Rd meets Meads Lane.  A small parking lot is found on the right, just after a bridge crossing.   A kiosk with interesting preserve info and trail maps are available here.

The trail leaves the parking lot heading west with orange markers leading the way.  The trail is rather wet and muddy in some spots, but well built foot bridges help to keep your feet dry.

Puncheon over a muddier section of trail.

The trail makes a loop, hugging the banks of the Phillipin Kill much of the way.

The calm waters of the Phillipin Kill are never too far from the trail.

Early sunsets are a trademark of November.

The Phillipin Kill begins in the town of New Scotland and passes through the preserve on its way towards the Vloman Kill, which it will ultimately meet up with.

The trail is well marked but fairly obvious anyway.

This is not a very large preserve with under a mile of trail mileage, but is a quiet slice of nature amidst suburban sprawl.  The trail forms an easy loop with very little elevation gain and makes for a pleasant walk in the woods.