Black Creek Marsh WMA(Town of New Scotland, Albany County)

Visited the Black Creek Marsh Wildlife Management Area this afternoon, which sprawls out to cover nearly 450 acres at the base of the Helderberg Escarpment near Voorheesville.  There are several trailheads and access points as well as a myriad of small, marked and unmarked trails that meander throughout the area.  My starting point was from the trialhead located off of School Road, where a kiosk and small designated parking area are located.  About 2 inches of very hard packed snow covered the ground throughout most of the hike, so I donned my spikes and set out.

Initially I followed the yellow blazed trail, which crosses a large clearing and meadow area, before dropping down into the woods.  Once in the woods, one way leads to a dead end at a railroad crossing and a second heads north to a junction with a blue blazed trail.

The blue trail forms a loop, closely hugging the east side of the marsh and providing many up close views of Black Creek, which is currently completely frozen over.

Across the wintry Black Creek Marsh is a wonderful view of the nearby Helderberg Escarpment to the west. This was really a nice spot!

After enjoying the trails along School Road, I then drove the short distance to the trailhead at the end of Kling Terrace, where there is a kiosk and room for about one or two cars to park.

The trails here are pleasant, but a strong wind kept me moving along.  The hard packed snow has almost become a solid ice, and was not softening much even on this 40 degree day.

Crossing beneath power lines, where an easement allows hikers to pass with clearing skies above.

Hiked about 2.5 miles total, with a couple hundred feet of barley noticeable ascent along the way.  Didn't see another soul the entire afternoon.  A hidden gem in plain sight!