JmurrayAthletics

Surrounding New Karner Road in Colonie, NY, is the Pinebush, a large preserve located in Albany County. The pinebush is one of the largest of 20 pine barrens on earth , formed thousands of years ago following the drainage of glacial lake Albany. The pinebush shares similar ecosystems and environment as the woodlawn preserve, which is only located a few miles away on the Rotterdam/Schenectady border. The entirety of the pine bush actually spreads 40 square miles, that’s over 3,200 acres!

For this hike We entered from the Pinebush discovery center. While the center was closed during our visit it normally would be open 10am- 4pm most days. During open hours the center features a vast variety of exhibits on plants, species, and natural history of the area, you can also join a lecture or guided tour!

The Pinebush offers miles and miles of trails, we stuck to the one just to the back of the center’s parking lot. The walk was roughly two miles long, and ran a small portion along the local highways, but aside from that was quiet and peaceful. The terrain has a few inclines and declines, but nothing too intense as some of the more average hikers on this trail were children or elderly. The terrain was a mixed bag of sand and dirt, most of pine bush being like that from the conditions created by the glaciers years ago.