Black Creek Preserve, Esopus NY

One of our favorite places to visit year-round is Scenic Hudson’s Black Creek preserve. There is something for everyone here, and it begins only yards from the parking lot.

Since my children have been small, this has been our favorite outdoor classroom! There is so much life in creeks, vernal pools, and Hudson River, and it’s all right here on one hiking trail.

Black Creek is a tributary of the Hudson River, and one of our favorite visits included watching the herring running upstream. There were so many, you could step into the creek and have hundreds of them pass by each minute.

There is an embarrassment of riches in the wildlife department, and a perfect place to discuss the differences between the different aquatic habitats: vernal pools, creek, river.

The initial climb from the creek toward the river is an incline that draws moans and groans from hikers of all ages, but the incline is brief and the rest of the hike features a winding path through lovely, shaded forest. This portion of the hike includes a chance to take a peek at some vernal pools in spring and early summer, and you may just get a chance to observe some tadpoles.

Then off to the river, and a beautiful view of the Hudson. It’s our favorite place to skip rocks.

I hope you take a trip to Black Creek and post your comments about your trip there.

Thanks for reading… and happy adventuring!