Albany Pine Bush, Albany, NY – Lots of short, easy trails on flat terrain. However, lots of ticks! I usually avoid the Pine Bush when possible, because every time we did tick checks, the kids had ticks on them even when we were careful about staying on the trail.
Ann Lee Pond & Historic Site, Albany, NY – short walk around a pond and fishing available, too.
Ashford Glen Preserve, Schenectady, NY – very short walk in and out of the woods (no loop, less than one mile).
Bauer Environmental Park, Colonie, NY – less than 1 mile loop, all boardwalks.
Bennett Hill Preserve, Feura Bush, NY – fairly easy loop, with views of farm fields.
Bozen Kill Preserve, Altamont, NY – short hike with two trails, so you can choose the length of the hike.
Christman Sanctuary, Duanesburg, NY (Capital Region) – Short hike to a waterfall. There is a short set of stairs where you should supervise younger kids.
Dwaas Kill Nature Preserve, Clifton Park, NY (Capital Region) – Easy walk through the woods, but ultimately not very scenic.
Five Rivers Environmental Education Center, Delmar, NY – Several hikes to choose from, from 1/4 mile ADA compliant trails to 2 mile trails.
Fox Preserve, Latham, NY (Town of Colonie) – short, easy loop hike, approximately 1 mile.
Grays Crossing Park, Ballston Spa, NY – 1 mile loop through a meadow and along a stream.
Great Flats Nature Trail, Schenectady, NY (Capital Region)
Hannacroix Ravine Preserve, Voorheesville, NY (Capital Region) – 2.5 mile loop, but you don’t have to do the whole thing. Nice streams to explore and flip rocks.
Henry Gerber Reist Sanctuary, Niskayuna, NY – Easy trails 1.5 miles or less. Mostly flat, but not much to see (no streams or views).
Hollyhock Hollow Sanctuary, Selkirk, NY (Capital Region) – Easy 1.9 mile loop, but you can choose shorter trails. Also, a creek where you can relax and explore.
Hyuck Preserve, Rensselaerville, NY – Nice trail with a beautiful waterfall.
Indian Kill Preserve, Schenectady, NY (Capital Region) – Easy, rambling hike through the woods, and streams to explore.
Keleher Preserve, Voorheesville, NY (Capital Region) – About 4 miles of trails, but you can tailor the hike and do shorter sections. Much of the trail is flat, mingled with some steeper sections.
Landis Arboretum, Esperance, NY (Capital Region) – Nice area to walk around with a couple of sculptures. Kids may not be impressed with the plants, but it is also a nice place to picnic.
Limestone Rise Preserve, Knox, NY (Capital Region) – Short, easy hike with kids. Watch younger kids so they don’t get hurt on rock formations.
Lisha Kill Natural Area, Niskayuna, NY (Capital Region) – Good for kids, but lots of exposed roots on the trail that could pose a tripping hazard. Better for older kids that can watch their footing.
Moccasin Kill Sanctuary, Schenectady, NY (Capital Region) – Neat place to explore with unique rock formations.
Peebles Island State Park, Cohoes, NY (Capital Region) – Lots of wide, flat trails to meander, and it is easy to chose shorter trails. *There are some steep edges you will want to keep younger kids away from.
Rowland Hollow Creek Preserve, Saratoga Springs, NY – 3/4 mile of trails, mostly flat.
Sanders Preserve, Town of Glenville, NY (Capital Region) – Not the best maintained, but a neat stream to explore.
Saratoga Spa State Park, Saratoga, NY (Capital Region) – Great place for kids to explore, from the trails to the springs, play areas, picnic areas and more.
Schoharie Creek Preserve, Esperance, NY (approx. 1/2 hour west of Albany) – Easy 1.3 mile loop, and you can stop to explore Schoharie creek.
Tawasentha Park, Guilderland, NY – 5 miles of trails to pick from, with lots of paths meandering through the park. *Note: non-residents may have to pay a fee to enter.
Thacher Park Indian Ladder Trail, Voorheesville, NY (Capital Region) – Very scenic trail; use caution with younger children when it comes to staying away from edges.
Thacher Park Hiking Trails, Voorheesville, NY (Capital Region) – lots of options for flat, short walks.
Touhey Family Preserve, Delmar, NY (Capital Region) – 1 mile hike over flat, easy terrain. Near several other short, easy hikes (like Phillipinkill Preserve, Swift Wetland).
Vischer Ferry Nature & Historic Preserve, Vischer Ferry NY – Lots of flat walking paths with crushed gravel, and trails of various lengths. We always see lots of people walking, biking, running, and kids in strollers.
Vosburgh Trails, Guilderland, NY (Capital Region) – Short, easy hike.
Winn Preserve, Altamont, NY – about 2 miles of trails that ramble through woods. use caution with younger children when it comes to staying away from edges in the higher elevations of the hike where there are overlooks.
Wolf Creek Falls Preserve, Altamont/Knox, NY (Capital Region) – Nice area to explore, with some streams where you can flip rocks.
Woodlawn Nature Preserve, Schenectady, NY (Capital Region) – Short walk around a lake, but unfortunately flooded and grown in when we visited.
And a few just outside the Capital Region:
Art Omi, Ghent, NY – Approximately 30 mins from Albany. Pair with High Falls Conservation Area. These are not hiking trails, but many acres to walk at your leisure and explore.
Falling Waters Preserve, Saugerties, NY – beautiful, short walk to a lighthouse. Fun on a day trip in warm weather, and bring a lunch or snack to enjoy at the lighthouse!
High Falls Conservation Area, Hudson, NY (about 45 minutes from Albany) – Short walk to a waterfall, and a good hike to pair with Art Omi as a day trip.
Saugerties Lighthouse, NY – (approx. 1 hour south of Capital Region – must time according to tide schedule!) – Nice, short walk to a lighthouse. Bring a lunch or snack to enjoy at the lighthouse!
What a great list! We do need to go hiking more often. I’ll have to see what trails we have around here.
oh this is so fun- i cant wait for the warmer weather to get here so we can do some hiking!
I would love to go hiking with my family. It’s always such a great adventure, and a wonderful way to explore.
I can’t wait for this chaos to be over so we can go hiking!
I love a good hike! I can’t wait for my baby to be a little older so we can start going again!
I have never tried to go on hike with my family but this sounds really a lot of fun. Hoping that everything will be okay soon so we can do this activity as a family.
Wow! This is such an awesome list! I can’t wait to drag my husband and son here. Thanks for sharing!
These sound like some amazing places to go hiking, It is amazing the different trails that are out there to wander and enjoy.
Such a great list. We also have a lot of hiking trails here in our area, but we’ve never tried hiking before. Maybe soon.
Hiking is such a great way to enjoy nature and get some exercise!
Love all these choices! We should organize something one of these weekends!
We here in Florida have many places to hike, unfortunately the temperature is not the most enjoyable for Babushka. Sweat and Skeeters make BB a glamping in winter kinda Grandma.
Looks like great place to enjoy family hikes, thanks for the great list I would love to check it out.
These trails look so good for a family bonding! I so need to find out hiking trails near my place! Though one of my girlfriend’s homes is in Albany!
Wow sounds like interesting place to visit. I wish to go there some day. Thanks for sharing all this.
That’s such a fabulous list of family-friendly hikes in Albany, NY. I will have to book mark some of these. Excellent resource.
We love hiking! I wish we could travel more so we could hike! NOw that our son isold enough to walk it!
Great list of wonderful places to explore. I wish we were allowed to engage in such activities, but no. I really don’t know when we will be allowed, but I am not losing hope.
My co-worker would love this, she hikes often. The photos are terrific!
So many great places for hiking. Mt daughters love to hike.
This is such a helpful guide if you are visiting New York! There is so much beauty there, I would definitely love to go with my family someday. We love hikes! Thank you so much for sharing.