We were looking for somewhere to go hiking in the Saratoga area. I found Woods Hollow Nature Preserve, which is under 10 minutes from Saratoga Spa National Park.
I used Google Maps to find the park. Google directed me to a large parking lot located off Northline Road.
The entrance to the parking lot is not labeled, so I almost missed it. It was also very difficult to cross over traffic when it was time to leave, as there was quite a bit of traffic on this road.
There are some pull-off areas on Ballston Ave as well. Due to traffic and the trails I tried, I would have preferred to park in one of the pull-off areas.
There is a kiosk with some information and a trail map.
Unfortunately, the kiosk trail map is not the best.
I did see some Google reviews that say it can be tough to follow the trails. I did notice that the trees were spray painted with colors, and there are no actual trail markers. The kiosk map was also not color-coded, so I wasn’t sure where I was going, even if a tree was marked with a color.
I read that the trails are about 1.9 miles. There are lots of different loops and segments with areas to explore.
I started off on the trail by the parking lot. It is a wide and mostly flat trail.
I wasn’t particularly impressed by the scenery to start, as there was some trash, and a sandy area that appeared to be showing some wear (maybe by bikers).
However, I spotted some pretty flowers along the trails.
The trails are flat and meander through forested areas, and I enjoyed the shade that the trees provided.
I did not make it to the pond at the preserve, but it is a great feature of this natural area. Check out this blog for a post and photos of the pond:
https://saratogawoodswaters.blogspot.com/2020/07/plants-and-pollinators-at-woods-hollow.html
Overall, the preserve was a nice way to get outdoors and enjoy some walking. I would have liked to see a nicer map and trail markers, and a sign for the parking lot as well. Some of the trails and areas were not particularly scenic, but the pond is a nice feature if you make it over there.
Check out my other Capital Region Hikes.
This is such a beautiful area. I always love when there’s lot of flowers to see.
All of your photos are so beautiful, I would love to check out this preserve.
This woods hollow nature preserve looks beautiful. Would love to visit soon.
Such a nice place for a walk. I love the flowers and water.
I love being out in nature. It looks like a beautiful preserve!
I love discovering little hidden hiking gems, I’m glad you were able to find the entrance!
This looks like a great place to take a stroll. We don’t have any good trails like that around here. Plus the summer heat would make it brutal. We used to go hiking in Colorado.
Wow! That was a really amazing place! I would love to see those beautiful flowers!
What a beautiful place to visit and explore! Id have to spend more than a day or two! I love the woods!
Wow! The place looks absolutely mesmerizing, we all love to be with nature and this place will give us that.
A little outside time always is a good idea for me. It regroups my thoughts and feelings.
I absolutely love the outdoors and hiking is my favorite recreation. This looks like the perfect soft for me 😉
It sounds like an enjoyable hike, but it would be nicer if the trails and map were clearly labeled.
If we can find and get parking it looks like Woods Hollow Nature Preserve would be a good spot to visit in the Sarasota area. We will make sure our offline map app includes all the paths. And try to make it to the pond on our visit.
It looks like a nice place to take a nature walk. Your photos of the trail and the flowers make me want to get outdoors.
This sounds like an easy and pleasant hike. More a stroll than a hike, actually. Also, two miles is a good distance where you certainly don’t break a sweat 😉 I love the weathered sign – looks like inviting hikers into the wilderness 😉
Looks like a nice place to get your quick nature walk. Too bad the trail map didn’t really show what you need. And the pond is nice, though.
Great that you did not miss the entrance to the Woods Hollow Nature Preserve. But too bad to read that the map was not the best. We would still enjoy wandering through the woods and spending time outdoors.
I really enjoyed your article about Woods Hollow Nature Preserve in Ballston Spa. It’s wonderfully written and truly captures the essence of the place. The descriptions of the trails and wildlife make me feel like I’m right there, exploring the beauty of nature.