Scenic Hudson Acquires 303 Acres Next To Hudson Valley Rail Trail

Scenic Hudson has acquired more than 300 acres next to the Hudson Valley Rail Trail that will preserve wetland habitats and offer new recreational opportunities for local residents including a planned 11-mile hiking, biking, and paddling route along Black Creek.

The Ulster County property is the Town of Lloyd will also help preserve the water quality of a vital Hudson River tributary. The acquisition has 40 acres of open and forested wetlands along with a mile of land along Black Creek. The deal closed in July and will protect a native habitat that local animals and vegetation rely on to survive. The plot of land connects to an already protected plot of land on Illinois Mountain.

Scenic Hudson President Ned Sullivan had this to say about the addition, 'For more than a decade, Scenic Hudson has been adding to the lands we’ve protected along Black Creek. By acquiring this beautiful and ecologically important land, we continue to enhance the experience of paddlers on this scenic waterway as well as users of the adjacent Hudson Valley Rail Trail and future Empire State Trail.

Siting proximity to the New York State Thruway and Mid Hudson Bridge, the property was identified as vulnerable to residential or commercial development.