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Albany Pine Bush Preserve

Albany (Albany County)

Why we love it

Imagine walking along a sand dune with nary an ocean in sight. Around 15,000 years ago, at the end of the region’s last Ice Age, this gently rolling sandy plain sat beneath a glacier-formed lake. When the water receded, it became what’s called an inland pine barrens, one of only 20 in existence worldwide. Today, this landscape of dense shrubs, pitch pines and prairie grasses supports many species of bugs, birds and beasts. Nearly 18 miles of trails provide access to the preserve’s key natural features, and a Discovery Center offers hands-on activities.

More to explore

For a glimpse of wildlife roaming the region when the preserve was formed, check out the fossils of mammoths, mastodons and other Ice Age creatures at the New York State Museum in downtown Albany.

Highlights

  • Globally rare landscape
  • Great variety of wildlife

Directions, hours, etc.: https://www.albanypinebush.org/