Walking or paddling, a trip through the Hudson River’s largest forested tidal swamp offers many surprises.

CATSKILL, Greene County (612 acres) — A swamp may not have the cachet of a mountain peak, but what it lacks in grandeur it makes up for in wildlife diversity. And as RamsHorn-Livingston Sanctuary proves, swamps can be exceedingly beautiful — full of wildflowers, rustling marsh grasses and intriguing rock outcroppings. Paddling through the creek, curvy as old-fashioned ribbon candy, you’ll make the acquaintance of dragonflies, great blue herons, flocks of waterfowl, muskrats and river otters, and maybe a bald eagle. In other words, while this is an ideal place to get away from it all, you’ll have plenty of company.

RamsHorn-Livingston Sanctuary is co-owned and co-managed with Audubon New York. For inquiries and information about educational and public programming, contact Audubon New York at 845-265-2601.