See the Open Space Program's website:  www.cliftonparkopenspaces.org

The Open Space, Trails & Riverfront Committee meets monthly and their meetings are open to the public.  Click here for the pdf 2021 Meeting Schedule (113 KB) .  The committee works through active subcommittees: Stewardship, Trails, Farmland Protection & Agriculture, Communications/Website, Events/Activities/Programs, and Land Preservation & Acquisition.  Please contact the Open Space Coordinator for more information.

The OPEN SPACE, TRAILS & RIVERFRONT COMMITTEE's next meeting is Wed., Feb. 10, 2021  at  6:15 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.  Members of the public are welcome and invited to this Virtual Meeting online via ZOOM per the details below - TO BE ADDED.  Please check for the details closer to the meeting.

  pdf 2021 Meeting Schedule for the Town of Clifton Park Open Space, Trails and Riverfront Committee (113 KB)

The Orange Trail is now open at the Town's Mohawk Landing Nature Preserve as of Fall 2020! In 2020, Eagle Scout candidate Tyler D'Angelo improved the seasonal, natural surface trail, marked as the "Orange Trail" with his volunteer crews.  The Orange Trail can be reached by taking the Stone Dust Gravel Trail (the main trail from the parking lot) which is an accessible trail that leads nearly 800 feet to a Mohawk River vista and picnic area. The "Orange Trail" is a natural surface, rugged, pathway that loops parallel to the river and then to the north and east back to the main trail for about 1,400 feet.  As with any visit to a public place, please practice social distance requirements and wear face coverings when closer than 6 feet to other visitors per NYS Department of Health and CDC guidelines. 

  2021 Members:

1. David Miller
2. William Connor, Jr.
3. Gerald Burr
4. Frank Berlin
5. Raymond Seymour
6. Isabel Prescott
7. Roy Casper
8. Alicia Jacobs
9. Kristin Murphy
10. Michael Hartnett, Esq.
11. James Flaherty
12. Leonard Casper
13. Gurinder Garcha                                                                      

VISCHER FERRY NATURE & HISTORIC PRESERVE: Want more info about this special place? Please see this 2002 Vischer Ferry Nature & Historic Preserve Brochure or visit www.cliftonparkopenspaces.org

WHIPPLE BRIDGE at VISCHER FERRY NATURE & HISTORIC PRESERVE:  The iconic Whipple Bridge marks the prominent entrance to the preserve, located south of the intersection of Riverview Road and Van Vranken Road.  This historic bridge was placed onsite in 1997 with the help of Union College and other volunteers, moved from its original location in Fonda, NY.  For more information about the history of Whipple bridges and this particular span, please see an excerpt of the engineering students' 1996 study, here: 

STEWARDSHIP HIKES:  

If you missed the JULY 10 Stewardship program about GARNSEY PARK, you can still view it here as a PDF file:  Virtual Stewardship Hike_Garnsey Park_7-10-20

 If you missed the JUNE 5 Stewardship program about the 37 Acre of the new Town Center Park, you can still view it here as a PDF file:  https://1drv.ms/b/s!AlFS35U05_VXg4JH0kWk6VUbMlLYUw?e=Y2cLHP

Thank you!  Any questions?  Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Open Space, Trails and Riverfront Committee offers advisory recommendations to the Town Board for implementing the Town’s Open Space Program and managing the town’s public lands. The Town’s Open Space Program is based on the Town of Clifton Park Open Space Plan adopted by the Town Board in 2003. The program includes activities such as: the acquisition of land and conservation easements to protect water quality and ensure clean drinking water, and to conserve natural areas for wildlife habitat and farmland for supporting local agriculture; the provision of additional parkland for recreation; the continuation of town-wide trail connections; and the protection of scenic and historic places. Additionally, the Trails Subcommittee provides ongoing recommendations to the Planning Board and to the Town Board for implementing pedestrian and bicyclist facilities improvements and town-wide connections. The committee meets regularly and all meetings are open to the public. The 2020 chairperson is David J. Miller.

The Town of Clifton Park Town Board appointed the inaugural Open Space, Trails and Riverfront Subcommittee in January 2006, following an earlier Open Space Plan Advisory Committee led by David J. Miller and Jim Romano, which had conducted a public open space planning process from 2001 through 2003, and early implementation from 2003 through 2005. The current Open Space, Trails and Riverfront Committee was formed to bring together the former Open Space Implementation Committee, the Trails Committee and a Riverfront Study Committee to work towards common, complementary and mutual goals and objectives, and fully implement the 2003 Town of Clifton Park Open Space Plan, adopted by the Town Board. The formation of the advisory committee coincided with the appointment of the town’s first Open Space Coordinator, Jennifer Viggiani, who started in 2005.