New nature preserve in Cobleskill opens Saturday for hiking

COBLESKILL, N.Y. ( NEWS10 )– The Schoharie Land Trust acquired 270 acres in Cobleskill and Seward for a new nature preserve. The Settles Mountain Nature Preserve will be open to for non-motorized activities, like hiking, starting Oct. 19.

On Oct. 9, Schoharie County resident Richard Norton donated 270 acres of his real estate holdings in the Town of Cobleskill and Seward to the Trust. The Trust is a non-profit organization that promotes the preservation, protection and stewardship of agricultural, scenic, forest, and open space lands.

The land, along the Cobleskill Creek, consists of upland forest, large fields, a part of a beaver bog and an extensive network of hiking trails. According to the Trust, most of the land is free of invasive species, an important factor in evaluation donations of real estate.

The Settles Mountain Nature Preserve will have three entrances: Old Smokey Hollow Road, Knox Farm Road and SUNY Cobleskill. Old Smokey Hollow Road will be the main entrance for the site and to accommodate visitors, a parking lot will soon be built; until then guests can park in a shale bank located on the south side of the road, owned by neighbor Keith Bavolar.

Permitted Activities:

• Hiking
• Trail running
• Snowshoeing
• Picnicking
• Birdwatching
• Mountain biking
• Horseback riding
• Cross-country skiing
• Camping (with permission)

Prohibited Activities:

• Hunting
• Snowmobiling
• ATVs
• Littering
• Loud Noise

In addition to the donation by Norton, neighboring residents have also contributed land. The Bernard family plan on donating three of their land parcels to the project, totaling about 14 acres to the Trust. Rafael Domenech, local resident, has also donated artwork and signs for the preserve.

On Saturday, the Land Trust and Norton will host a guided hike through the preserve starting at 10 a.m. The hike will cover about 5 miles of land; if it rains, the hike will be postponed until Oct. 26.

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