I love surprises. I plan a lot, so it’s rare when something pleasantly unexpected pops up. Driving down scenic River Road I was swooning from the view of the Mohawk River. We passed by the entrance to the Mohawk Landing Nature Preserve [Riverview Rd, Rexford, NY 12148] on our way to lunch, I had never heard of the preserve before and felt compelled to go in and have a walk around. We parked in the small gravel lot and checked out the trail map.
Everything looked clean and new at this preserve. It seemed like the park was small enough to handle on the fly, and it would give us a chance to get a better view of the river. So we were off! The trails up to the picnic area are universally designed, so everyone can enjoy the scene. A bit of gravel, some boardwalk, birds chirping, and a beautiful wetland.
We got to the picnic area in no time, just 800 feet away from the parking lot. The fog was in, thick. We walked down the boat ramp to admire the shores of the Mohawk River.
It was an eerie, almost supernatural sight on this particular day. So cool. It would have been worth it to stop in just for the foggy river alone, but we noticed there was a trail leading into the woods that we didn’t see on the trail map. We decided to walk on. There was only one trail out and back, so no way to get lost. A bit of gravel, some compacted dirt, we followed the riverside path.
A bit more gnarled with rocks and tree roots, and some small rolling elevation gains here. It was a drizzly day and the trees were soaked through, the color of their bark was vibrant.
Gaining a bit of elevation we were able to see over the fog to the other side of the river. The snow melt was causing a plethora of tiny waterfalls along the cliffs!
A slushy pond was revealed, still and silent, except for the rain quietly dripping disturbing the layer of water on top of the ice.
After a bit of time we made it to a plank strategically placed so that hikers can cross a stream. The stream was running high on this day, so we decided to make this our turn around point.
It was probably the most spectacular spot to do so, because we were treated to this amazing waterfall!
This surprise was an awesome discovery and certainly added some flavor to the day. Pair it with lunch at nearby Vischer Ferry General Store, and you will positively have a marvelous afternoon.
I’m so glad you enjoyed the hike and the post!! Thank you for stopping by.
Thank you for this glorious description of your experience on the ML trail. I too came across the entrance by surprise and was happy to find your thorough appraisal of it. Definitely going to make time for this.
Thank you!! Must have had the Hudson on my mind. I’ll amend the post.
There is no tide on the Mohawk River.