Welcome back to National Parks and other public lands with T!

I’m reposting this as a shout-out to the Rail-to-Trails Conservancy. They recently asked to use my photo on their Liberty Loop page. One mile of this trail follows an old railroad corridor. Rails-to-Trails Conservancy seeks to build a nation connected by trails. They create rail-trails which are multi-purpose paths following former railroad beds.

Years ago, I lived in a more rural section of New Jersey, right on the border of Orange County, New York. Wallkill River National Wildlife Refuge was established in the years that I lived there to protect the water quality and manage the waterfowl dependent on the wetlands in the valley. There are several nature trails available for hiking.

While most of the refuge is in New Jersey, the trail head closest to my house was in New York. The 2.5-mile Liberty Loop Trail was created on a sod farm that was allowed to revert to its natural state and is co-aligned with the Appalachian Trail for one mile.

The trail begins on a short boardwalk section and loops around the wetlands. It is a nice flat trail and especially scenic when the leaves start turning…perfect for a short nature walk with little kids.

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Location: Oil City Rd, Pine Island, NY
Designation: National Wildlife Refuge
Date designated/established: 1990
Date of my visit: October 16, 2024