Click here for the 2018 Town of Nassau Nature Preserve Hiking Guide!

Mud Pond Preserve - Nassau's first public trail!

Mud Pond Preserve is a nearly 100 acre tract of land on County Route 16 in the Town of Nassau, Rensselaer County. It contains a rich peat bog lake, called Mud Pond, a unique and complex ecosystem, and a mature forest.

Click here for pictures and more information about our first Town park: the Mud Pond Preserve!

The Town of Nassau is seeking donations of bluebird nesting boxes and a wood duck box.  Donated boxes can be dropped off at the Town Hall.

Stewart Preserve - Nature Conservancy Property

The Steward Preserve is not operated or controlled by the Town of Nassau but is another natural area with public access in the community.  This preserve is a nearly 123 acre parcel comprised of rolling hardwood and hemlock forest and some minor wetland areas. 

The Stewart Preserve is accessed via a trailhead on Stewart Lane in the Town of Sand Lake.  Most of the accessible property (103 acres) is in Nassau.

Please follow Nature Conservancy rules and respect parking and other access requirements.

Rensselaer Plateau

You may not know that the Town of Nassau is partially located in the Rensselaer Plateau. The Plateau is one of the largest and most ecologically intact native habitats in New York State covering approximately 105,000 acres. 

The Plateau’s relatively high elevations and cool climate, acidic soils, and its poor drainage contribute to plants, forests, and wetlands more similar to the Adirondacks than to the surrounding local area.

The Plateau is also estimated to be the fifth largest forested region in New York State.

To learn more about this important economic and ecological asset in Nassau, please click here to visit the Rensselaer Plateau Alliance website.