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. The committee conducts its work through multiple, 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.  Councilman Anthony Morelli is the Liaison from the Town Board.

The OPEN SPACE, TRAILS & RIVERFRONT COMMITTEE's next meeting is October 13, 2021.      Click here for the pdf 2021 Meeting Schedule (151 KB) .

LEARN MORE ABOUT ROCKS IN CLIFTON PARK!

  pdf GEOLOGY WALKS (1.87 MB) - New! September 2021

As part of a Girl Scout Silver Award Project, Katherine Johnson, of Troop 2158, has developed a "Geology Walks" informational brochure highlighting information about the geology of Clifton Park. The brochure, prepared as a community benefit project, offers educational information about rock formations in a visually interesting format, linked to locations where you can hike, walk, and stroll to see the "rocks of Clifton Park"!  Some hard copies are now available at the Town of Clifton Park Town Hall Reception Area and the Parks & Recreation Department Offices.  A digital brochure is also available by clicking below on the 2-page brochure:

image GEOLOGY WALKS Brochure - Page 1 of 2 (1.86 MB) ;

image GEOLOGY WALKS Brochure - Page 2 of 2 (609 KB) .

More information about her project and additional resources on Geology can be found by clicking here: pdf Geology Project Background & Additional Resources (1.87 MB) .

 VETERANS MEMORIAL PARK & MOONEY CARRESE FOREST

Lenny Casper and Jim Flaherty, members of the Stewardship Subcommittee refreshed the Trail Markers at Veterans Memorial Park & Mooney Carrese Forest.  Please see a new 2021 Trail Map below:

The Blue Trail is now open at the Town's Dwaas Kill Nature Preserve!  Thank you to Ryan Haug! You can start the Blue Trail at the Main Parking trailhead entrance off of Pierce Road.  

As with any visit to a public place, please practice current COVID-19 social distance requirements 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 2020:  

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.