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 Reporter |
Summary: Plotter Kill Preserve is a nature preserve near Rotterdam, NY. The Plotter Kill, a tributary of the Mohawk River, flows through a very rugged gorge. The forest here contains a mix of hardwoods and confiers. There are three beautiful waterfalls. The Upper Falls is 60 feet; the Lower Falls and the Rynex Creek Falls are both 40 feet. Start on the red trail near the kiosk. Take the side trail (blue) which will take you to lookouts over the Upper and Lower falls. Continue on the red trail which crosses the Kill on a foot bridge. You will pass by the Upper and Lower falls. The trail goes down a switchback taking you to the top of the falls on the Rynex creek. Cross the creek here. If you have ample time, you can follow the red trail to the end of the preserve near the Thruway. There is a cascading waterfall there. I opted to turn around shortly after crossing the power lines for this trip. Trailhead: Take Interstate 90 (Thruway) to Exit 25A (Interstate 88). Take first exit ramp right after the toll booth. At the light, turn left onto NY Route 7 (East). After about 1/2 mile, turn left onto NY Rte 337 (North). Turn left at next light on NY Route 159 (West). Drive for 3.5 miles to parking area on the right - just past Coplon Rd. (Lat:42.825 Lon:-74.052) Trail Guides for Plotter Kill Preserve: Best Seasons: Fall, Spring, Summer, User Groups: Hikers, Dogs, Ranger Contact: Schenectady County Planning Department (518) 386-2225 Localhikes Reporter: This hike was submitted by George Senft, who has posted 26 other hikes on this site Trail Reviews Page 1 of 6 Submit your own review 
Reviewed by Eric on 6/17/2008 awesome place.. been there probably well over 100 times in the past 8+ years, so its not as 'beautiful' as it once seemed lol, plus the main rt159 entrance is usually packed full and sometimes i find it unenjoyable when theres tons of ppl there, especially when they are being loud and obnoxious.... the falls are great in early spring or after a storm.... as for the coplon entrance, i used to love that one and i went to it for the 1st time in a couple years.. its great that most ppl do not goto that one and also, deer like to graze in the fields by the parking lot which can be a nice sight... but be careful in this part.. all that tall grass and plants (some of it waist high.. or taller) is a haven for ticks.. i was covered in them!! bewar 
Reviewed by Dfobes on 5/26/2008 personally, i love the place. its tru that the river does run low around mid summer, but i think it might be jus because people keep throwing rocks in the river to make bridges. other then that, its a beautiful place. many different terrains, i prefer to stay between the powerlines and the entrance. id sugjest this palce to anybody who likes to climb up and down steap hillsides because it contains a lot of them.
Reviewed by Chad on 5/25/2008 My wife and I hiked this on 5-24 with our pug. We spent most of our time hiking down the creek bed and then sliding down the hillside to get to the bottom of the falls. The waterfalls were spectacular but the third set of falls was nearly completely dried up. The other two were gorgeous and made for some very nice pictures. We didn't hike the entire red loop but I do recommend that you print out a copy of the map of this trail as it did come in handy at one point for myself and two other groups I met on the trail. I can't wait to take my kids on this hike in the next couple of weeks.
Reviewed by df2 on 4/27/2008 NB the time and distance estimates above are not for the full red loop - we did the loop from formed by the red trail on the N & S sides of the gorge, cutting over from S to N to get back to the trailhead, and it was about 4 hours, hiking at a moderate pace with a few short stops.
Reviewed by df on 4/27/2008 amazing the difference a few weeks makes....I went yesterday, 4/26/08, & the falls were all pretty dry, trails were completely dry & stream crossings were easy. no sign of any ice or snow anywhere. trails seem to be very well marked all around so maybe a crew has been through to repaint since the earlier reviews.
Reviewed by Virinder S on 4/20/2008 The hike is very nice (I did the southern rim). The falls are beautiful and peaceful to sit by. I had trouble following the red trail, as other people have mentioned. I took the Coplon entrance, but I missed the trailhead (it's off to the left of the parking lot) and just walked along a steep path down to the stream, and then just followed the stream all the way up to the two falls. It is fairly rocky if you do this, but at least you get to the base of the falls (I don't think you can do this following the path alone). I did eventually find the path (it's easier to find on the Mariaville entrance), and I think it's fairly easy to follow. Just be patient, look around, and you'll usually find the next red marker.
Reviewed by Suzanne on 4/6/2008 A very nice hike. We would definitely return later in the spring--yesterday (4/5), the trails were very soggy and wet where they weren't icy and slippery, so we had to really watch our step. If you park at the Coplon road entrance and follow the red trail, be forewarned that as of 4/5/08 there is no footbridge across the river, which, though shallow, is probably 10 feet across and rocky. Be prepared to ford it, Oregon-trail style. From the parking lot off of 159, it was too icy for us (wearing trail running shoes) to follow the red trail down to the footbridge, but the blue trail was perfectly lovely (if wet and slippery, too). Those with cleats or better gear might have fared better.
Reviewed by CASEY on 1/3/2008 I think this is a great local area to hike but would really like to see better trail markings & info. We thought it was a easy,short hike but found ourselves trapped on the other side w our only options to try a river crossing & get soaked or hike all the way back the way we came & do that, trying to beat darkness. The trail we ended up on seemed much longer then anticipated & we weren't prepared for a nite hike. I'll never do this hike again w/o being better prepared. I don't know if we got off on the wrong trail or what but we're avid hikers & if we got messed up I'm sure any one could. This could have been scary & dangerous for anyone w/ small children. If the markers haven't been update i strongly urge them to do so. Notice: Traveling in the backcountry can be hazardous. You are responsible for informing yourself about these hazards and taking necessary precautions. Information on this web site comes from volunteer reporters and may contain errors or omissions. A current guidebook and proper equipment are essential for safe enjoyment of the hikes posted on this site. Keys: New York Hiking, New York Trails, New York Hikes, Schenectady County Hiking, Schenectady County Trails, Schenectady County Hikes | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||