Noonan Preserve

Located along the Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trail, the Noonan Preserve provides a serene resting spot just above the Normans Kill Falls. With views next to the river and looking through the Normans Kill ravine, this flat location is a great stop along the Rail Trail to enjoy the scenery and take a rest from traversing the trail.

This preserve is accessible from the Rail Trail. Click below for driving directions to the Rail Trail parking area at 722 South Pearl Street in Albany.

.25 mile

Donated by the Noonan Family in 2020, this 3.6-acre property along the Helderberg-Hudson Rail Trail abuts the Normans Kill and is only accessible by the rail trail. With the construction of the DH Railway in 1868, this parcel was essentially cut off from the other lands of the Noonan estate largely used for pasture in the 19th and 20th century. Before colonial settlement, the Normans Kill and similar flat areas such as the Noonan Preserve played a major role as a “land of passage” and are noted as a historic promontory for Indigenous Peoples.