Touhey Family Preserve

Discover

Touhey Family Preserve offers a small woodland outing in Delmar with views toward the Phillipin Kill and surrounding wetland. The Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy describes a roughly mile-long trail through a property that remains connected with the Touhey family’s history. A pine grove, fern-lined sections, and a side route toward a pond provide different subjects along the walk. The public invitation is specific: use marked trails and respect the occupied property beyond them.

The preserve occupies part of the family’s former farm and homestead landscape. Over the years, the Touheys worked with a certified forester to select particular trees for removal as part of forest management. That history makes the woods more than a backdrop to a recreational route. It is a place shaped by care and decisions, rather than a forest that must be imagined as untouched to have value. Look at the present woodland while allowing the documented management story to provide context.

The family worked with the conservancy to open the property to public visitors in October 2020. That relatively recent step added a new purpose without erasing the needs of people living there. Stay on the public trail and do not drive beyond the designated parking area. A private residence and its surrounding spaces are not part of the visitor experience. Understanding the boundary makes the invitation easier to enjoy: the marked route is enough to discover the woods without expanding access by assumption.

The Phillipin Kill marks the eastern edge of the protected land. An overlook offers a view toward the creek and wetlands, connecting this preserve with the wider corridor also protected at Phillipin Kill and Van Dyke Preserves. These properties share a conservation relationship, but visitors should use their separate maps and entrances. There is no need to create an unverified through-route to appreciate the connection. A map can reveal the relationship while each walk provides its own close view of the landscape.

The pond is another distinct point of attention. The operator describes it as manmade, reached by an offshoot from the main trail through the pine grove. Keep that origin clear rather than presenting every water feature as a natural pool. From an authorized viewpoint, compare the water with surrounding tree forms or look for a reflection that changes the composition. The route also includes bog boards in places, which help guide passage without making every surface equivalent to a fully accessible walkway.

Marysa’s original October 2020 account on A Nation of Moms described a quick family walk with boardwalk sections, ferns, and autumn foliage. She found the paths easy to follow during that visit. Those observations give a personal perspective on the early public experience, not a guarantee about current markings or suitability for every group. Use the latest map and confirm specific mobility needs directly. Seasonal vegetation will change, so the visit need not depend on finding the same flowers, colors, or pond appearance.

Check current arrival instructions and conditions before traveling, then keep the occupied property and wildlife undisturbed. Dogs must follow the conservancy’s leash rules, and all visitors should remain on marked routes. For a social series, pair a woodland view with an accurately identified creek or pond perspective and a note about the family’s stewardship. Touhey Family Preserve offers a clear kind of discovery: walking through a cared-for landscape while recognizing that the invitation depends on respecting both the land and its neighbors.

Fun facts

1. The property was part of the Touhey family farm and homestead.
2. It opened to public visitors in October 2020.
3. Its protected creek corridor relates to Phillipin Kill and Van Dyke Preserves.

Read the official sources →

Visitor perspectives

1. Marysa’s October 2020 original account described a quick family walk with boardwalk sections, ferns, and autumn foliage. This historical personal experience does not establish current surfaces or accessibility.

Nearby & related places

1. Phillipin Kill Preserve — part of the same protected creek corridor, with separate entrance and route.
2. Van Dyke Preserve — another MHLC property along the Phillipin Kill; check separate arrival arrangements.

Capture

1. Pair woodland with a creek or pond view from the authorized route. Identify the pond as manmade and avoid including private residential areas or entering their grounds.

Social

Touhey Family Preserve opened to public visitors in October 2020.

The woodland remains closely connected with the Touhey family’s farm and stewardship history.

A creek overlook, pine grove, fern-lined path, and pond offer different points of attention.

The operator identifies the pond as manmade.

Marked public trails are the invitation; the residence and private spaces are not visitor areas.

The protected Phillipin Kill corridor relates to other preserves with separate entrances.

Use the current map and stay within the public route.

Save Touhey for a walk that connects observation with respect for a family landscape.

Hashtags

1. #Cre8Travel
2. #NewYorkState
3. #NatureTravel
4. #Conservation
5. #DiscoverMore

Sources & visitor information

• Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy — Touhey Family Preserve
• OpenStreetMap — destination identity