The Columbia Land Conservancy (CLC) welcomes you to Ooms Conservation Area in Columbia County, NY.
Columbia County is nestled between the Catskills and Berkshires along the Hudson River upstate of New York City (NYC).
This 180-acre site has three miles of trails that will take you through meadows and grassland, around the Sutherland Pond, and into a mixed forest.
This site is named after two families who have been in the area for generations. The pond is named after the Sutherland family, who lived across the road from the conservation area in the 1800s.
In the 1950s, the Ooms family arrived from the Netherlands and began a dairy operation on the fields surrounding the pond.
In 2001, CLC, in conjunction with the Open Space Institute, purchased this 180-acre parcel from the Ooms family to permanently ensure its availability to the public.
On this walking tour you will learn about the agricultural history of the property. How it was transformed from working fields into the nature preserve it is today.
As you hike along the route, you will learn about grassland and wading birds, and the views here that have inspired artists for decades.
This tour can be enjoyed year-round by people out hiking, dog-walking, trout fishing, cross-country skiing, and picnicking!
Tour Sponsors This tour is presented by the nonprofit land trust,
The Columbia Land Conservancy (CLC). The CLC works to conserve the farmland, forests, wildlife habitat, and rural character of Chatham and Columbia County, New York. They strive to strengthen the connections between people and the land.
Since its founding in 1986, the Columbia Land Conservancy has collaborated with partners to preserve the County's vibrant rural character. It has conserved more than 30,000 acres of farmland, forests, and wildlife habitat to ensure clean air and water, healthy ecosystems, a strong agricultural sector, and a rich variety of outdoor recreational opportunities.
CLC cultivates connection to the land by
providing outdoor and education activities at
10 Public Conservation Areas, supporting agriculture by ensuring prime farmland continues to be available to the next generation of farmers, and promoting land protection and smart land use planning.
Find More Tours Near You If you enjoy this tour, check out all ten audio tours presented by The Columbia Land Conservancy:
Overmountain Fox Hill,
High Falls,
Overmountain Gazebo,
Siegel-Kline Kill,
Ooms,
Schor,
Harris,
Drowned Lands Swamp,
Greenport, and
Hand Hollow.
In addition, you can find other tours in New York State or wherever your travels may take you at
TravelStorys.com. Every place has a story.