The Woodstock Land Conservancy permanently protects open lands, natural resources, scenic areas, and historic sites in Woodstock and the surrounding eastern Catskills.
We believe that it is the places we love most that bring us together as a community, and that everyone benefits from conserving the forests, fields, wetlands, and streams that keep the air and water clean, support farming, logging, and tourism, and are home to diverse wildlife.
Woodstock Land Conservancy works with landowners who want to determine the future use of their land. By offering alternatives to selling land for development that both respect private property rights and can provide substantial tax benefits and financial advantages, we support the needs of landowners and local communities while protecting natural resources. WLC often collaborates with other conservation groups, businesses, and local and state agencies to achieve our goals.
Beyond protecting and caring for our lands, WLC offers fun and exciting nature education events to the community. By bringing people, especially, children and families, outdoors we encourage future generations to appreciate the beauty and history of the special places in Woodstock and the Eastern Catskill Mountains.
Lands Protected By Woodstock Land Conservancy
Zena Cornfield
Located on Zena Road and Route 212, this was the first property ever protected by the WLC. Its acquisition in 1989 was made possible by hundreds of donations from Woodstock residents.
Sloan Gorge Preserve – 88 acres off West Saugerties Road (Woodstock)
Renowned Woodstock artist Allan Edward Sloan gave this unique property — containing mixed forest, old bluestone quarries, and unusual geological features — to WLC in 1998, just prior to his death. The land is a wildlife haven and reflects the area’s natural and industrial history. WLC opened the property to the public in summer 2007.
Snake Rocks Preserve
WLC received this gift of 36 acres in 2004. Known locally as “Snake Rocks,” this preserve is located off of Yerry Hill Road in Woodstock and is a blend of mixed forest, an old quarry pond, walking trails, and open views of the Wittenberg Valley. Explore the abandoned bluestone quarry from the late 1800s that supplies bluestone for some of New York City’s most famous buildings. If you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of a Northern Water Snake swimming in the quarry pond looking for a snack.
Israel Wittman Sanctuary
The Sanctuary opened to the public in October 2017. Located in the Zena Highwoods area where the Towns of Ulster, Woodstock and Saugerties meet, this 123-acre Sanctuary offers a gentle grade two-mile trail loop through a mixed hardwood and coniferous forest, vernal pools, a seasonal stream, bluestone quarries and rock walls. This Sanctuary is named after the donor’s father, and to further protect the forest’s habitat and animals, dogs are not allowed here. The preserve is located at the end of Old Sawmill Road in Saugerties, NY.
Forestland on Mount Guardian
WLC’s protection of this scenic and ecological gem began in 2000 with the outright gift of two ridgeline parcels totaling 18 acres. WLC has since added 5 more parcels, nearly totaling 90 acres. Conservation of this land is premised on the goals of connecting valley bottoms to mountainsides and ridgetops that have scenic, cultural, or recreational importance; and/or contain particularly diverse, unique, or threatened natural species. Mt. Guardian’s hardwood and conifer mixed forest ecosystem embodies these goals.
7 acres off West Ohayo Mountain Road (Bearsville)
Given to WLC in 2006, this property features rugged woodland and extensive Sawkill River frontage
6-acre hayfield on Chestnut Hill Road – Ludin’s Field (Woodstock)
First placed under easement and then given to WLC as an outright gift in 1995, this property has a direct view of Overlook Mountain.