Mohawk Towpath Scenic Byway |
Vischer Ferry Nature and Historic Preserve |
The main entrance to the Vischer Ferry Nature and Historic Preserve is graced by the Whipple Bridge relocated and reconstructed here by Union College students in the 1990s. The bridge was orginally contructed in Montgomery County in 1862 is typical of many farmers bridges across the Erie Canal during the period. The water surface here is approximately at the level of the 1842 Enlarged Erie Canal. The vegetation to the right would not have been there during the operation of the canal since it is on the bank of the towpath. Draft animals on the towpath pulled barges and other canal craft upstream. Once the visitor crosses the Bridge the Preserve opens up to over 600 acres of ponds, trails, fields and forested areas that is rich with wildlife, waterfowl, and aquatic life for observation or recreation in a natural setting. The Preserve is the only location where a visitor can see the remnents of the three distinct Erie Canals: the original "Clinton's Ditch"; the 1842 enlarged Erie Canal pictured above; and the current Erie Barge Canal all within short walking distance. |
