Christman Bird and Wildlife Sanctuary is located in Delanson, NY is a great waterfall hike with kids. . It’s a great hiking trail near Albany, NY only about 30 minutes west. There are 2 trail options one is .8 miles, and the other 1.1 miles both lead to the Bozenkill waterfall but the blue trail will take you to the lower part of the falls and the orange takes you around to the top. this is an easy kid-friendly hiking trail and it’s great for newer and or younger hikers like we are.
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Christman Bird and Wildlife Sanctuary 
wooden pathways 
Christman Sanctuary Hike with Kids
We visited in the spring so the initial part of the trail was very muddy but there were wooden planks set down to walk on. we didn’t venture into the creek due to the season but I know our kids would have enjoyed exploring it.
There’s a Christman Preserve Trail map at the start of the trail. We like to take a photo of it in case we need to refer back to it. Christman Bird and Wildlife Sanctuary is fun to explore as a family for an hour or two. It’s an easy trail though there is one area where the edge is steep there is a rope to hold on to. If hiking with kids that are younger you can always hold their hand down this area.
Christman Bird and Wildlife Sanctuary Waterfall
When taking the blue trail you will first see a shorter waterfall and as you continue further down you will get to the higher falls. We visited in the spring but I have a feeling families enjoy wading in the water on a hot summer day. My kids love to explore the stream and look for some creepy critters.
Parking at Christman Bird and Wildlife Sanctuary
There’s a small parking lot that can get filled easily but there is also parking along the side one side of the road. Watch out for the No parking areas in front of private property.
Christman Sanctuary Review
This is a great family hiking trail. The Waterfalls are beautiful to see and it’s not a challenging trail. Christman Sanctuary dogs are allowed with leashes or at least we saw many there. Just keep in mind that the path in and out is narrow wooden planks over an often muddy trail.
Christman sanctuary vandalism may occur as it seems to be a bit of a party spot. we saw some empty cans littered by the falls. Please make sure to bring out what you take in and keep our parks and preserves clean.
Looking for more places to explore in the Capital District? Check out these great places:
- Thompson Lake State Park
- Grafton Lakes State Park
- Wild Play at Thacher Park
- Hannacroix Preserve / Waterfall