Goula Open Preserve: Highlands and wetlands - views from above and below

To find an impressive view, you usually have to battle your way uphill to a scenic summit. However, at the Goula Open Preserve in New Hartford, the view comes first, before a hike to the scenery below.

The preserve sits alongside Cotton Hill Road in New Hartford, about 1.5 miles from the intersection of Route 202. It is very easy to miss the unassuming information box, the only indication that you have reached your destination, but there is roadside parking for a handful of automobiles.

Goula Preserve is not just a hiking spot; it also provides a multipurpose recreation space that offers picnicking, bird watching, cross-country skiing and snow-shoeing.

Your first views are of open fields that are nested alongside private property on each side. Bird enthusiasts will immediately be enamored with the cacophony of bird songs and cries that fill the upper fields. From these fields, you also get sweeping views of the surrounding valley and glimpses of Bradley Airport, Avon Mountain and Heublein Tower.

Once you are done taking in the view, follow breaks in the tree line to the lower field and hop the low, worn stone wall that deposits you on an old farm road — one of many that traverse the preserve.

Bear left along the road, which with the recent wet weather has taken on the appearance of a seasonal stream, and descend slowly into a mixed hardwood forest.

You will begin to get brief views of wetlands to your left through the tree line. Continue straight ahead, ignoring side paths along the right, until you reach a small, winding side path to the left.

Follow this footpath down to unspoiled wetland views, where you might be treated to local birdlife as well as the stunning scenery of the wetlands themselves. When you are done taking in the sights, follow the path back to the upper fields to finish your trip.

There are no markers on the trail, which can be particularly unsettling when trying to locate the wetland side path and even more so when navigating your way back to the main trail from the wetland trail. Often you find yourself moving forward by calling on untapped reserves of pioneer instinct and pure dumb luck when the path is uncertain.

You could ignore the surrounding woodlands and wetlands altogether and make the trip simply for the views from the upper fields, an ideal spot for enjoying a packed lunch or simply spreading out and enjoying the sun, good breeze and bird songs.

Future plans include a connecting trail that will link Goula Preserve with the nearby  Phillips Farm Preserve, which will hopefully include blazes and trail markers to accommodate those who are uneasy with trekking through unmarked territory.

Regardless of those minor flaws, the preserve is a fantastic spot that provides many ways to enjoy a fine weather day.