Adirondack Nature Trails
Trilakes Trails

Adirondack Nature Trails: The Bloomingdale Bog Trail offers one of the most convenient spots in the northern Adirondacks to find boreal birds, such as the Canada Jay, Black-backed Woodpecker, and Boreal Chickadee. Canada Jay on the Bloomingdale Bog Trail (3 June 2017).

Visitors and residents in the Trilakes region of the Adirondack Park - Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, Tupper Lake, and nearby communities - can choose from a wide variety of nature trails showcasing the natural beauty of the Adirondack Mountains and providing opportunities to study plants and wildlife in bogs, marshes, swamps, mixed woods, and hardwood forests.

• Several of these trails provide interpretive signs identifying key natural features, highlighting the habitat by the side of the trail, or alerting the trail user to the plants, animals, and insects to look for on a particular section of the trail. 
• Several offer striking scenic vistas of Adirondack forest communities, mountains, lakes, ponds, or streams.

Bloomingdale Bog Trail (Saranac Lake)

Adirondack Wetlands: Twobridge Brook on the Bloomingdale Bog Trail (3 June 2017).

• The Bloomingdale Bog Trail, north of Saranac Lake, follows an abandoned railroad right-of-way with many open views of Bloomingdale Bog, one of the largest bogs in northern New York.
• Bloomingdale Bog is one of the best places in the Adirondacks to find boreal birds, such as the Canada Jay and Boreal Chickadee. It also provides opportunities to search for wetland wildflowers.
• The area encompasses a bog and cedar woods with a sedge marsh and coniferous forests.

Lake Colby Railroad Tracks (Saranac Lake)

Adirondack Habitats: Mixed forest on the Lake Colby Railroad Tracks (1 September 2019).

• The Lakc Colby rail corridor is a popular birding site in Saranac Lake. It attracts area birders looking for migrating ducks and wetland birds, as well as birds found in mixed forest beyond the bog.
• The location of the site, on the outskirts of the village of Saranac Lake, makes it a convenient stop for Trilakes birders on their way to work or other locations.
• The initial part of the trail runs through a mixed forest habitat, then passes through several wetland ecological communities, including a Dwarf Shrub Bog.

Henry's Woods Trails (Lake Placid)

Adirondack Habitats: Mixed woods on the Loop Trail at Henry's Woods (29 May 2018).

• Henry's Woods, which is owned and maintained by the Uihlein Foundation, is a community preserve located just outside of the village of Lake Placid.
• The trail system features five interconnected and well-designed trails traversing hardwood and mixed conifer-hardwood habitats and providing opportunities to see plants and wildlife that make their homes in these ecosystems.
• There are also several scenic outlooks providing nice (but not spectacular) views of the High Peaks.

John Brown Farms Trails (Lake Placid)

Adirondack Habitats: High Peaks from the Potato Field Loop at John Brown Farm (21 June 2018).

• The John Brown Farm State Historic Site, run by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, is about a mile from Lake Placid.
• The site offers three interconnected walking paths, providing opportunities to study birds, plants, and butterflies that flourish in old fields, meadows, mixed forest, and hardwood forest.
• The abandoned pastures, in varying stages of regeneration, provide opportunities to see birds that prefer successional habitats.
• The meadows host a variety of butterflies from June through early October.

Heaven Hill Trails (Lake Placid)

Adirondack Habitats: Old Orchard Loop at Heaven Hill (6 October 2018).

• The Heaven Hill trail system, owned and maintained by the Uihlein Foundation, is a community preserve of 940 acres near Lake Placid.
• The trail system features well-designed, easy walking trails traversing a wide variety of habitats, including meadows, old fields, successional forest, hardwood forest, mixed conifer-hardwood forest, and several types of swamps.
• The hills and open areas provide breathtaking views of the High Peaks.
• The open areas along the Old Orchard Loop and Big Field Loop, host a variety of butterflies.

Peninsula Nature Trails (Lake Placid)

Adirondack Habitats: The Old Road at the Peninsula Nature Trails (21 September 2018).

• The Peninsula Nature Trails, located off Peninsula Way in Lake Placid, provide opportunities to observe plants and wildlife that are found in mixed woods, hardwood forest, and swampland.
• These trails feature well-designed interpretive signs, providing information on the habitats, trees, shrubs, ferns, and wildflowers along the trails.
• There is also a self-guiding pamphlet with a trail map and information on each trail.
• The trail system also offers striking views of Lake Placid and Whiteface Mountain.

Heart Lake Trail (Lake Placid)

Adirondack Habitats: Meadow at the Ski Slope on the Heart Lake Trail (13 July 2017).

• The Heart Lake Trail, located at the end of Adirondack Loj Road near Lake Placid, is one of the best places in the Adirondacks to learn about nature in the mountains.
• The trail around the lake is part of the Adirondack Mountain Club's 700-acre Heart Lake property.
• This trail provides access to varied habitats, stunning views of the High Peaks, a tree trail, a Nature Museum, and a fern garden with interpretive signs.
• The Adirondack Mountain Club also hosts an excellent series of naturalist programs during the summer.

Adirondack Loj Road (Lake Placid)

Adirondack Habitats: Old field on the Adirondack Loj Road (15 July 2019).

• The Adirondack Loj Road is primarily a butterfly destination, offering one of the best places in the Trilakes area to see butterflies and moths that live in old fields, hedge rows, and meadows.
• Butterflies are most abundant along the first 1¼ miles of the road from the intersection of the Adirondack Loj Road and Cascade Road to just before the narrow bridge over North Meadow Brook.
• The road also offers dramatic views of the High Peaks.

Jackrabbit Trail at River Road (Lake Placid)

Adirondack Habitats: Sentinel Range sunrise from the Jackrabbit Trail (26 August 2018).

• The Jackrabbit Trail at River Road is primarily a birding destination. The site offers an opportunity to see birds found in wetlands, mixed forest, meadows, old fields, and early successional forest.  
• A number of duck species can often be seen from the bridge and along the roadway bordering the river. The marshy areas bordering the river hosts wetland birds, such as Great Blue Herons and American Bitterns.
• The section of the trail which runs along River Road, takes you through open fields where raptors and grassland birds are commonly seen, while offering spectacular views of the Sentinel Range.

Adirondack Wildlife Refuge (Wilmington)

Adirondack Habitats: Main trail at the Adirondack Wildlife Refuge (25 May 2018).

• The Adirondack Wildlife Refuge is the best place in the Park to learn about Adirondack mammals and birds of prey.
• The Center has displays of mammals and birds, many of which are rescued animals unable to be released into the wild. 
• The Center hosts a variety of educational programs, including lectures and presentations on Adirondack wildlife and other aspects of Adirondack natural history.
• The Center features a mile–long, guided, interpretive trail, with excellent informative signs covering the plants, wildlife, and ecology of the area.

Cemetery Road Wetlands (Keene)

Adirondack Wetlands: High Peaks at the Cemetery Road Wetlands (27 September 2018).

• The Cemetery Road Wetlands area between Keene and Keene Valley in Essex County is primarily a birding destination.
• The site offers an iconic vista of the Adirondack Mountains and convenient access to a wide variety of birds, both those associated with wetland areas and other birds which can be found along the edges of the wetter terrain.
• Wetland birds can be seen in the marsh around Norton Brook.  A wide variety of warblers are found on found on the higher ground above the marsh and on the margins of the adjacent meadow.
• The wildflowers in the meadow and marsh edges also host several species of butterflies. 

Hulls Falls Road (Keene Valley)

Adirondack Wetlands: Beaver pond on Hulls Falls Road (29 September 2018).

• Hulls Falls Road is primarily a birding destination. The 2.5 mile country road offers an opportunity to see birds found in wetland, riverside, mixed forest, old fields and early successional forest.   
• Many of the warbler species which make their home in the Adirondack Mountains can be found along the road during the summer breeding season.
• The small beaver pond about half a mile from the intersection with Route 73 provides a chance to see wetland birds, such as Great Blue Heron, American Bittern, Belted Kingfisher, and several species of duck.