Interpretive Nature Trails in the Adirondacks:
Boreal Life Trail

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The Boreal Life Trail provides access to varied Adirondack habitats, including a spruce swamp, bog, conifer forest, and mixed conifer-hardwood forest. It is one of fourteen trails at the Paul Smith's College VIC.

Trail Overview

The one-mile-loop begins at the gazebo near the VIC parking lot, where you take a right. The trail then passes through a forest of Red Spruce, Balsam Fir, Eastern White Pine, and Eastern Hemlock, before intersecting with the Jenkins Mountain Road. Continue straight across the road.

To walk the trail in a clockwise direction, take a left at the next intersection. This will lead you through a mixed hardwood-conifer forest to a 1,600-foot boardwalk across Barnum Bog – an Adirondack wetland.

• The boardwalk begins through a transitional area of swampland, then continues through the bog, which is studded with Tamarack and Black Spruce. At the end of the boardwalk, you will be walking through a conifer forest along the shore of Barnum Pond.
• You can turn right to continue along the upland portion of the walk or you can take a short detour to your right which brings you to an elevated viewing tower providing views of Barnum Pond, Jenkins Mountain, and St. Regis Mountain.

After the elevated platform, you can continue to the upland portions of the trail. The path leads you up a hill through a conifer forest, past a giant Eastern White Pine. This section of the trail is a good place to see a variety of mosses that thrive in the Adirondack Park. The trail then curves to the right and rejoins the main trail. The walking is easy, with a few hills.

Birds Seen along the Trail

Birds commonly heard and seen along this trail include:

Wildflowers and Flowering Shrubs Seen along the Trail

Wildflowers and flowering shrubs commonly seen along this trail include:

Getting There: Trail Map and Directions to the Paul Smith's College VIC