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Full Text of: Following the North Country Trail |
The following text is based on the book Following the North Country Trail written by the North Country Trail Association's former magazine editor Wes Boyd. In places this page has been updated (August 2004, provided by Al Larmann) with current information. The book is now out of print, but you may read the entire original text on our web site.
Almost any literature you can find about the North Country Trail (NCT) spanning seven states from New York to North Dakota says that the easternmost point of the trail will begin at Crown Point, NY, near the bridge across Lake Champlain into Vermont. Crown Point might be considered a somewhat odd place to start the NCT, but it is a legacy of the early planning of the trail.
In the early planning stages of the NCT, the intention was that the trail would connect with the Appalachian Trail via Vermont's Long Trail. Wary of adding to already heavy use on its historic pathway, Vermont opted out of the plan, but the North Country Trail's planners left the door open for the future by keeping the Crown Point gateway.
Even so, Crown Point is still isolated from the nearest usable portion of the NCT by a hundred and fifty miles. Plans for the trail are to head westward through the six million acre Adirondack Park. A conceptual route through the park was identified by the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) as a starting point from which to begin the complicated "Unit Management Planning" process required by the State Land Master Plan for the 2,300,000 acres of public land administered by the DEC. However, concerns about overuse of the High Peaks area negated any meaningful consideration of this route.
In 1995, the identification of possible new routes through the southern part of the Adirondacks began, avoiding the High Peaks area; by 1997, several routes through the area had been proposed. Since then, planning has been under way, although a specific route has yet to be marked. In general, the new route through the Adirondacks is generally north of but fairly close to NY State Route 8, though sometimes south of it.
The Congressionally-authorized route of the North Country NST begins at Crown Point State Historic Site near the bridge across Lake Champlain into Vermont. The site is notable because of the French and Indian War (Seven Years War) and Revolutionary War fortifications still viewable there; Lake Champlain was much fought over in the two wars. Over the years since 1982, no attempt was made to anchor the east end of the trail because of the Adirondack High Peaks issues. The Adirondack Park has an existing series of interpretive trails and cross country ski trails that traverse the park from near the bridge, all the way to the park's south boundary.
It's about five miles to the edge of the Adirondack Park; there is the possibility that an abandoned rail grade -- currently in private ownership and unavailable -- could be used to get there from Crown Point.
In the past, some of the few long-distance NCT hikers used existing trails through the High Peaks and down the Fulton Chain, but any new route will be to the south of that. Until the general route for the new Adirondack route is designated, SR8 would seem to offer the long-distance hiker the best current path across the Adirondack area. Information on trails in the Adirondacks is available from the Adirondack Mountain Club, 814 Goggins Road, Lake George, NY 12845.
West of the Adirondacks, the potential route of the trail begins to take shape at Forestport, where the Black River Feeder Canal begins and heads west to Boonville. The old towpath along the canal has always been considered as the route of the trail, though the route is open to snowmobiles, ATVs, and highway vehicles. South from Boonville, the Towpath Trail, Operated by BREIA (the Black River Environmental Improvement Association, is a well maintained cross country skiing and hiking trail extending along the towpath of the Black River Canal to beyond Pixley Falls State Park--a distance of 7 to 8 miles. For more information on Pixley Falls State Park and the surrounding area, contact the park at 11430 Rt. 46, Boonville, NY 13309. (315) 942-4713.
About a mile south of Pixley Falls, the old towpath is no longer continuous, but a combination of local roads and Delta Lake State Park can get the user close to the edge of Rome. Rather than the sidewalks of Rome serving as a route to Fort Stanwix, a possible viable alternate may be along the path of the Mohawk River as it flows southward, passing very close to Fort Stanwix. This possible option is now under evaluation by the City of Rome as an urban trail- more definitive information is expected by late 2004. Trail users will find a stop at this completely recreated Revolutionary War era fort to be an interesting educational experience. Fort Stanwix was the only fort that successfully withstood a British siege during the Revolutionary War. More information can be secured from the Rome Area Chamber of Commerce, 139 West Dominick Street, Rome, NY 13440‚ telephone number: 315-337-1700.
Several connection routes between Fort Stanwix and Old Erie Canal Village west of Rome are under consideration now, with the NY State Canal Way Trail project a major factor. Ultimately, a dual route option is desired‚ one via the historic section of the City of Rome following in part a route that predated the Erie Canal. The second, using an old rail-bed that would follow the north shore of the Barge Canal and connect to Fort Stanwix from the south. Route feasibility studies will be completed in 2003-04. In either case, hikers can enjoy a visit to Erie Canal Village, a restored replica of a typical canal era town. Just beyond the village and accessible through it is the Old Erie Canal State Historic Park. This linear park is an attractive, stone surfaced multiple-use trail that will carry the North Country Trail to Canastota as a connector route. While it cannot be certified because snowmobile use is permitted and will not be eliminated by the State, the trail provides a very acceptable, surprisingly rural character for much of the distance to Canastota. Information and maps are available from the Canal Office, Andrus Road, Kirkville, NY 13082‚ telephone 315-687-7821.
The NCT western junction with the Old Erie Canal State Historic Park is at Canastota immediately adjacent to the small but interesting Canal Town Museum. This is the northern terminus of the Link Trail (LT). The International Boxing Hall of Fame location is within one mile of the trail. From Canastota, the distance to the main Finger Lakes Trail approximates fifty miles. Passing through the Village of Canastota (services available), the NCT/LT crosses private lands to a multi-section stairway providing access to/from a deep ravine and thence to a steel-truss supported footbridge crossing Canastota Creek. The trail then ascends to a section of a long-abandoned railway owned by New York State. Although several sections of this former railway between the Canastota area and Cazenovia are privately owned in the Perryville area, the Central NY chapter is addressing this challenge to develop a continuous route. The Cazenovia Preservation Foundation owns the former railway just north of Cazenovia. With their concurrence and valued support, the trail reaches and passes through the attractive Village of Cazenovia (services available).
Leaving Cazenovia to the southeast, you reach a trailhead with off-road parking at the Village line. From there, the trail climbs upward to and through the attractive Stone Quarry Hill Art Park with its own trail system and an eclectic collection of art forms‚ plus fine views of the surrounding countryside. Plan to spend some time here. Exiting to the south, the trail continues to enter the Nelson Swamp Unique Area (NSUA). This cedar swamp has a wealth of flora species, is a popular bird watching spot, and has what may be the oldest living white pine tree in the eastern US. Within the NSUA, the NCT/LT uses both State and privately owned lands‚ heed the signage. A massive 48-foot span bridge spanning Chittenango Creek, and cooperative efforts by public and private sector participants made the opening of the NSUA possible. NYS Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC) has constructed and opened a 0.8 mile interpretive trail that offers a fine loop from the main NCNST-- it meets the intent of ADA recommendations and is very popular-- it was dedicated on National Trails Day, 2004.
Leaving the NSUA to the south, the trail again climbs and enters the north edge of the Tioughnioga Wildlife Management Area via an attractive section bypassing an old road. From a junction point of the Link Trail and the extension of the Onondaga Trail to be determined, the NCT will head generally west via an extension of the Onondaga Branch Trail of the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT). The LT continues directly south to a junction with the FLT just south of the Madison/Chenango County line, thereby providing good access to the eastern portions of the FLT leading to the Catskill area. Upon completion of the Onondaga Trail extension to the Tioughnioga WMA, there will be an attractive loop route for local use. The entire Link Trail from Chenango County to Canastota is included as a major element of the Genny Green/Link Trail project in the New York State Open Space Plan for the Central New York area. The Link Trail segment south from the Tioughnioga WMA junction will be the first official side trail of the NCT and a part of the National Trails System.
Additional information on the Link Trail‚ both the segment carrying the NCT and the side trail and the NCT segment carried by the Old Erie Canal State Historic Park eastward‚ is available on the CNY NCTA Chapter web site via the listed contacts.
The Onondaga Branch of the Finger Lakes Trail carries the NCT southwesterly. The route becomes hilly with major elevation changes several times from 1300' to 1600' and even 2000', all forested with beautiful dark stream gullies, Tinker Falls, and astounding views down steep valley over Labrador Pond. The southern portion of this segment has long gradual descents and climbs: from a high forested ridge past Spicer Falls and beautiful little streams to glacially scooped valley and village at 1200' elevation, then slowly through forest up to a long view at a 1975' open hilltop, to join the main Finger Lakes Trail. For information on following the Onondaga Branch of the FLT, contact the Finger Lakes Trail Conference Information Service Center, at 6111 Visitor Center Rd., Mt. Morris, NY 14510, 585-658-9320, or information@fingerlakestrail.org
Once the user has reached the main branch of the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT), they enter upon the first of several long-established, well-developed trails that the NCT overlays; the FLT is one of the best developed by private interests. From the Onondaga Trail junction, usable trail stretches southwestward nearly 460 miles. The majority of this trail is on New York's Finger Lakes Trail System. The FLT is an east-west footpath system across the state from the Catskills in the east to the Allegheny range in the west. It passes south of the Finger Lakes, and has several branches extending north of the main east-west route. The trail passes through some of the most varied and beautiful country in the east -- forests, lakes, glacially sculpted hills and valleys, secluded glens and waterfalls.
Of the 405 miles of the FLT that the NCT uses, approximately 257 were fully certified by the National Park Service as of yearend 2003. More work is in progress; most of the FLT fully meets the overall requirements for NPS certification, in that it is off-road, marked trail closed to vehicles. In order to keep up with the ever-changing Finger Lakes Trail, the hiker really needs a set of maps published by the FLTC. The NCT hiker will need 22 Finger Lakes Trail maps: M-1 through M-22, plus O-1 for the Onondaga Trail (two interesting extras are mentioned later). The maps are available from the Finger Lakes Trail Conference Service Center, 6111 Visitor Center Road, Mt. Morris, NY 14510. information@fingerlakestrail.org Hikers should request a free brochure about the trail, along with a map order form. The FLTC also publishes several guidebooks, which cover many of the trail miles the NCT uses. Also of interest is the "Helpful Information for End-to-End Backpackers on the FLT", available from the FLTC Service Center.
Trail descriptions on the maps range from none to pretty good; they read west to east. The older maps are hand drawn but accurate, but the new series under development, with GPS overlays of topographic maps are excellent. Either series of maps gives good information about campsites, shelters, bivouac areas, water points and the like. One area the older maps do not give much information about is terrain; the FLT is quite hilly, so the hiker studying the route may want to refer to some large-scale topographic maps to get an idea of the terrain to be faced As the new series replaces the older maps this will become less of a problem.
Unlike the rest of the NCT, the FLT is blazed with white blazes on the main trail, with larger FLT yellow and green logos at trailheads and road crossings. Wooden signs or small plastic discs may be used. Side trails are marked in blue, yellow, or orange.
Much of the FLT is on private land. The continued existence of the trail depends on trail users respecting the rights of the public-spirited landowners who have given permission for people to walk through their property. Users must stay on the trail and not camp or build fires except in designated areas. Snowshoeing and cross-country skiing are also permitted on the trail. All trails have been cleared for walking and are maintained, though maintenance is sometimes a little thin in areas of low use. Some shelters, campsites and bivouac areas have been completed, and more are being built as time and funds permit.
A trailhead for the Onondaga Trail is about two miles west of Fabius. Users of this section will find "Guide to the Finger Lakes Trail, O'Dell Road to Chippewa Falls, Cortland County NY" by Anthony Preus, very helpful. (Available from the Finger Lakes Trail Conference Service Center.) It gives excellent detail from the Onondaga Trailhead southwest about 60 miles. The guide reads in both directions. After 24.5 miles on the Onondaga Trail, the hiker encounters the main FLT in Cuyler State Forest. The trail meanders southwest, then west, through many miles of scenic countryside. Near Virgil, about 60 miles from the Onondaga trailhead, Preus' book comes to an end, but another guide (also available from FLTC) picks up: "Guide to the Trails of the Finger Lakes Region," by the Cayuga Trails Club of Ithaca, NY. This pocket-sized book covers 119 miles of FLT, to the area of South Bradford, and comes with its own maps, which do show terrain.
At Ithaca, the trail passes near the spectacular Buttermilk Falls; a mile later, it skirts another scenic gorge on a certified all-weather route through R. H. Treman State Park. Hikers in the summer months may prefer the spectacular route up the gorge, using the NCT for a loop trip. A map is available from R. H. Treman State Park, RD #10, Ithaca, NY 14850, (607) 273-3440.
A few miles later, certified trail passes through the interesting Connecticut Hill Wildlife Area. Farther to the west, the trail reaches Watkins Glen. On the southeast side of Watkins Glen, hikers with enough time may wish to investigate the 9-mile Queen Catherine Scenic Trail, a loop trail through a marsh and passing Chequagua Falls. Use the map in "Guide to Trails of the Finger Lakes Region," or get map QCST from the FLTC Service Center.
Located in the Finger Lakes region near the southern end of Seneca Lake just to the west of the Queen Catherine Scenic Trail, Watkins Glen State Park contains a spectacular gorge. Again, the FLT/NCT takes a certified all-weather route down the southern rim of the gorge, but hikers may prefer to take one of the other gorge trails. Contact Watkins Glen State Park, Box 304, Watkins Glen, NY 14891, 607-535-4511 .
About 28 miles southwest of downtown Watkins Glen, near South Bradford, the "Guide to the Trails of the Finger Lakes Region" comes to an end, and a new FLTC guidebook picks up: "The FLT in Steuben County, NY" follows the trail to Hornell. It is also available from the FLTC Service Center.
The trail continues westward for about 50 miles, then near Hornell, turns to the northwest for about another 20. At Hornell, the last FLTC guidebook picks up: "FLT: Conservation Trail to Hornell", available from the FLTC Service Center. Near Portageville, an orange-blazed side trail, the Letchworth Trail (FLT Map L-1, from FLTC Service Center) leads north to one of the most spectacular gorges in New York, the Genesee River Gorge in Letchworth State Park. Information on the park is available from: 1 Letchworth State Park, Castile, NY 14227, 585-493-3600.
The trail rolls on westward through steeply rolling countryside Eventually, near Ellicottville, the FLT and the NCNST join the Conservation Trail, a north-south branch of the Finger Lakes trail that was completed through to Niagara Falls in 1989. The trail now bends more to the south for about another 40 miles, until reaching Allegany State Park, on the New York - Pennsylvania border. The park contains more than 50 miles of scenic hiking trails and a special ski touring trail. The North Country/Finger Lakes/Conservation Trail meanders through the park to the Pennsylvania border, where it joins up with another section of over 100 miles of usable NCT.
For more on the Trail in New York, try these choices:
| Slide Show | A visual tour of the trail in New York |
| Trail Condition Reports | Up-to-date news on any trail problems in the state |
| Central New York Chapter | A local club of the NCTA that is working to build, protect and promote the trail in the central New York region |
| Finger Lakes Trail Conference | A nonprofit organization working to develop and maintain the Finger Lakes Trail, which overlaps the North Country Trail for much of its length. |
For information on a different state, click on the map below:
