Base Loop Trail
Easy
.44 miles
The Base Loop Trail starts to the left of the
house and is mostly a level grade. It
continues straight for several hundred feet alongside a wetland.
After passing through a small field, you enter the woods.
On the left you will notice the sugar house.
(You can access the Sugar Trail behind this building)
Further down the Base Loop Trail, you will find yourself at the entrance
to the butterfly garden. From there
it turns to the left, and reenters the forest, meandering beside intermittent
streams and large grape vines stretching up to the forest canopy. You will pass the junction of the Green Trail, which breaks
off to the right. Continue on past
a variety of ferns. The remains of
an old stone wall are a reminder of Up Yonda’s agricultural past.
The trail ends at the field, just above the museum.
This is a self-guided trail with a map and guide that lets the user read
about points of interest along the way.
Sugar Trail
Easy
90 yards
The Sugar Trail was put in specifically to highlight the Maple sugar house which
opened in March of 2000. The trail
connects the top part of the Base Loop Trail to the sugar house, which is
located on the lower part of the Base Loop Trail.
This trail allows for easier transport of sap, which means more tasty
maple syrup! This is a short trail,
with a gentle slope. The bridge on
this trail was put in to allow passage over a damp area, which in the spring and
summer is home to many lush ferns and other plant life.
Meadow Trail
Easy
23 yards
The Meadow Trail connects an open field to the
Sugar Trail. The open field allows
for bluebird watching in the spring and early summer.
The Meadow Trail is another short hike.
The Sugar and Meadow Trails were recent additions to Up Yonda’s trail
system. These trails are both
short, yet they allow you to take a quick, peaceful stroll and to connect to
other trails on the grounds.
Field Traverse -
Summit Trail
Moderate - Strenuous .85 miles
This trail begins at the bottom of the field / hill. Zigzagging along mowed paths bordered by bluebirds,
butterflies, and wild flowers, this trail moderates the steep climb.
At the top of the small hill (150’ up in elevation), one is rewarded
with a wonderful view of the mouth of the narrows of Lake George.
After enjoying the view, continue on a level wooded trail that ends in a
parking lot at Federal Hill Road. A
few hundred feet North on the road brings you to Federal Hill Cemetery, the
oldest in Bolton Landing. Return
along the same trail.
Green Trail -
Summit Trail Easy
- Moderate
1.1 miles
This combo is the best, starting out moderate and then ending with ease.
The Green Trail spurs off of the Base Loop Trail.
It begins to climb at a moderate rate as you meander up the grade.
Enjoy the 80-year-old mixed forest stand, and the sounds produced within.
Ovenbirds, chickadees, nuthatches, woodpeckers, thrushes, and kinglets
are commonly heard. Along the way,
notice evidence of early Bolton life via rock walls and water catches for cattle
and sheep. The trail levels off and
passes by a patch of white pines; continue until you reach the junction of the
Summit Trail. Turn left towards The
Vista. (Right will take you to
Federal Hill Rd.) After walking a
short distance, you’ll be rewarded with a spectacular view of Lake George.
This is one of the real gems of Up Yonda Farm.
Sit on a bench and enjoy the view of 14 islands and 7 mountains in the
forest preserve. To return, walk down the field while enjoying the scenery.
The Summit Extension
Easy - Moderate .3 miles
The Summit Extension is the newest trail (opened in the
summer 2003) at Up Yonda Farm and allows hikers to walk through a thick
forest that has not had human visitors in hundreds of
years. This trail also connects to the Cemetery Spur, which allows you visit
Federal Hill Cemetery, which the burial site of many prominent members of Bolton
Landing’s past, including Up Yonda Farms very own benefactors, Alice and John
Scott. After hiking the Cemetery Spur and finishing the Summit Extension, you
find yourself back on the Green Trail, just a short hike from either the Scenic
Vista or the Butterfly Garden.
Green Spur Trail
Easy - Moderate .3 miles
This trail was opened to the public in the
summer of 2002. The Green
Spur Trail is the trail you
want to take if you do not wish to go any further up the Green Trail, but still
with to get a view of Lake George. Starting from
the Green Trail, you make your way past a sleeping giant sugar maple.
It is long since been alive, but is now
returning nutrients to the forest floor as fungus, lichens and mold break down
the wood. As you cross over intermittent streams
you make your way to the old rock wall, similar to those along the Base Loop
Trail. Listen for bird calls and sounds of other
wildlife as you walk and especially as you approach the “edge” of the forest.
This is the boundary between two very different ecosystems and a good
place to watch wildlife. The trail starts to brighten
as you pass over the old rock wall and get a unique southern view of Lake
George.
