County Line Lake

By Bill Ingersoll

One of my favorite hikes in the southern Adirondacks has become the trail to County Line Lake in Bleecker. This outstanding hiking trail leads through the valley of Pinnacle Creek and climbs onto the high plateau west of Pigeon Mountain. The destination is a shallow pond that falls along the boundary of Fulton and Hamilton counties, hence its name.

This is a varied hike that seems to change its character every mile or so. The first section is a beautiful walk along an abandoned road through a magnificent hemlock forest. Then comes a section along a pair of large wetlands, with a dash of history thrown in. Finally comes the long climb into the high country, ending at the delicate shoreline of the pond.

County Line is one of the highest-elevation lakes in the southern Adirondacks, and a treat for those who like to enjoy rugged, out-of-the-way places. There are no established campsites, and there has been no fish for many years. Therefore, this hike is all about the history contained within the lower valley, and the solitude found at its destination.

Getting There

This hike can be easily accessed from either Caroga Lake or Northville. From NY Routes 10/29A in Caroga Lake, turn east onto County Road 112, and follow it for 6.5 miles to a four-way intersection. Pinnacle Road is to the left (north), marked by the Adirondack Beagle and Hare Club sign. From NY Route 30 north of Northville, turn west onto Benson Road. Follow this road through Benson for 11.5 miles to the Pinnacle Road intersection.

From either direction, once you have found Pinnacle Road all you need to do is follow it for 2.6 miles to the trailhead at its end. This site is maintained for year-round exploration.

The Trail

From the end of Pinnacle Road, you’ll notice there are two diverging trails: the red-marked trail to Chase Lake, and the blue-marked trail to Pinnacle Creek and County Line. Both are highly worthy hikes, but for now let’s focus on the latter route.

The blue trail follows an old wagon road that is essentially a rugged extension of the town highway. Passing the rock barrier, it immediately turns left (west) and swings toward Pinnacle Creek. Hemlocks shade the trail, which climbs in stages along the foot of the Pinnacle. It is a highly enjoyable walk along the well-built roadway, with the creek as your companion to your left.

At 1.2 miles you cross a tributary of Pinnacle Creek; there are marshes off to the left. Beyond, the roadway climbs again. Watch closely now, for there two cellar holes to the right of the trail. The second one, located on the edge of a small clearing at 1.4 miles, is the more prominent of the two. These mark the site of the Pinnacle sawmill, one of many old industrial sites that are common in this region. The mill itself was located on the creek a short distance to the west; a short off-trail excursion will reveal some foundations and a few odd pieces of hardware.

After cutting through the small clearing, the trail narrows slightly and continues beside a second wetland, one that may seem very wet and mucky at times. Tall maples and yellow birch mix with evergreens. There are glimpses of Pigeon Mountain and the high plateau to the west.

After skirting around the vlies, you reach a potentially wet area where Pinnacle Creek forks into two main branches. There are no bridges across either fork, which could be problematic in late fall and early spring (not to mention winter thaws). The route narrows into a proper foot trail as it continues northwest, now beginning to climb the lower slopes of Pigeon Mountain, to a saddle that divides the Pinnacle watershed from the West Branch Sacandaga drainage. But rather than passing through the saddle, the trail turns west to begin climbing more aggressively. The hardwoods grow shorter with the increased elevation, until you top out at just bit under 2,540 feet at another saddle northwest of Pigeon Mountain. This spot is 1,000 feet higher than the trailhead and 3.2 miles from it.

At this point the trail has crossed a short distance into Hamilton County and the Silver Lake Wilderness, but it now angles southwest as it begins a 100-foot descent toward the east end of County Line Lake. The marked trail ends near the Fulton County side of the lake, 3.7 miles from the trailhead – and at a rather disappointing part of the shoreline. A short, unmarked herd path veers left and hooks around the shoreline for a few hundred feet to a much better spot, one with a rock ledge and superior views of this wild place.

County Line Lake is devoid of fish, although DEC has identified it as a candidate for liming and trout stocking. It is also not an ideal campsite, although not for lack of trying; in 2018, some careless campers abandoned an entire tent full of gear at the rock ledge. As of July 2020, all of this trash was still here, and then some – it looked as though others have been adding to the disaster, not helping to clean it up. I packed out what I could, and I implore others to do the same.

Wilderness Recreation in the Time of Covid-19

One last thing: our favorite outdoor recreational pursuits are perhaps more vital to our mental health than at any time previously. However, not only do social distancing guidelines remain in effect, but some facilities and services in the Adirondacks remain closed for health and safety purposes.

The key guidelines for outdoor recreation can be summarized as: 1) Stay local, keep visits short, and avoid high-traffic destinations; 2) Be safe by keeping a six-foot separation from other people on the trail; 3) Be ready to move quickly through places where other people might be congregated, including parking areas and scenic vistas; 4) Stay home if you are not feeling well, or fall within one of the high-risk groups for contracting the virus.

Bill Ingersoll of Barneveld is publisher of the Discover the Adirondacks guidebook series (hiketheadirondacks.com). For more info, consult Discover the Southern Adirondacks or his recently-published 50 Hikes in the Adirondack Mountains (Countryman Press).