North Bolton Triple Play 

By Rich Macha

A few miles north of Bolton Landing are three tracts that are connected with hiking trails so that you can easily hike from one to the next. Whether you are looking for a short scenic walk, a 15-mile-plus hike with multiple viewpoints or something in between, this area has something to offer.

Amy’s Park and the Godwin Preserve are owned by the Lake George Land Conservancy and are open dawn to dusk, whereas the Pole Hill Pond tract is state land and part of the Forest Preserve, although it was formerly owned by the LGLC. You can find maps and directions for all three tracts on the LGLC website: lglc.org. Or pick up paper maps at a kiosk in the parking lot for LGLC headquarters on NY Route 9N in Bolton Landing, or at the main parking area on Padanarum Road at Amy’s Park.

Amy’s Park – When coming from the south, Padanarum Road leaves North Bolton Road and heads north, becoming a good dirt/gravel road just south of Amy’s Park. A junction is soon reached where the right fork is the continuation of Padanarum Road – from this junction, it is 0.8 miles to the preserve’s main parking area. Bearing left at the junction onto Trout Falls Road will lead you to small parking spots that access the west side of the preserve.

Don’t be fooled by the word “Park” in the preserve’s name – it is definitely more Adirondack Park than Central Park. Interestingly, Padanaram or “Paddan Aram” is a biblical term referring to the flatlands next to the Euphrates River in present-day Syria where mountains rise up to the north and east.  

A pleasant moderate hike of about six miles can be had by looping around the pond and making a short side-trip to a lookout on the Red Trail. Starting from the main parking area, go left at a junction on the Yellow Trail to walk the loop clockwise (ignore the first left which connects to the Godwin Preserve). Indian Brook, the pond’s outlet, is soon crossed on a good bridge, then there is a short spur to a viewpoint of the south pond and a beaver lodge – the elevation is about 980 feet here. Grassy islands occupy at least as much space as there is open water on this vly-like pond – lily pads are also plentiful in summer. The trail traverses an area with mosses and lichens (listen for thrushes singing in the woods), then arrives at Trout Falls Road and follows it north for a short distance, before turning to the left and back into the woods. A steep climb in the next 0.2 miles brings you to the junction with the red-marked Ed’s Red Stripe Trail where there is a plaque recognizing Ed Sheridan’s stewardship of the preserve’s lands.

Taking a left at this junction, the climbing continues for another 0.3 miles and finally tops out at an elevation of 1,450 feet, before a quick drop leads you to trail’s end and out onto a rocky ledge with views to the east and south. Indian Brook can be seen snaking its way through a vly below, Pole Hill stands front and center, and beyond you can see a part of Lake George, the Tongue Mountain Range, as well as Erebus and Sleeping Beauty mountains.  

Now take the Red Trail all the way down to Trout Falls Road for 0.75 miles, the route crosses the road and, after crossing a brook on a bridge, heads north along the west side of the pond before turning east and going along the north shore of the pond. This section of the Red Trail could be quite wet after rainy periods like we had this past July. There are many nice views of the pond along the route. Right turns on the Blue and Orange trails will give you more pond views, before picking up the Yellow Trail again, which has a spur to a viewpoint on open rocks – a pleasant spot for an extended break. Another short spur leads to a canoe/kayak launching area; this would be a 140-yard carry from the main parking lot.

Isabel La Roche Godwin Preserve – The entrance to the Godwin Preserve is found on the east side of Padanarum Road 0.2 miles north of its junction with Trout Falls Road. A yellow-marked route connects with Amy’s Park or you can just walk the road for 0.6 miles between the two preserves.

The Red Trail travels generally uphill for 0.5 miles to the junction with the Yellow Trail, which continues climbing for 0.3 miles to a lookout at its end which faces west. The view includes the wetland at the south end of Amy’s Park and a good look at High Nopit, a small knob of a mountain that stands out from its surroundings. “Nopit” sounds biblical to me but I have not been able to find any meaning to the word in my searches. Farther out, you can also pick out Thomas and Crane mountains from this viewpoint.

Back at the junction, the Red Trail continues east then south for over 0.5 miles to connect with the Pole Hill Pond tract.

Walnut Ridge and Pole Hill Pond – The main trailhead, very muddy this past spring, is on Route 9N, 2.8 miles north of its junction with Riverbank Road (County Route 11), which connects to the Northway’s Exit 24. A yellow-marked trail is a one-mile loop past a seasonal lookout at Bear Knob, and the blue trail is a 5.7-mile loop that goes over Walnut Ridge, and passes by Pole Hill Pond.

On a counterclockwise loop, the blue trail starts out on an old woods road and the elevation gain is gentle at first, but then the climbing really kicks in. You gain 950 feet to Middle Mountain where you may have some filtered views. The trail then drops 150 feet before climbing again, gaining another 400 feet to the bare rock on Walnut Ridge, 2.5 miles from the start. The view is delightful – Lake George and the Tongue Mountain Range stand out, as well as Black and Buck mountains over on the far side of the lake.

The trail then descends steeply for 0.5 miles to a junction. A right turn leads into the Godwin Preserve and a left turn, continuing with blue markers, soon brings you to pine-ringed Pole Hill Pond – and a nice rocky promontory from which to enjoy the sights. I noted five beaver lodges this past April, and a Canada goose was lying low, hoping not to be noticed while nesting on top of one of those lodges.

The next couple of miles feature a gentle descent on an old woods road and a babbling brook is often within sight. The trail then climbs again to avoid a private parcel, before picking up the yellow trail which drops you back down to the blue trail, not far from the parking area.

If you add in a side-trip to the lookout in the Godwin Preserve, the total mileage adds up to 7.3 miles – still a fairly moderate hike overall. It would also be very tempting to start out on Padanarum Road, hit the Godwin Preserve’s lookout, visit Walnut Ridge and Pole Hill Pond, then return back to Padanarum Road. I estimate that this would entail about 800 feet of climbing over a distance of less than four miles – great rewards for the amount of effort. Like I said at the beginning, there should be something here to satisfy just about any lover of the outdoors!

Be Prepared – Lest you underestimate this area, note that in October of 2020, on two consecutive days, there were two unrelated rescues in the Pole Hill Pond area – in both cases, the hikers had no headlamps or flashlights and were benighted. On October 2, two hikers called for help and were found by rangers after midnight – without extra clothes, they were cold and, by then, they had a dead cellphone battery. On October 3, two hikers (one had fallen and had a minor injury) called 911 at 7:53pm, and were later assisted out by rangers.  

So, bring a map and be properly prepared. Forest Ranger contact info has been recently updated: If a person needs a Forest Ranger, for a search and rescue or to report a wildfire, they should call 833-NYS-RANGERS (833-697-7264). People in need of urgent assistance should continue to call 911. To contact a Forest Ranger for information about a specific location, visit the DEC website: dec.ny.gov. 

A lover of wild places, Rich Macha has led many trips for the Adirondack Mountain Club, and has spent 20 years in the paddlesport/snowsport business. More of Rich’s adventures can be found at northeastwild.blogspot.com.