Where the Rivers Meet – Confluence of the Hudson and Boreas

 By Bill Ingersoll

The Adirondack Forest Preserve is a vast resource with numerous interesting corners. There are pockets of deep wildness, of course, and these have been some of my favorite places to explore. But sometimes the more unusual sites where nature exists alongside manmade structures can be just as intriguing, in their own way.

One such site can be found at the confluence of the Hudson and Boreas rivers near Minerva. While the wilderness purist will object to the presence of railroad tracks and a substantial bridge cutting through one of the more scenic parts of the famed Hudson Gorge, it is an interesting place to explore at a time of year when other backcountry hikes might not be accessible.

I base this statement on the fact that I enjoyed several early-spring hikes to the Boreas-Hudson confluence in recent years, at a time when the decaying snow made me less excited about the prospect of trudging through mushy conditions elsewhere. But this doesn’t have to be a springtime visit. There is no reason not to come in the winter, when this would be an easy ski outing; or in the summer to watch the whitewater rafting parties float by; or in the fall, to observe the foliage on all of the surrounding mountains.

The hike is easy. Getting there might be the bigger adventure, especially for anyone not familiar with Northwoods Club Road. Although it is generally in good shape – and although it is plowed through the winter – portions of it are quite remote, and major storms do have a way of roughing it up.

Getting There – The secret to unlocking this adventure is Northwoods Club Road, which begins on NY Route 28N at a junction 2.5 miles north of Minerva. The road heads generally west, beginning as a paved residential byway, but the pavement ends by the time it enters the Forest Preserve. Then it narrows and angles northwest down the slopes of Kellogg Mountain before bottoming out by the Boreas River at 3.8 miles.

Several interesting things happen here. First, there are several walk-in campsites and picnic areas clustered around each side of the bridge. Just beyond the campsites, look for a designated parking area on the left, with the semi-abandoned railroad tracks just beyond, at 3.9 miles. This is the start of your hike.

Note that while all of this is maintained year-round, the road may be barricaded for a few weeks in early spring at a point south of Kellogg Mountain. There is a place to park nearby, but this does add 1.3 miles to the hike.

The Trail – Once you find the railroad tracks, you may feel that you hardly need me to tell you where to go. But before you stop reading, let me at least reassure you that this is not your typical railroad corridor; its status is in limbo and there are proposals to remove the rails and create a recreational trail. By coming here now you are merely getting a preview.

From the crossing at Northwoods Club Road, the tracks extend both north and south along the Boreas River. Either direction might be interesting to explore, but if you are looking for the short, easy hike I promised, then head south. It is only a 1.6-mile hike from the road to the large bridge that spans the Hudson River, much of that distance spent within sight of the Boreas River.

The railroad is an artifact of World War II, so to speak, since it was carved out of the state-protected Forest Preserve on federal authority as a means to reach the Tahawus Mine. Its vitality as a railway has been questionable ever since then, and recent efforts to restore train traffic were not fruitful. But it does make a firm, level walking surface that winds slowly through the valley.

Not everyone will appreciate the prospect of walking across the Hudson River bridge, especially when they see the gaps between the beams. But crossing the river is not required to enjoy this site. Just like the road bridge across the Boreas, there are several attractive campsites located in the nearby woods, including one furnished with a bench made out of extra rail ties.

Another intriguing campsite can be found near the tip of the peninsula that separates the Hudson from the Boreas.

In the summer, you may have to share the bridge with rail bikes, which operate out of North River. Looking upstream from the span, you can see the foot of Fox Den Rapids wedged between Pine Mountain and Fox Hill. Downstream, Dutton Mountain seems to block the valley and force the river to bend south.

Optional Bushwhack – As you explore the area, you may notice one intriguing little mountain northwest of the bridge, hovering over a stretch of tracks. This is Forks Mountain, and the bald spot you see on its outer flanks makes a fine destination for a short-but-rugged bushwhack, for those who are so inclined.

The best views are located at about 1,775 feet in elevation of the shoulder closest to the tracks, or roughly 600 feet above them. All of the slopes are steep, and having gone up one route and down the other I can’t say either is better than the other.

But the top of the open area offers a fine view back across the two rivers. Bushwhacks aren’t for everybody, but this one is the best way to survey this interesting area. 

Bill Ingersoll of Barneveld is a cofounder and vice-chair of Adirondack Wilderness Advocates. For more information on this area, please visit adirondackwilderness.org/hudson-gorge-wilderness.