Two Local Gems

For a good part of October, weekend weather and family commitments weren’t lining up to allow full-day excursions into the Adirondacks. Fortunately, there are many close-to-home options for a short outing when schedules and conditions allow. The Burl Trail and Bog Meadow Brook are two such local gems that we visited on spur-of-the-moment excursions with our two kids this month.

The Burl Trail, named for a large burl on a tree at the trailhead, is a 1-mile loop alongside the Kayaderosseras Creek. The trail was created in 2005 as a project of Friends of the Kayaderosseras, the local volunteer group that was established to protect and conserve the Kayaderosseras Creek and its watershed in Saratoga County, on a parcel that was recently added to the Saratoga Spa State Park. The trail is flat, and passes alongside the Creek and through adjoining open meadows.

We visited on a cool, mostly overcast late fall day. The kids had a great time exploring the stream bank and liberating milkweed seeds from their pods in the meadows. The trailhead is located on Northline Road, about three quarters of a mile east of Route 50.

The Bog Meadow Brook Trail was an early project of Saratoga PLAN. The 2-mile trail passes through a variety of wetland communities and includes extensive boardwalks and viewing platforms. We usually park at the Meadowbrook Road trailhead, as we did on this early fall day, although there is also a parking area at the Route 29 / Lake Avenue trailhead.

The trail is level and well-maintained, but keep in mind that it can be wet and muddy in places.  Saratoga PLAN has protected more than three thousands acres of open space around Saratoga Springs.  Information on the Bog Meadow Brook Trail and other preserves and trails that Saratoga Plan has protected can be found at their website.