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April 1, 2021

Take A Hike!

David Katz

A year ago, our hiking worlds suddenly shrank to include only places we could comfortably visit without stopping anywhere en route. Our ambitious summer travel plans were abruptly put on permanent hold. But we still needed to get outside, walk, and paddle, perhaps even more so than before. There are, of course, lots of hiking and paddling opportunities inside the blue line. But what about closer to home? What about all of those 50 or more state forests and other green patches on county maps in the St Lawrence valley outside the blue line?

Anne and I started exploring these local destinations last spring. By early summer, we had visited 15 or 20 state forests plus a few other publicly-owned lands. Some had accumulated a few piles of junk, but most were pristine. Some were crowded with hikers and other outdoor revelers, but in most places we walked for 2 or 3 hours without encountering another human being.

Here are a few of our favorite state forests. Each one offers walks of 2 to 4-ish miles that take 1 to 3 hours. For maps, visit the DEC website and search for them by name.

Orebed Creek State Forest

Taylor Creek SF and Glenmeal SF, Pierrepont

There are 2 old gravel roads that enter Taylor Creek State Forest from the Selleck Road. The entrance east of the Crary Road is generally high and dry. The entrance west of Crary Rd takes you through a couple of muddy spots and eventually goes underwater in an old beaver pond. The beaver pond is now a heron rookery and featured lots of heron activity last spring.

If the weather has been dry enough, you can follow the road across the beaver pond and allows you to continue some distance farther south. Extra credit for finding the abandoned building site and stone-lined well.

While you’re in the neighborhood, it’s worth a visit to Glenmeal State Forest. Stop at the entrance on County Route 24, and enjoy a couple of miles of easy walking on footpaths and an old logging road.

High Flats SF, Parishville

The gravel Donovan Road makes a great early-Spring road walk before it is open to motor vehicles, but there’s no traffic even after the gates are open. The road passes a large beaver pond which was home to at least one otter last spring. Two foot-trails and several mountain bike trails branch off from the road. Take the first foot trail to the right for a woods walk to the very scenic Close Pond.

Orebed Creek SF, Russell

If you want a long uphill walk for some exercise, park about 0.2 miles along the Ritz Road where the state land starts on the left. Walk uphill about a mile, almost to the end of the road, and take the path to the left down to Orebed Creek and explore the shoreline. If you’re experienced with off-trail walking, you can follow Orebed Creek downstream to where it passes under the Ritz Road and then follow the road back to your car.

If you don’t want the long uphill road walk, and you’re experienced walking off-trail, and the water levels aren’t too high, you can park about 0.6 miles farther along the Ritz Road where it crosses Orebed Creek. Follow Orebed Creek upstream on either bank until you reach the giant beaver meadow, cross the stream, and follow it back downstream to your car. If you haven’t had enough, continue to follow Orebed Creek downstream to the state forest boundary and then back upstream to your car.

Southville State Forest

Lonesome Bay SF, Hammond

This one is a road walk on the gravel Alamogan Road, unless you decide to bushwhack. It’s worth it - when we visited in late April last year, every imaginable wildflower was in bloom, right along the roadside, and there was no other car or pedestrian traffic. There is a beaver pond maybe half way along on the left that would make a good lunch spot if the bugs aren’t too bad. Note that, although the road goes all the way to Lonesome Bay on Black Lake, there is no legal access to the water at normal water levels.

Southville SF, Stockholm

For a visit to the West Branch St Regis River, park at either entrance to the Southville State Forest trails on the West Stockholm – Southville Road. If you can tolerate the trash heaps along the upper parts of the trails, the reward is worth it. Continue along the trail down to the river and enjoy a half-mile walk along the river bank. It’s also worth exploring the rock foundation walls off the short spur trail at the west end of the trail system.

These walks are a small sampling of what’s available in our backyards. For other ideas, both in St Lawrence County and in nearby parts of Ontario, visit the Laurentian Chapter’s Loony Loop Challenge page. Or consider joining one of the 24 local trips this spring on our Outings page.

It’s a welcome relief that we can again travel farther afield and visit places that were unreachable last year. But for those days when you don’t have the time or inclination for a long trip, it’s worth remembering that you can get into the woods or out on the water within a 20-minute drive of almost everywhere in St Lawrence County.

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