Cover Image by Brendan Wiltse Photography .

Much of the literature and attention on hiking in the Adirondacks focuses on the 46 High Peaks and surrounding day hikes near Lake Placid and Keene Valley, but there are many trails in the farther reaches of the Adirondacks that are well worth the visit and which provide an escape from the crowds and a venture into something new. As a business and local resource that cares deeply about supporting the integrity and longevity of the Adirondacks, we believe it is important to highlight many of the Park’s gems in addition to the trails that receive heavier traffic.

Champlain Area Trails (CATS) is a non-profit, accredited land trust whose mission is to make trails, save land, connect people with nature, and promote economic vitality in New York’s Champlain Valley. The organization manages, maintains and publicizes a great network of welcoming trails that holds much magic of its own – rolling, accessible, and generally quiet trails in the most biodiverse region of the Adirondack Park. If you’re not dead-set on peak bagging, or need a little break from it, the CATS trails provide a wonderful alternative to the quintessential High Peaks.

Family at Wildway Overlook Trail by Jen Zahorchak

CATS trails provide different vistas than other areas of the Adirondacks, namely in that many of the trails feature views of Lake Champlain to the east and of the High Peaks to the west. You would rarely see that in the rest of the Adirondacks. As is shared on their website , one long-term goal of CATS is for the trails to one day connect in Quebec and Vermont, creating a network of trails around Lake Champlain and branch outward from the lake. Another unique aspect of the CATS trails is their emphasis on community – the trails are seen as one way to connect neighboring communities and bring people together both through recreating on the trails, through volunteering doing trailwork, patronizing local shops and business and supporting CATS’ mission as well.

Coot Hill Sunrise by Brendan Wiltse

There are many trails in the CATS network, and they exist across a sweeping section of the Easternmost Adirondacks, a.k.a. the “Adirondack Coast.”. It might be helpful to think of the trails as separate trail systems that are a subset of a larger trail network, since they are not localized and there is no central trailhead. You may want to drive, or ride bikes, from one cluster of trails to another and for that reason, as well as for more detailed descriptions of the individual trails, we recommend checking out CATS’ website for the most comprehensive information of the trail system. CATS also produces and Northern and Central Champlain Valley Trail map and they encourage people to contact them to obtain copies ( [email protected] ). CATS currently has 57 different trails (including short connector trails) that traverse nearly 60 miles total. The trails are great for hiking, snowshoeing and cross country skiing. And they’ve become quite popular for bird watching and wildlife viewing as well.

Central Champlain Valley Trail Map

List of Trails:

Ancient Oak Trail

Art Farm Trail

Bald Peak Trail (external link)

Bartlett Pond – McConley Rd Trail

Beaver Bend Trail

Beaver Flow Trail

Belfry Mt Trail

Black Kettle Trail

Blueberry Hill Trails (external link)

Bobcat Trail

Boquet Mountain Trail

Boquet River Nature Preserve Trail

Brookfield Headwaters Trail

Challis Pond Trail

Champlain Bridge Trail

Cheney Mt Trail

Coon Mountain Trails (external link)

Coot Hill Trail/Big Hollow Trail

Crown Point State Historic Site

Crowfoot Pond Trail

DaCy Meadow Farm Trail Trail (external link)

Field & Forest Trail

Florence Hathaway Park Nature Trail

Flying Squirrel Trail

Footbridge Park Trail

Foothill Trail

Hammond & Bloody Pond Trail

Hemlock Hill Trail

Hidden Quarry Trail

High Point Trail

Homestead Trail

LaChute River Walk

Lee Park Trail

Long Valley Trail

McAuliffe Road Trail

McConley Spring Trail

Moose Mt Pond Trail

Mountain Spring Rd Trail

Mount Gilligan Trail

Noblewood Park Trail

Old Ironville Rd Trail

Over the Mountain to Lake Champlain Trail

Pauline Murdoch Wildlife Trail

Penfield Pond Trail

Poke-O-Moonshine Ranger Trail

Poke-O-Moonshine Observers’ Trail

Rattlesnake Mt Trail

Riverside Trail

Rocky Ledges Trail

Round Pond Trail

Sophie’s Lair Trail

Split Rock Wild Forest Trails

Thrall Dam Park Trail

Three Creeks Trail

Viall’s Crossing Trail

Webb Royce Swamp Overlook Trail

Wadhams Lookout Trail

Wildway Overlook Trail

Wildway Passage Loop Trail

Woods & Swale Trail