Minerva Weather Forecast, NY

North Country Trail Adirondack Park Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest

NOTE:  This information is based from the information gathered from the DEC plan available at the DEC website.  The info below is for just part of what will be the North Country Trail in the Adirondacks.

The Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest is located in the central Adirondack Park and is made up of almost 2 dozen non-contiguous parcels, covering almost 92,000 acres. Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest borders or contains 44 ponds and small lakes, as well as portions of the Hudson River and much of the Boreas River.

Vanderwhacker Mountain measures 3,386 feet, making it the fourth highest peak in this wild forest and the highest with a developed foot trail. Other current popular trails within the area lead to Stony Pond, Lester Flow, and the Boreas River. Typical public uses in the unit include hiking, snowmobiling, nordic skiing, hunting, camping, canoeing, and fishing.

Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest lies both east and west of Route 28N in western Essex County.

The three primary attractions of the area are the lakes and ponds, the Boreas River and Vanderwhacker Mountain. The latter, by virtue of its isolated location, provides perhaps the best view of the High Peaks from the south in the Park. It is also possible to trace the course of the Hudson River from this peak and gain an appreciation of that river's majesty.

The Boreas River, a designated scenic river, is one of the most beautiful of the Adirondack rivers. White water stretches interspersed with still waters provide a variety of scenes to hold one's appreciation. The Wolf Pond, Durgin Brook and Lester Flow sections of the upper Boreas are well known to bird clubs. These are plant and bird life communities of unusual interest, particularly in the more boreal forms.

The North Country National Scenic Trail travels east, crossing the scenic Boreas River utilizing the Northwoods Club Road as a temporary connector for approximately 0.2 miles before entering the Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest. A new snowmobile trail is being developed between Northwoods Club Road and N.Y State Route 28N. This trail heads northeast from the Northwoods Club Road and could be utilized as a temporary connector until new foot trail is constructed.

At NY 28N, the North Country National Scenic Trail utilizes the Stony Pond Trail as a temporary connector heading east for approximately 1.8 miles. The Stony Pond Trail branches and the North Country National Scenic Trail will follow the northern branch toward Hewitt Pond.  There is a lean to available at Stony Pond.  Check out the video below of this section of the trail.

The North Country National Scenic Trail follows the Hewitt Pond Trail before turning east just south of Barnes Pond. On a new future trail, the North Country National Scenic Trail continues northeast crossing Hewitt Pond Brook. A footbridge will be needed to cross this brook.  After crossing Hewitt Pond Brook, the North Country National Scenic Trail intercepts an existing herdpath (not shown on the map below) on the north side of the Brook and follows that herdpath south to the Irishtown Snowmobile Trail.

The North Country National Scenic Trail crosses the Irishtown Snowmobile Trail and enters the Hoffman Notch Wilderness on its southwestern boundary.  The DEC plans to have 9.4 miles of the North Country National Scenic Trail pass through Vanderwhacker Mountain Wild Forest with nearly four miles of new trail needed.

11/16/2009 NOTE:  The trail from Stony Pond to Hewitt Pond is under water due to a beaver dam 50 feet from the lean to.  See picture below.

Pictures from along the future North Country Trail

Trailhead on NY 28N	Privy at Stony Pond	Stony Pond	Trail to Hewitt Pond	Stony Pond Lean To
Scrappy enjoying view	Beavers causing difficult crossing for trail to Hewitt Pond near lean To	Future North Country Trail.... under water due to beavers	Stony Pond Lean To	Stream
Beaver pond	Crossing a beaver dam	another beaver dam	Boulders	wet section
Future North Country Trail "connector"	Trail register	trail	Future North Country Trail off Northwoods Club Road.	Very wet section of trail