The 4.2 mile Wilkinson National Recreational Trail is easily the most popular hiking trail at Saratoga National Battlefield aka Saratoga National Historic Park.  The trail takes hikers through rolling open meadows rich with wildflowers, forests but most importantly the trail tours the sacred ground where the Battle of Saratoga was fought in 1777 during the Revolutionary War.

The trail is a lollipop "loop" hike that most hikers begin from the main park visitor center.  This hike is moderate in the sense of difficulty.  The trail surface is gravel, dirt and a mowed path.  Some hikers use the Liaison Trail to create a much shorter loop hike.  Below is a description of this hike as well as a couple of maps and pictures.  You can also find this hike in the hiking guide book Best Easy Day Hikes Albany.

Begin the hike at the visitor center.  Walk out the back door to the kiosk that marks the start of the trail.  Bear left at station A.  At 0.5 miles cross a horse trail.  At 0.6 miles a side trail on your left leads to an interpretive material about Breymann Redoubt, a British fortification that was built by loyalist, Germans and Canadian troops.  At 0.8 miles bear left at station C as you begin the loop part of the trail.

At 1.1 miles the trail crosses the Auto Tour Road and enters a mixed forest of pine and scrub oak.  There are a bunch of blackberry bushes in this area.  At 1.2 miles the Liaison Trail is on your right.  This can be used to shorten your hike.  At 1.3 miles cross the Auto Tour Road again.  Cross a stream on a bridge and at 1.9 miles cross the ST Trail near station F.  At 2.1 miles cross the Auto Tour Road and soon begin your descent into the Great Ravine.

At 2.4 miles your at the bottom of the ravine and cross a stream on a bridge.  Now comes the ascent out of the ravine, which is an elevation gain of nearly 120 feet.  At 3.1 miles cross the paved trail (Liaison Trail) and continue straight, then again at 3.2 miles cross the paved trail.  At 3.3 miles cross the Auto Tour Road for the final time.  At 3.5 miles you've finished the loop section, turn left and gradually ascend back to the trailhead.  Reach the visitor center at 4.2 miles.   

Directions:  The GPS coordinates for the main visitor center at Saratoga National Battlefield is N43 00.763 W73 38.966 for those who have a GPS devise.  There are two entrances, one off NY 32 and the other off US 4, however both entrances lead to the visitor center.  The park is located 30 miles north of Albany.  Get more information on directions from the main NPS website.

Start of Wilkinson Trail near the Visitor Center

Wilkinson Trail passing open meadow near Auto Tour Stop #6