Winter doesn’t have to mean being stuck indoors. There’s year-round fun at our parks to help you beat cabin fever, chase away the winter blues, and experience a familiar spot in an entirely new way. Check out these iconic wintertime activities at our parks and sites, but hurry – spring will be here before you know it.
Ice, Ice, Baby
Ice skating is the classic wintertime activity, and our parks offer a safe way to enjoy the ice. From the urban setting of Riverbank State Park to the serenity of Grafton Lakes to the bustling atmosphere and panoramic views at Bear Mountain State Park, ice skating brings joy wherever you do it. This exhilarating experience gets your heart pumping, and is a fantastic winter bonding experience. Twelve of our parks offer skating, and most of them offer skate rentals as well.
New York State is full of incredible trails and activities, and winter is an exciting time to get outside and explore. New views appear when the leaves fall from the trees. The comings and goings of animals are revealed in the snow and mud. Nothing compares to hiking after a snowfall. And the Centennial Challenge winter missions will whet your appetite for an adventure at our parks.
A winter group hike at Saratoga Spa State Park.
Before you discover winter’s grandeur, it’s always important to go out prepared for the season’s conditions. Follow the following tips for a safe time on the trails this winter.
Black Birders Week 2023 kicks off at the end of May, and in collaboration with the organization Black AF In STEM, State Parks’ environmental educators from New York City invite you to join in celebrating and uplifting Black birders. From budding novices to seasoned experts, all birders, including those who aspire to learn more about birding generally, are welcome.
What is Black Birders Week?
On May 25, 2020, Christian Cooper – a Black man – was riding his bike through Central Park when he encountered a white woman with her dog in the Ramble and politely asked her to put her dog on a leash. As an avid birder, Mr. Cooper knew that the period between March 1 and July 31 is the main breeding period for ground nesting birds, and the Ramble is a prime nesting area. In response to Mr. Cooper’s request, the woman called 911 and asserted that an African American man was threatening her and her dog.
When the recorded cell phone video of Christian Cooper’s encounter went viral, it made national news and demonstrated the unique challenges Black people may face when engaging in outdoor activities. The incident, and others like it, led to the creation of “Black Birders Week” by Black AF In STEM, fortifying efforts to highlight Black nature enthusiasts and increase the visibility of Black people in environmental issues.
“Black Birders Week has made me even more aware of the dangers Black people face when we spend time in outdoor spaces, but it also helped me discover a vast community of Black birders and nature lovers around the country,” said Roslyn Rivas, Public Programs Manager at NYC Audubon and a guest facilitator for New York State Parks.
How and when can you participate?
From May 28, 2023 to June 3, 2023, NY State Parks is hosting a week-long series of events at two state parks named after historically prominent Black women who lived in New York City: Marsha P. Johnson State Park and Shirley Chisholm State Park.
All programs are free and materials are provided, including binoculars and bird guides. At each event, participants may enter a raffle to win special prizes including binoculars, plush Audubon birds, or a New York State Park Empire Pass!
“I never imagined there would be so many of us, and I have absolutely loved getting to make so many connections and new friends in this network,” said Rivas. “Black Birders Week is a time when we can come together and enjoy being outdoors without fear, especially when access to green space has been purposely limited for Black people throughout history.”
People love New York’s trails! Did you know that State Parks has more than 2,000 miles of trails across the state? And that merchandise featuring trail markers is among the top sellers at the Parks online store?
T-shirts with State Parks trail markers are some of the items sold online in the Parks store.
More people than ever have been using Parks trails during the past ten years, especially during the recent pandemic, as being outdoors offered safe and healthy recreation when some other venues weren’t available. With so many trails, there is always lots of work to do for our trail crews, staff, and non-profit partners to maintain, improve and expand our network. Let’s take a tour of some of what’s been done recently.
To help find your way on the trail, check out the Parks’ Explorer app for smartphones and mobile devices. Available for both iOS and Android devices, the free app offers a range of useful information, including trail maps and a real-time location function that allows users to easily follow along on the park’s map.
Capital Improvements
To help support some of its trail work, each year Parks receives funding through the state budget as part of the NY Works capital program. Some of the program’s largest funded trails projects over the past five years include:
$500,000 for the Backcountry Trails Program to repair and restore trails in the Hudson Highlands of our Taconic and Palisades Regions.
$400,000 to restore hiking, skiing, equestrian, and snowmobile trails in Allegany State Park in western New York.
$250,000 to repair stonework and restore the scenic gorge trail of the Finger Lakes Region.
$200,000 for improvements to park trails across the Saratoga-Capital Region.
$175,000 for region-wide trail projects in the Thousand Island trails.
Crews working under the Backcountry Trails Program (BCTP) have spent years rehabilitating miles of trail in Hudson Highlands and Sterling Forest State Parks. The program engages AmeriCorps volunteer service members to learn and apply highly skilled trail building techniques from April through October each year.
This past season more than 2,000 feet of trail were rehabilitated and more than 140 stone steps installed on the Washburn and Undercliff Trails in Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve in the Hudson Valley. In the Palisades Region, miles of trail have been added and improved on the very popular multi-use trail system at Sterling Forest State Park. 2022 will mark the ninth year of the BCTP implementing high-quality trail construction projects in our facilities.
A backcountry trails crew works at Hudson Highlands State Park.
Accessible Trails
The Universal Trail Assessment Process (UTAP) project has so far assessed 40 trails in State Parks with a goal of identifying those that could be made accessible for persons with disabilities. Funded through a Federal grant, the project completed its third year of field assessments to find trails that meet or have the potential to meet federal standards for accessibility.
Learn more about this project in a previous post on the NYS Parks Blog HERE
Student Conservation Association member Tyler Stempsey measures trail accessibility at the Olana State Historic Site.
An example of trail access information, such as grade and cross slope, that can be created through the measurements of the Universal Trail Assessment process.
Partner Projects
On July 1st, the ribbon was cut on the new Nimham Trail in Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve, which was completed in partnership with the Hudson Highlands Fjord Trail organization. Named for the last Mohican chief in the Hudson Valley, this new trail allows for an easier ascent and safer descent to the popular Breakneck Ridge – but it’s still a challenge! This new trail has over 600 stone steps and climbs 600 feet of elevation in less than a mile. Images below of the the Ninham Trail show, left to right, new stairs, a trail information map, and a new bridge.
In Clarence Fahnestock State Park Preserve, the Open Space Institute (OSI) broke ground on a sustainable multi-purpose loop trail suitable for hiking, biking, and equestrian use. More than 5.5 miles of new or rehabilitated trail have been created as well as two bridges, four boardwalks, and two turnpikes. As a complement to this project, West Point engineering cadets designed and built a multi-use arched bridge to traverse a mountain stream. This is the fifth bridge constructed in partnership with OSI and West Point on the Hubbard-Perkins project.
Cadets from the U.S. military academy at West Point put the finishing touches on their new bridge in the Hudson Highlands State Park Preserve.
Interns from the Hudson Valley AmeriCorps of the Student Conservation Association (SCA) had their annual Patriot Day of Service project at Sam’s Point in Minnewaska State Park Preserve. This two-day project created a new 72-foot section of bog-bridge on the Verkeerder Kill Falls Footpath. The popular trail passes through the globally rare dwarf pitch pine barrens and has seen increased use in the past five years. Pictured below, the bog bridges will help mitigate user impacts by keeping hikers’ feet out of wet areas and on the designated path.
Parks Regional Trail Crews Deliver
Saratoga-Capital Region
In 2021 at John Boyd Thacher State Park, trail crews repaired trail, replaced timber steps, and build rock crib-wall on the area’s most hiking popular trail, the Indian Ladder Trail. In Peebles Island State Park, trails were upgraded with new surfacing material and drainage improvements, as well as new trail markers and intersection signage added for safety. Trails at John Brown Farm State Historic Site in the Adirondacks were overhauled and signage was installed to improve wayfinding.
Above, a trail crew worker at Thacher Park, and below, two sections of the repaired Indian Ladder Trail at the park.
Finger Lakes
Crews at Buttermilk Falls State Park installed a 56-foot prefabricated fiberglass bridge and set up high-line rigging to lift the bridge into place over Buttermilk Creek. The new crossing now connects hikers safely from the parking lot to the trail by eliminating a hazardous road crossing. Click on the slideshow below to observe the project…
At Chimney Bluffs State Park, the Bluff Trail leading to the visually stunning bluff overlooking Lake Ontario was rerouted this year after being closed since May 2018 due to safety concerns. This project established a new sustainable trail route away from the heavily eroded bluff edge and constructed 170 timber stairs, multiple erosion control features, and added a 225-foot wooden boardwalk to raise the trail over the forest floor.
More than 680 stone and timber steps were installed at Stony Brook State Park to rehabilitate heavily eroded trail sections at the north and south entrances to the park’s main trail.
More than 700 feet of boardwalks and foot bridges were installed throughout the trail system at Ganondagan State Historic Site to replace worn out sections.
Before and After: A new boardwalk at Ganondagan State Historic Site.
Central Region
At Green Lakes State Park, the Green Lake Trail was resurfaced and received drainage improvements over the past three years. Crews also completed a full signage and wayfinding upgrade with a total of 316 new trailhead, intersection, and informational signs, all designed in-house and produced at the regional sign shop.
Thousand Island Region
More than 1.5 miles of new trail were added to Keewaydin State Park. Crews also performed seasonal maintenance on more than 16 miles of trails region-wide and constructed new trail structures including:
300 feet of bog bridges at Whetstone Gulf State Park.
Working for the Future
Parks is also keeping an eye on the future for its trails. In our Albany office, planners in the Division of Environmental Stewardship and Planning (DESP) set a roadmap for future trail work through the completion of the Statewide Greenway Trails Plan which was signed for adoption by Parks Commissioner Erik Kulleseid in April 2021.
With over 2,000 additional miles across New York, these multi-use greenway trails, like the Empire State Trail and others, are a popular amenity and serve as a critical component of both recreation and transportation. The completed Greenway Trails Plan will be a resource for trail managers and advocates to expand the state’s greenway trail network over the next decade.
Whether it’s hiking, snowshoeing, cycling, Nordic skiing, horseback riding, or even snowmobiling, there’s a trail for you in State Parks. See for yourself all the great work done by our trails crews and partners as you get out into nature’s beauty!
Happy Trails to You from NYS Parks! Come see our work!
Cover Shot: A new bridge built by State Parks trail crews at the Ganondagan State Historic Site. All images by NYS Parks.
Post by Chris Morris, Statewide Trails Program Planner, NYS Parks
Resources
Learn more about the many trails in State Parks across New York in our popular “Get Out and Explore” Blog series:
During winter when there is snowcover, State Parks also offer a variety of trails suitable for cross-country skiing. Find out more in this previous post in the NYS Park Blog.
“Can you imagine anything freer and more exciting than when you, swiftly as a bird, zoom down the wood-clad hillsides while country air and spruce twigs whiz by your cheeks and eyes; brain and muscles tense, ready to avoid any unknown obstacle which any moment might be thrown in your path? You are one with…
As the year and its challenges draw to a close, New Yorkers can look forward to 2022, hoping the COVID-19 pandemic that has caused so much stress and tribulation will recede from our lives.
During the pandemic, many people have embraced outdoor activity as a safe and healthy response, and the 11th annual First Day Hike events on Jan. 1 are a great way to ring in the New Year on public hiking trails across the state.
In light of the ongoing pandemic, event options for hikes range from self-guided treks to small staff- or volunteer-led hikes to multiple event options that day, allowing participants the time and space to social distance while still enjoying nature’s winter wonders.
Because of the recent surge in COVID-19, Governor Kathy Hochul last week announced new masking requirements for going inside all public places and businesses. Read more about that here.
There are a variety of hikes from seal walks, fire tower treks, lakefront trails, boardwalks, and canal towpaths, to walks along waterfalls, historic estates, military forts and more.
The walks and hikes are family-friendly, and typically range from one to five miles depending on the location and conditions. Some First Day Hike events may include drawings for an annual Empire Pass, as well as keepsake giveaways.
Click on this slideshow below to see previous First Day Hike events…
Click here for a listing of Parks events for 2022, or use this interactive map below to locate hikes.
Additional information can be found online at parks.ny.gov and dec.ny.gov. Interested participants are encouraged to check the details of their preferred host site and pre-register where required; alternate locations should be considered as capacity restrictions and registration limits may impact availability.
As always with winter hiking, remember to dress warmly and in layers, while keeping in mind this old Scandinavian saying: “There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.”
And with snow and ice possible on many hiking trails, make sure to use proper footwear, and consider adding traction devices, like Microspikes, for additional stability.
Whether maintaining a safe distance in a group or hiking on your own, remember that you are still part of something that is happening across the U.S. in all 50 states, and dates back to the initial First Day Hikes that started in Massachusetts in 1992.
So, get outside, keep safe, and let’s ring in 2022 to welcome better days ahead!
New York State Parks and Historic Sites Blog 