The previous parking area was tiny. Enlarged in 2023 through grant funding awarded by The New York State Conservation Partnership Program, the new lot provides, finally, a fitting space for this locally beloved sanctuary.

Walk past the information kiosk and through the stand of hemlock trees, following the yellow blazes. Although there are homes in the area, the sanctuary quickly feels remote and peaceful.

At the back of this initial area, you’ll come to the first junction, can choose between Loops A & B to your right, or Loop C straight ahead.

Loops A & B

The trail to Loops A & B descends and passes through an open area with many stone fences…

Descend through fairly open woods with a lot of white pine saplings and arrive at this delightful water crossing.

This is a really wonderful spot.

The trail continues through some tall pines…

…beautiful in every season…

Junction

Choose your own adventure. Loop A is longer and stays above the gorge. Loop B is shorter and descends into the gorge.

Loop A

Descend into a hollow where a second footbridge passes over a gently burbling pool drainage.

A little uphill, you’ll come to a junction. Loop A starts and ends here. It doesn’t matter which side you take, you’ll end up back at this spot.

It’s very peaceful…

This is partridgeberry (Mitchella repens). According to Wikipedia: “American Indian women made a tea from the leaves and berries that was consumed during childbirth. The scarlet berries are edible but rather tasteless, with a faint flavor of wintergreen, resembling cranberries (to which they are not closely related).”

This side of the loop is mostly riparian in nature, passing alongside a stream that flows north.

Lots to see on either side of the trail. This rock formation is on the left…

On the right, down below, are mossy and swampy areas along the banks of the stream…

The trail turns to the left, passes through another stand of trees before turning left/north again and heading uphill toward the erratics.

Glacial Erratics

This side of the loop is very mellow. Soon, you’ll pass by a field of glacial “erratics” on the left — “erratics” is in quotes because these boulders are composed of the same sedimentary stone as is found in the immediate area, so they are not true erratics.

Yet they were dropped here by a glacier 13,000 years ago, and have been here a lot longer than our modern stone fences.

There are some modest cliffs on the right side of the trail, nothing dramatic.

The trail winds north, heading back toward the junction at the start of the loop.

Return to the A/B junction and you can now do loop B…

Loop B

After a short connecting trail you’ll arrive at the the start of Loop B. I tend to turn right at loop junctions, taking them counter-clockwise, and that’s what I did here too.

The trail passes through a lovely hemlock stand before descending past a vernal pool…

…then down through some ferns into the gorge…

It’s very beautiful down here, a mix of ferns and moss, and dramatic rock outcroppings.

After returning to the very first junction, back near the parking area, you can explore Loop C.

Loop C

Turn right and head downhill quickly to enjoy an extended walk through an old quarry…

There are two quarries on this loop. Both are enormous, and walking through them reminded me of previous mega mounds.

The trail eventually takes a hairpin turn back toward the parking area. After a short ascent, the walk out is flat and easy.