Silver Lake Bog Trail is a 1-mile interpretive trail owned by The Nature Conservancy that includes a long boardwalk through a complex and unique to a short forest trail to a scenic overlook on Silver Lake.
Silver Lake Bog
1 mile (2 miles round trip)
Silver Lake Bog Preserve
Black Brook, Clinton County
Hiking
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Hike Silver Lake Bog
Silver Lake Bog trail is 1 mile long and is a project of the Adirondack Chapter of The Nature Conservancy. The trail winds through the Silver Lake Bog Preserve, a 98-acre protected area that features an interpretive trail through a unique bog and a scenic overlook on a 200-foot-high bluff above Silver Lake. The trail is in the Town of Black Brook in Clinton County.
The trailhead and parking area are on the Old Hawkeye Road, off of Union Falls Road west of Hawkeye at the east end of Silver Lake. The trail is very short, only two miles total round trip, that features an extensive boardwalk through the bog for the first half and a foot trail through the forest that gradually gains elevation on the second half.
The Silver Lake Bog Trail
The trail begins at the parking area on Old Hawkeye Road. Make sure to sign the trail register. The boardwalk starts at about 50 feet down the trail. The Silver Lake Bog is a vast wetland and bog area. The boardwalk provides a great opportunity to experience a bog ecosystem up close in a way that is otherwise very difficult due to it standing water and saturated soils. A rich array of plants, shrubs, mosses, ferns, lichens, and trees thickly line both sides of the boardwalk. A number of wooden benches are provided for visitors along the way.
The Silver Lake Scenic Overlook
After the boardwalk ends, the trail leads into a classic Adirondack northern hardwood forest for a half mile. The trail winds through a mature stand of trees. Along the way, there are a couple of large trees along the trail, especially one massive hemlock. The bluff overlooking the lake is not at the highest point of the trail, which can be slightly confusing once hikers reach close to the end. Once the ridge is reached, the trail continues down over the edge for a short distance to a small viewing area, from which there is a clear view of Silver Lake and Catamount Mountain.
The hike back to the trailhead is easy with gentle downhill slopes. This hike is appropriate for people of all ages, and abilities. The boardwalk section is flat and easy, and hikers who turn around at the end of the boardwalk will still have a great experience.
Click here to download a map and trail directions for Silver Lake Bog.
When You Hike Make Sure to Practice “Leave No Trace” to be Prepared and to Protect the Forest Preserve
Please follow “carry in, carry out” rules for all trash and follow other Leave No Trace principles when hiking in the public Forest Preserve and other wild areas. The seven Leave No Trace principles are: 1) Plan ahead and prepare; 2) Stay on hiking trails and camp at designated areas; 3) Dispose of human waste and trash properly; 4) Leave what you find; 5) Minimize campfires; 6) Respect wildlife; 7) Respect other hikers.
Educated hikers do not damage the environment. Prepared hikers do not need search and rescue unless injured.
