The Sheep Meadow Trail leads to a former sheep meadow in the Debar Mountain Wild Forest. These days, the sheep are on farms closer to the Lake Champlain Coast. But the gentle terrain makes this longer hike easier, for all skill levels.

Key takeaways

• Distance: 7.2 miles round trip
• Elevation gain: 430 feet
• Hike includes trail junctions

Hiking to Sheep Meadow

Take the Hays Brook Trail 1.4 miles from the trailhead, then take the 2.3 mile spur trail to Sheep Meadow, on your left. Alternatively, there is a horse trail a bit before the spur trail at 1.4 miles in. It is a little shorter than the described option. See map for more details.

From the trailhead, the trail starts off very flat before a slight descent down to a crossing of the Osgood River about a half mile in. At the next intersection stay straight; right leads to Grass Pond. Then the trail splits again very quickly and is a sort of shortcut that leads back to the woods road. It can be used as a loop option.

The truck road leads straight ahead and climbs quickly and bit steeply to a height-of-land before a small descent comes into play.  Another intersection where the woods road splits comes a bit later. At this intersection take a left and follow here to Sheep Meadow. Two lean-tos are located at Sheep Meadow, and fires are allowed here.

Sheep Meadow in the winter

This would make a good crosscountry ski for those with backcountry crosscountry skiing experience. Make sure you are prepared for all winter conditions. The lean-to area is an excellent spot to break out the hot cocoa and a light snack before heading back out to the trailhead.

Discover more trails

Does Sheep Meadow via the Hays Brook Trail sound amazing, but a little more than you want to tackle right now? No need to stress, with endless mountains, lakes, and waterfalls to visit in the Adirondacks, we are sure we can help you discover a trail that’s just right!

How to get there

From the intersection of Route 30 and Route 3 in Tupper Lake, follow Route 3/30 toward Saranac Lake. Once Route 3 and Route 30 split take a left and follow Route 30 toward Fish Creek. Stay on Route 30 and pass through Lake Clear and Paul Smiths. Roughly 3.8 miles past Paul Smiths College, locate Mountain Pond Road on the right. Drive down Mountain Pond for 0.25 miles to the parking area. Or keep going just a little further down Route 30 to a sign for Hays Brook. Either way, you'll get to the parking lot. There is a primitive camping spot near the parking area.