Short Snowshoe Hikes

Take 2: Short snowshoe hikes that you can double up

The Tupper Lake Region is in no way lacking for recreational opportunities and we can prove it, just check out what we have to offer. Have you ever found yourself wanting to visit a slew of destinations but have a hard time deciding where to start, where to go, and what to save for later? This idea might help solve that dilemma. Go for a twofer and visit two locations in a day, or more if you have it in ya! Below check out a couple double-up recreational opportunities in the Tupper Lake Region you might want to consider visiting.

Two fire towers in a day isn’t all that hard to dream of - try these two on for size:

Mount Arab

At 2525’ this small mountain has a ton to offer the visitor, and at only 2-miles round trip, it’s easy to pack it in with another. Mount Arab is located a short drive away in Piercefield. This popular hike has grown to become a popular year-round destination for the entire family. From the parking area, cross the main road and sign in at the trail register located just up the trail. The trail is mostly moderate but smaller sections will be a bit steeper. The trail follows a northern ridge, keeping the steeper slopes of the mountain to your right. A small cliff on the way up the mountain will catch your eye and surely cause you to break out your camera. Soon you will top out at the open summit. Be sure to climb the fire tower for some outstanding views, but be very careful - the steps can be slippery. You can also get excellent shots from the summit floor.

Cathedral Rock

This fire tower used to be on Tooley Pond Mountain but was moved here by Ranger School Students in the mid 1900’s. A NYS Ranger monument is located on a large erratic near the tower. The views from the tower are fantastic, so you will have to go up. Be careful on the steps however, again, they can be very slippery. From the trailhead behind the Ranger School, locate the gated road and hike down it. Continue for a couple hundred feet to the trail on the right marked as the Latham Trail. This trail will pass through the campus forest and cross a few back roads. Soon the trail approaches steep cliffs and swings around to the top of them to the left. Above here there are steep drop-offs so take extra care, especially with young ones. The tower is not much further along the trail, and the last couple hundred feet are along the tower access road.

Grab one mountain and one pond for a killer duo of beauty:

Goodman Mountain

This 2200’ peak has a 3.2 mile round trip, but is quite an easy climb along a well-graded new trail. The old road that the trail follows used to be Highway 10 between Long Lake and Tupper Lake. The DEC, during the summer of 2014, created this trail to the summit of Goodman Mountain in commemoration of the Goodman Family. First cross the new bridge over Cold Brook and proceed up the trail on a very wide trail through the forest. The beginning as mentioned is the old road, about one-lane wide.  The steep slopes of Goodman will be to your left, set back in the woods. Soon you will begin to gently climb to a height-of-land where the trail leaves the old road on your left. This is roughly 1-mile in from the trailhead. Goodman’s summit is only 0.25 miles away but the trail swings around the steep slopes to avoid unnecessary erosion making the distance much more than that. This gentle switchback approach makes the hike much more accessible and achievable for almost everyone. The trail then follows the ridgeline before it finally ascends to the partially open rock summit. Outstanding views await the visitor, including the foothills of the area I will talk about next.

Black Pond

Black Pond is a roughly 2-mile roundtrip snowshoe over a trail that is seldom used, giving you a rewarding and secluded snowshoe. From the trailhead you will have a flat snowshoe hike through an open forest, which is very quiet with snow that is hardly disturbed. This is a relatively new trail with limited publicity, creating the perfect snow conditions. Just above Black Pond the trail splits, right goes to Bridge Brook Pond, a great destination as well, if you have time to expand your snowshoe outing. The left fork drops steeply to the Shore of Black Pond which is only about 100-200 feet away.

As I mentioned Tupper Lake doesn’t lack for stuff to do and here is a list of a couple more double-ups to consider: Coney Mountain and Owls Head Mountain; Big Trout Lake and Deer Pond; Trombley Landing and Fernow Forest; Pickerel Pond and Rock Pond. But don’t stop there, make up your own duo and enjoy the great outdoors.