South of the Champlain Valley, Pole Hill Pond Preserve has great loop hikes that are worth the drive. Be aware, the trailhead is difficult to find, so follow the directions closely and print out the brochure to have in hand. The preserve is maintained by the Lake George Land Conservancy (LGLC) and the NYSDEC, and is made up of two loops with excellent payoffs. 

Hiking in the Pole Hill Pond Preserve

Bear Knob Loop

Key takeaways

• Distance: 1.35 miles round trip
• Elevation gain: 415 feet
• Hike includes trail junctions

This is the shorter of the two loops and is a bit more rugged than would be expected. The trail is marked in yellow. At about 0.2 miles in, the yellow trail breaks off to the left and continues an easy climb and quickly comes to an unmarked intersection with the Blue Trail up Walnut Ridge. From here the trail takes a sharp right and starts climbing steadily over rough footing at times. The trail is well marked but not used heavily so you will need to look ahead for the next marker and be aware of sharp turns to stay on track. There are nice views along the climb of Walnut Ridge from open rock areas. The actual summit of Bear Knob has what they call seasonal views. From the summit you will descend, at times fairly steeply, back to the blue trail about 0.4 miles from the parking lot. 

Walnut Ridge Loop

Key takeaways

• Distance: 5.5 miles round trip
• Elevation gain: 1,580 feet
• Hike includes trail junctions and a water crossing

This loop is much longer and fairly demanding. The trail starts out slowly climbing along a stream on old forest road and eventually crosses it before starting a much more demanding climb (the stream crossing can be difficult after a bad rainstorm). The climb is steady and at times a bit steep as you approach the top of Middle Mountain. Middle Mountain is a wooded summit with decent views through the trees and open forest. There is a slight descent from Middle Mountain that will bring you to a col with a sign pointing back to Middle Mountain and ahead to Walnut Ridge. The climb up to Walnut Ridge is the continuation of the loop and is a steep pitch. Once on the ridge the views start to appear and eventually they become quite stellar as you overlook the lake. The open part of the ridge lasts a bit before it descends steadily down to Pole Hill Pond, which is a lovely backcountry gem. From here the trail continues to descend at a steady clip along an old road that brings you down to the yellow trail, which you should follow straight ahead and not uphill toward Bear Knob, unless of course you wish to go there. This is an unmarked intersection, but the blue trail ends at this point. It isn’t all that far back to the other side of the Blue Trail and the trailhead from here. 

Pole Hill Pond Preserve in the winter

Accessing these trails in the winter may be tough, as parking on the roadside might require shoveling some snow. It is done in the winter, and can make for a secluded hike with trail breaking necessary. As such, if you decide to tackle these trails in the winter, be prepared for all conditions. While this area doesn't get as much snow as the more mountainous portions of the Adirondacks, bring snowshoes, and carry microspikes since many portions of this hike can get icy.

Find more legendary trails in the Lake Champlain Region

Want to find more hikes in the Lake Champlain Region’s open spaces? With the Lake Champlain Region’s extensive trail network, there are endless options to choose from!

How to get there

From the Ticonderoga traffic circle, head south on Route 9N for 23 miles. The trail entrance will be on the right. If you pass the driveway with the stone lions, you have gone too far. The trailhead on Route 9N is not marked, so look for a dirt drive. You may need to park along the roadside as the drive is a bit rough for small cars. There are trail signs and markers at the backside of the drive, but these cannot be seen from the main road.