Lake Champlain’s West Shore

Split Rock Mountain Wild Forest

By Rich Macha

Spring is “mud season” in the Adirondack Park and the NYSDEC is asking hikers to avoid trails above 2,500 feet in elevation. One of the areas that DEC specifically recommends for hiking during this period is the Split Rock Mountain Wild Forest, a 3,700-acre tract that runs along the western shore of Lake Champlain.  

The area has much to offer from a natural perspective as well as historical and cultural perspectives. Evidence of Native American occupation has been found and the area has been considered as the unofficial dividing line between the Iroquois tribe to the south and the Algonquin tribe to the north. Split Rock Mountain also happens to be the northernmost home to the endangered timber rattlesnake. Peregrine falcons nest on the lakeside cliffs, which rise up to 200 feet above the lake at the Palisades.

The tract is located a few miles northeast of Westport and south of Essex, and the main trailhead, Lewis Clearing Bay Trailhead, can be found on Lake Shore Road. There are over 11 miles of trails – you can find a good map on the DEC website: dec.ny.gov. Also, visit the CATS website: champlainareatrails.com.

To experience the best of the hiking and views, you can do a longer figure-eight route, or, if you spend at least two days in the area, you can take your time exploring each of the two loops and the spur trails associated with them. Split Rock Mountain itself is at an elevation of 902 feet above sea level, and Lake Champlain is around 100 feet, so there is some moderate elevation change involved.

The attractiveness of the tract is not limited to any particular season – I hiked here in April of 2019 and October of 2020 – I have also cross country skied the area in winter and visited it twice by sea kayak in summer. Spring wildflowers found here include hepatica, trillium and wild oats.

Northern Loop – Split Rock Mountain

Starting on the Lewis Clearing Bay Trail, take a left on the North Rim Trail – keep an eye out for some interesting artifacts that can be found in the woods off the trail. Most trails in the SRMWF are on fairly wide, old carriage roads and logging roads. To hike the loop in a counterclockwise direction, at the next junction take a right to stay on the North Rim Trail.

The route makes its steepest climb up the ridge before a lookout is seen on the left with a view to the west. Soon after, a spur trail on the right leads to the Ore Bed Lookout which has the best views on this loop – the High Peaks of the Adirondacks, Lake Champlain, and the Green Mountains of Vermont can be seen from here.

Continuing north on the North Rim Trail, you will find another spur that leads to the Essex Overlook, where if you look closely over Whallons Bay, you may see the ferries crossing the lake to the north. The DEC map shows another spur trail, the South Rocks Trail, which I have never been able to find – I believe it has been in the planning stages for a few years but has never been actualized – hikers who are comfortable with off-trail hiking may want to look for the route.

The loop continues down on the Robin’s Run trail which soon levels out somewhat before returning to the North Rim Trail.     

Southern Loop – Barn Rock

Again, starting on the Lewis Clearing Trail, take a right over to the Cross-Over Trail and then a left on the Calamity Trail. Along the way, a beaver pond is seen on the right and a meadow on the left. You may notice some interesting rock before dropping down toward Barn Rock Bay. In the late 19th century, there was a quarry here and rock was transported down to the bay via cable cars then shipped out on canal boats. During its brief operation, four men were killed in an accident when they were run over by a runaway tramcar, and the quarry was soon closed down.

Turning right at the next intersection, head straight down, next to a brook, to the water, and to a small beach where the mass of Barn Rock overlooks the bay. A spur trail away from the brook meanders along the top of Barn Rock to a very scenic ledge overlooking the lake – this is my favorite spot on this loop. A couple of designated campsites are located on either side of Barn Rock.

The loop continues with a long uphill before things level out a bit and you reach the Lewis Clearing Bay Trail – a left will be your route back to the trailhead, but a right will offer more sights to see before finishing the trip. The main trail leads down to the bay which was the site of a couple of iron mines that operated about 150 years ago.

Another spur trail, at an unmarked junction, leads south then east to the Snake Den Harbor Overlook, and passes several good lookouts along the way. At one of them, in April, I was able to look down to a bald eagle sitting on a nest below – for me, an especially interesting perspective! The nest was still there in October but I did not see any eagles. No snakes were seen.

Complete the loop by taking the Lewis Clearing Bay Trail back to the start.

Champlain Area Trails System

There are many other hikes in the area, most are fairly easy – check out the CATS website: champlainareatrails.com. I can personally recommend Coon Mountain, a nice short hike, with great views of the lake and peaks, at a preserve owned by the Adirondack Land Trust: adirondacklandtrust.org.

A lover of wild places, Rich Macha has led many trips for the Adirondack Mountain Club, and has spent 20 years in the paddlesport/snowsport business. More of Rich’s adventures can be found at northeastwild.blogspot.com.