Pine Orchard

By Barbara McMartin

This article, selected by Barbara, was originally published in our premier issue, June 2000.

The Adirondack region is a crazy quilt of patches of public lands called the Forest Preserve that are interspersed with private lands. The Forest Preserve tracts are all very different, each one unique. Those in the southern Adirondacks are full of many special places for those who want a quiet walk through the woods to contemplate the wonders of nature. Sure there are a lot of walks with mountain views and a few waterfalls with marked trails, and there are even more wonderful destinations with no trails at all. 

The Wilcox Lake Wild Forest, a huge chunk of state land that stretches from NY Route 30 to Stony Creek, from north of the Great Sacandaga Lake to NY Route 8 has few hiking trails, but a lot of snowmobile trails that in summer will lead you to more adventures than you can imagine. The Wilcox Lake area is typical of the state’s wild forests: roads penetrate its interior and private homes along many of the boundary roads limit access. So it is a surprise to find a trail that begins on private land where the owner not only lets hiker’s park and walk, but he encourages them. And the trail that starts in James Flater’s front yard leads to one of my favorite places in the entire Adirondacks. [Editor’s note: James Flater passed away in 2005].

Pine Orchard is a knoll with an unusual history. A very old road that traversed the knoll dates back to the early 19th century. Parts of the forest along the road were logged a long time ago and, in fact, there are parts that today appear as if they never had been logged. For a strange reason Pine Orchard was spared. Nature had destroyed the forest on the knoll with a tremendous windstorm like those we have experienced in the past few years. These winds came from the hurricane of 1815 and they leveled the knoll. Pines reestablish best when the soil has been disturbed and thus many pines sprouted on the knoll. They were of course too small to attract early lumbermen. Then nature dealt a second blow. Sometime, when the trees here were fairly small, a blight hit. The trees kept growing, but because the tops of many were gone, the trees branched, making two or three trunks in a clump. Now, lumbermen don’t want pines that do not have tall, straight, single trunks. So they never cut these trees. They probably would not have logged them anyway, because sometime early in the 19th century this land became Forest Preserve, meaning that no trees could ever be cut there again.

So, this short walk will lead you to a stand of the largest pines you will find in the southern Adirondacks. One tree is so large that three people, arms outstretched, cannot reach around it. Other trees are filling in among the old pines. On the southern slopes you will find spruce trees of enormous size for spruce (they never get much above 30 inches in diameter). On the knoll’s northern slopes you will find magnificent hemlocks. Also interspersed among the pines are large maples that came along after the pines were big enough to shade them when they were young. 

To find the trail, drive to Wells on Route 30 and just before the road turns to cross the Sacandaga River, head straight ahead on Griffen Road. Follow that road for 0.7-mile and turn right on Windfall Road and follow it for just over a mile to a fork. Take the right fork and follow it for two miles. The dirt road narrows and climbs until you see a sign at the side of the road “visitors parking.” Mr. Flater, retired Colonie police chief, and his family have put that there for walkers. Park and continue on the road, following it across his front lawn until you reach state land. Just beyond the state land boundary, a snowmobile trail comes in on your right and the marked trail continues generally northeast. The first 0.8-mile of trail is generally downhill through young forest to a bridge, then the trail winds through more mature forest to a second stream crossing in another 0.6-mile. After the trail makes a sharp bend to the northwest, it begins to climb the knoll. 

You will find the tallest pines near the top of the knoll. Walk a little farther along the trail to enjoy the forest but turn around and walk back to your car. The continuing route is a long walk all the way to Route 8, too much for a short day outing. If you see a member of the Flater family, stop and say “hello,” and “thank you” for letting the begin the walk here. The beginning of the snowmobile trail in Wells makes even this a much longer and less interesting walk than many people would enjoy. Make sure you disturb nothing and leave no trace of your presence on his land or on state land. 

The walk to cover the knoll and return is less than five miles, quite easy, and should take under three hours. But go slow enough to enjoy the forest, the understory of spring flowers, and the quiet. You wont find much better stand of forest in the Adirondacks that is so accessible. 

Barbara McMartin (1931-2005) was an author of many guides to the Adirondacks and several histories. If you want more information on the Wilcox Lake Wild Forest, consult the book Discover the Southeastern Adirondacks, coauthored with Bill Ingersoll. To learn more about the park, read her book Adirondack Park: A Wildlands Quilt. Both are available at your local bookseller.