Trail Creation and Management  

The Lake George Land Conservancy’s four showcase nature preserves provide nearly 12 miles of trails.  These trails are open to the public year-round for hiking, snow-shoeing, and cross-country skiing.  While most trails lead visitors to views of Lake George, some take people to other destinations, such as waterfalls and wetlands.  All trails are marked with round, colored LGLC markers along the sides of the pathways, and visitors are encouraged to pick up a trail guide at the preserve kiosks to acquaint themselves with the routes and marker colors.

Along with the planning and design aspects of creating trails, a major focus is the continual maintenance needed to make sure the trails are marked accurately and free of debris, as well as to monitor any damage done to the trails or surrounding areas by illegal use or storm damage.  Downed trees are removed and brush and encroaching tree limbs are cut back to provide safe and visible walkways to guests.  In places where culverts are installed under the trails, the openings of these drainage pipes must be cleaned out to ensure proper water flow.  Another means of water "control" is to create waterbars on the slopes of the trails.  See Erosion Control for additional detail on waterbars.  Waterbars require annual maintenance in order to work properly.  Any sediment that is deposited by runoff in these channels must be removed to provide a clear drainage path.