I take hike ideas from whereever I can get them. In this case, I was at the sports expo in Saratoga this past month and was talking to the representative at the Battenkill Valley Outdoors table. She mentioned the Folded Rock trail that was adjacent to their business in Jackson, NY. She showed me a trail map and described the hike to me. I added it to my list of new places to explore.
On Sunday April 9 I was looking for a snow free hike in the sunshine and decided to check this one out. Normally the only time I'm in this area is to go kayaking on the Battenkill River (always a favorite!), but it was time to explore this other option.
You have to watch for the trailhead. There is a sign, but the parking lot is just a grassy field and you can miss it if you are not watching, however it is just between Eagleville Road and Battenkill Valley Outdoors on Route 313.
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| Sign at the trailhead (Battenkill Valley Outdoors sign can be seen in the distance to the north). |
There is a gate at the start of the trail and that is visible from the road also.
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| The trailhead |
One vehicle was parked at the trailhead when I arrived. A short ways up the trail I soon found itbelonged to be a man with a young son and daughter. They were headed up. I passed them and saw them again later as they approached the top and I was on my way back down.
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| The sign-in register |
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| I never saw such a sign with such a gelologic description in the woods. |
The trail follows a jeep road at the edge of a farm field before crossing a creek and beginning a serious climb, still following a jeep road. Eventually the jeep road turns to a foot path. The trail leads steeply to a false summit of the Goose Egg Ridge, then turns southeast on the ridge before turning southwest onto Snake Ridge. There is a bit of a descent on Snake Ridge before a modest climb to a ledge just north of the Folded Rock summit. The trail ends at this point as the state land ends and posted signs are clearly visible.
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| The view from Folded Rock ledge. |
By the way, Folded Rock is labeled "Peaked Rock" on the USGS topo map.
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| Another look from the ledge. |
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| Folded Rock |
I retraced the trail back to where it gained the Goose Egg ridge, then I bushwhacked to the summit of Goose Egg. The ridge is all deciduous forest and easy walking. Filtered views were available, but they will be gone when the trees leaf out.
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| The trail register |
From Goose Egg, I returned to the Folded Road trail and returned. I ran into 3 adults operating small remote control trucks up the steep jeep road section of the trail. That was a first.
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| Old farm equipment remnants beside the farm field |
It was quite nice to hike in the warmth of a day that felt like mid-summer. The trail was totally dry and that felt good too. I still love snow though.
Hike Stats:
Hike Distance: 6 miles (including bushwhack to Goose Egg Ridge)
Hike Time: 3 hours
Total Vertical Gain: ~1500'
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| The hike |
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| The left portion enclosed by yellow is the Battenkill State Forest. The right half is the Goose Egg State Forest) |
You should check out the Saddles state forest in Whitehall. A hidden gem right in plain sight.
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