State park expands to 6,100 acres
State acquires significant new parcel at Moreau Lake State Park
MOREAU, N.Y. >> Moreau Lake State Park is growing again with the acquisition of 131 acres on Spier Falls Road that allows for the creation of a new trail to Potter’s Point, and improvements to the Sherman Island Boat Launch parking area.
Since the late 1990s, the park has roughly tripled in size to its current 6,100 acres.
“This new acquisition, from the Baker family, connects two parcels we owned previously on Potter Road and Spiers Falls Road,” said Peter Iskenderian, park manager.
In 2015, approximately 750 acres of former Mount McGregor Correctional Facility land was added to the park, which made many new trails possible to sites such as Lake Bonita where public access was previously prohibited.
The park has nearly 40 miles of trails. Plans call for building a new marked trail to Potter’s Point next year, Iskenderian said.
In addition, connections to existing trails will create new long-distance hiking opportunities, including the planned Palmertown Range trail, which would link the park to Saratoga Springs.
“The economic and ecological integrity of the Palmertown Range will persist when there is adequate contiguous land conserved,” said Maria Trabka, Saratoga PLAN executive director. “With this acquisition, New York State is ensuring the future of an important, premier working landscape in Saratoga County.”
While the main day use and camping facilities surround Moreau Lake, the park also includes a seven-mile stretch of Hudson River corridor from Corinth/Lake Luzerne to Moreau/Queensbury on both sides of the river in Saratoga and Warren counties.
The new parcel expands the park’s trail network, provides access to scenic views and protects open space. It encompasses multiple summits, including Palmertown Mountain, and affords views of the Hudson Valley and the southern Adirondack Mountains.
State officials say the vistas will add to the park’s appeal as an increasingly popular destination for bald eagle watching when eagles winter along the Hudson River. Several eagle survey outings are planned this month and will continue in January and February.
Moreau Lake is a designated Bird Conservation Area, recognized by the Audubon Society as an Important Bird Area. It also contains a significant number of hemlock and northern hardwood trees.
Strategically located between Saratoga Springs and Lake George, Moreau Lake has one of the most heavily used state campgrounds in the state. Overall, the park attracts more than 400,000 visitors annually for yearround activities such as swimming, camping, hiking, hunting, boating, fishing, ice fishing, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing.
In 2017, six new cabins were constructed in the park for visitors seeking a more backcountry type experience.