Champlain Area Trails (CATS) is celebrating the Grand Opening of the Flying Squirrel Trail Saturday, June 2, at 2:00 p.m. The hike will last an hour and a half to 3 hours, depending on the route hikers select at the loop near the trail’s end. The new trail connects the Split Rock Wild Forest to the CATS Wildway Passage property next to Coon Mountain. The rain date for the Grand Opening is June 11.

The Flying Squirrel Trail got its name when one landed on CATS Trail Steward Bill Amadon as he worked with volunteers building the trail last autumn. “It landed right on my shoulder and surprised me to say the least, “Amadon said. “Even though it looked sort of prehistoric, with its webbed skin from front to back, it seemed friendly and might have been as surprised as I was.”

CATS Executive Director Chris Maron noted the Flying Squirrel Trail’s significance as a connector trail to the state’s forest preserve in the Split Rock Mountain Wild Forest: “This trail runs through the heart of the wildway corridor,” he said, “and gives a real ‘insider’s view’ to an area critical for the protection of wildlife traveling from the lake shore to the Adirondack mountains. It’s a combination of deep forest with moss-covered cliffs and open fields, with some beautiful babbling brooks along the way.”

Because of limited parking at the trail’s beginning at the NYS Lewis Bay Clearing on Lakeshore Road, CATS has made arrangements to keep hikers safe. Hikers should meet by 2:00 at the Wildway Passage trailhead on Angier Hill Road, park their cars, and then ride the free shuttle bus to the hike’s start. They will then hike back to their cars.

The hike is free and open to all. While registration is not required, it is helpful to know how many will hike for planning purposes. Please call the CATS office at (518) 962-2287 or send an email to info@champlainareatrails.com if you can join the hike.