Champlain Area Trails (aka CATS) creates and maintains free cross-country hiking/skiing/snowshoeing trails in the Champlain Valley of New York State’s Adirondack Park. Rapidly approaching its goal of a 30-mile trail loop between Westport and Essex, New York, Champlain Area Trails pass through a rich tapestry of preserved wildlife habitats, pastoral farmland, historic villages, and scenic woodlands.
CATS is also a land trust working to protect natural communities, farmland, clean water, and scenic vistas. Through its Champlain Valley Conservation Partnership Program, it works with Open Space Institute, Eddy Foundation, Long Pond Conservancy, and Northeast Wilderness Trust to protect the Central Champlain Valley’s beautiful landscape.
In addition, CATS organizes events and activities including: lectures, workshops, nature photography and writing contests, and group hikes (like the successful Grand Hike from Westport to Essex.).
Find a list of all current CATS trails and their descriptions (trail length, level of difficulty, trailhead location, etc.) here: www.champlainareatrails.com/trails/.
How Can You Help CATS?
If you want to help CATS create and maintain their trails there are many opportunities for you to volunteer. There are often “trail work” outings organized for interested parties to get together and build new trails or clean up debris on existing trails.
There are also other ways that you can volunteer that don’t involve the physical labor of trail work, such as adopting a trail, making signs, administrative work, etc. Find out more about volunteering here.
You can also make a donation. It is also possible to gift land to CATS.
Visit or Contact Champlain Area Trails
Learn more about Champlain Area Trails by visiting their website or contacting them.
Website: www.champlainareatrails.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/champlainareatrails
Email: info@champlainareatrails.com
Phone: 518-962-2287
Mailing Address: PO Box 193, Westport, NY 12993
CATS Headquarters is located in the log cabin on Main Street in Westport, NY.
Champlain Area Trails Archive
The following posts featured or mentioned the Champlain Area Trails since June 2011.
- Champlain Area Trails Purchases Essex Quarry to Create Nature Park Champlain Area Trails (CATS) has purchased the 35-acre Essex Quarry property in the village of Essex, an historic and ecologically ...
- Full Moon Hike on February 7 at Viall’s Crossing Trail in Westport CATS and the local group John Brown Lives! will host a Full Moon Hike at the Viall’s Crossing Trail in ...
- Help Make Essex Quarry Nature Park and Create a Legacy for You As a person who lives in, visits, or simply enjoys Essex, you will want to be included on the list ...
- Full Moon Hike at Viall’s Crossing Trail January 10 Champlain Area Trails (CATS) and John Brown Lives! (JBL!) will co-host a Full Moon Hike at the Viall’s Crossing Trail ...
- CATS Booth at Christmas in Essex, Raffle, Quarry Hike, and Birding Walk on Dec. 7 We’re happy to be a part of Christmas in Essex, Saturday, December 7, from 9-3. Christmas in Essex is a fun ...
- Two New CATS Trail Maps Available Champlain Area Trails (CATS) has published two new trail maps that cover hiking, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing opportunities in the ...
- Two New CATS Trail Maps Available! Yes, CATS now offers the Central Champlain Valley Trail Map covering from below Ticonderoga to Peru, and the new Northern ...
- Champlain Area Trails Hires Derek Rogers as Development Director Champlain Area Trails (CATS) is pleased to announce that Derek Rogers has been hired as the organization’s first Development Director. Before ...
- Photographing Nature Workshop with Manny Palacios at Point au Roche State Park Champlain Area Trails (CATS) will host a workshop on Photographing Nature with acclaimed ADK nature photographer Manuel “Manny” Palacios on ...
- Champlain Area Trails to Hold Ticonderoga Fall Fest Hike at Lost Pond Champlain Area Trails (CATS) will hold the Ticonderoga Fall Fest Hike at Lost Pond, Saturday, September 28, beginning at 8:30 ...
- Champlain Area Trails Holds Harvest Hike Saturday, September 21 Champlain Area Trails (CATS) will hold a Harvest Hike to kick off the 4th Annual Adirondack Harvest Festival, Saturday, September ...
- Champlain Area Trails Announces Exciting New Trail & Conservation Project in Essex Champlain Area Trails seeks to create the Essex Quarry Nature Park by preserving the 35-acre property on the southern edge ...
- Logan Van Buren Joins Champlain Area Trails as Summer Trail Steward Logan Van Buren has joined Champlain Area Trails as a Summer Trail Steward. Champlain Area Trails (CATS) is pleased to announce ...
- 2019 CATS Grand Hike Recap and Upcoming Events 2019 CATS Grand Hike (Credit: ZVD Photography) What a fabulous Grand Hike! The weather was great, hikers were happy, the Block Party ...
- Locals Businesses Pitch in to Support the Champlain Area Trails Grand Hike CATS Grand Hike on May 11 will be fun for all ages. (Credit: CATS) Area businesses are generously supporting the Champlain ...
- Hawk Watch, A Grand Hike Update, and Spring Cleanups Hawk Watch (Credit: CATS) Hawk Watch Coming Up! Saturday, April 27, Ticonderoga naturalists Malinda and Glen Chapman will lead the CATS’ Coot ...
- Blueberry Hill Adventure is March 16 Blueberry Hill (Credit: CATS) Join us on Saturday, March 16, at 2:00 pm, for the Blueberry Hill Trail Adventure. We’ll snowshoe, ski, ...
- Sophie’s Lair Hike/Ski/Snowshoe Adventure Saturday, February 16 Join Champlain Area Trails (CATS) on the Sophie’s Lair Hike/ Ski/Snowshoe Adventure, Saturday, February 16, in Willsboro. Since the ground ...
- Two CATS Hikes to Choose Between on February 2 One is easy, one is more challenging The Wadhams Trails – the easier one CATS is hosting a Groundhog Day Snowshoe or ...
- Two New Trails at Viall’s Crossing to be Celebrated December 29 Since opening last spring, the Viall’s Crossing Trail, has been an increasingly popular addition to the Champlain Area Trails (CATS) ...
- CATS’s Newest Trail Map is Now Available The Champlain Area Trails (CATS) new 2018-2019 Trail Map shows 87 hikes in the Champlain Valley, as well as new ...
- CATS Hosts Outdoor Photography Workshop with Manny Palacios Champlain Area Trails (CATS) will offer an opportunity to learn from a master photographer when it hosts acclaimed ADK photographer ...
- Grant Awards Benefit Local Communities in Essex Area Support for Kids Programs, Trails, Emergency Services, and More The Essex Community Fund, Charlie Goff Memorial Fund, and Allen Scholarship and ...
- CATS “Fest to Fest” Hike Showcases the Viall’s Crossing Project Champlain Area Trails (CATS) will again host a fun hike to coincide with the Third Annual Adirondack Harvest Festival on ...
- Grand Opening For CATS Flying Squirrel Trail The Flying Squirrel Trail in Westport, the newest addition to the Champlain Area Trails (CATS) network of trails, is officially ...
- Champlain Area Trails to Publish a Clinton County Trail Map Outdoor enthusiasts in the greater Plattsburgh area received a major boost with the announcement that the state awarded a grant ...
- Grand Opening of CATS’ Flying Squirrel Trail is June 2 Champlain Area Trails (CATS) is celebrating the Grand Opening of the Flying Squirrel Trail Saturday, June 2, at 2:00 p.m. ...
- Champlain Area Trails Conserves Historic Viall’s Crossing Farm When Champlain Area Trails (CATS) Executive Director Chris Maron got word that a historic 132.5 farm in Westport had been ...
- CATS Grand Hike from Westport to Essex on May 12 Registrations for the Grand Hike May 12 have been rolling in and we received a wonderful comment from one of ...
- Moonrise Hike is Inaugural Hike On New CATS Trails Tonight Champlain Area Trails (CATS) is holding the inaugural hike on its first trail in Chesterfield, at Trembleau Mountain near Keeseville, ...
- Sophie’s Lair Ski/Snowshoe Adventure Saturday, February 17 New snow means conditions are good for Champlain Area Trails (CATS) ski/snowshoe adventure Saturday, February 17, on the Sophie’s Lair ...
- Two New Members Join Champlain Area Trails Board of Directors Annie McKinley and Bill James joined the board of Champlain Area Trails at the January 19 board meeting held at ...
- A Magical Evening on Champlain Area Trails’ Blue Moon Hike The 25 people who came out for the Champlain Area Trails (CATS) Blue Moon Hike Saturday evening, the 29th were rewarded ...
- A Blue Moon Hike is Champlain Area Trails’ First Outing of the Year A Blue Moon Hike, Champlain Area Trails (CATS) first outing of 2018, is on Saturday, January 27, at 5:30 pm ...
- The Owl Prowl is Back by Popular Demand Champlain Area Trails (CATS) is again sponsoring one of the most popular hikes in the CATS outdoor education program, the ...
- 7,000 Miles to a Wilderness Ethic Champlain Area Trails (CATS), is partnering with the Northeast Wilderness Trust to sponsor Tyler Socash’s talk, “7,000 Miles to a ...
- Walking 7,000 Miles Teaches an Important Lesson CATS and Northeast Wilderness Trust are sponsoring Tyler Socash’s talk titled, “7,000 Miles to a Wilderness Ethic” on Friday, November ...
- Outdoor Photography Workshop Announced Well-known Adirondack photographer Manuel “Manny” Palacios will teach an outdoor photography workshop Saturday, October 28, from 1:00 to 6:00 pm ...
- Volunteer Vacationers Work on CATS Trail Projects Coming from as far away as California and Arizona, 13 “Volunteer Vacationers” arrived in Westport to spend a week working ...
- Farm-to-Fest Hike Draws over 90 Hikers Fabulous late-summer weather greeted hikers who turned out for the Farm-to-Fest hike hosted by Champlain Area Trails (CATS) Saturday, September ...
- Trail in Tip-Top Shape for Farm-to-Fest Hike With Champlain Area Trails (CATS) Farm-to-Fest hike coming up this Saturday, September 16, CATS Trail Steward Bill Amadon reports that ...
- New Trail Map Published by Champlain Area Trails To keep pace with its expanding network of hiking opportunities in the Champlain Valley, Champlain Area Trails (CATS) has published ...
- Farm-to-Fest Hike on Saturday, September 16 Last year, the first Champlain Area Trails (CATS) hike held to kick off the Adirondack Harvest Festival was so successful that ...
- Hemlock Hill Trail Brings CATS Closer to Westport-to-Willsboro Trail Route This is a quick update for everybody who supports CATS and all the great work that they do. This past Sunday ...
- Hemlock Hill Trail Grand Opening Both Fun and Educational Last Sunday’s beautiful weather and pleasant temperatures set a perfect backdrop for the grand opening of the newest trail in ...
- Grand Opening of New Trail in the CATS Trail Network Champlain Area Trails (CATS) will formally open the Hemlock Hill Trail in Westport this Sunday, August 27, with a hike ...
- Get Out of the Mud! Campaign Underway Champlain Area Trails (CATS) is raising the funds needed to complete a trail improvement project using something new for CATS: ...
- Fascinating Fossils of the Champlain Valley Program is August 19 Champlain Valley fossils, ancient reefs, and old forts are the topics esteemed professor and paleontologist Nancy Budd will cover August ...
- Wildlife Friendly Farming is Topic for CATS Intern CATS, along with the Eddy Foundation and the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS), are pleased to introduce Alex Caskey, our summer ...
- High Point Trail Grand Opening Hike Sunday, June 25 at 1:00 p.m. is the Grand Opening Hike on the High Point Trail on Willsboro Point in ...
- A Grand Time at the 2017 CATS Grand Hike Undaunted by a gloomy weather forecast, 250 hikers came out Saturday, May 13 for the 2017 CATS Grand Hike and ...
- Champlain Area Trails Offers Glimpse at Finances (THE SUN) The report, released last week, reveals total revenues of $322,121 for the Westport-based trail-building and land conservation group. About 54 percent ...
- Grand Hike Just Around the Corner Against the backdrop of the stunning springtime scenery of the Champlain Valley, the fourth Grand Hike to the Essex Inn ...
- How can everyone benefit from trails? (THE SUN) The Champlain Valley was the last part added to the Adirondack Park. It has little public land and, until recently, ...
- Help Make New Willsboro CATS Trail Second Saturday Trail Project on April 8 Thanks to Westport Boy Scout Troop 8063 and CATS volunteers, the NEW Triple Green ...
- Team Up for CATS Grand Hike! Want to have even MORE fun at The Grand Hike to the Essex Inn on May 13? Come with a ...
- CATS Grand Hike Scheduled for 2017 CATS is hosting the Grand Hike to the Essex Inn on Saturday, May 13, 2017! So mark your calendar for ...
- Solitary Ski & Another New CATS Trail! I was recently asked to contribute a story on cross country skiing to the Regional Office of Sustainable Tourism (ROOST) ...
- CATS Long Pond Program Conserves 25 Acres Frank White and Christine Babson have been visiting Long Pond in Willsboro for their whole lives. When they inherited their ...
- Three-way Land Transaction with CATS Benefits All (PRESS REPUBLICAN) It was a win-win-win when Champlain Area Trails completed its first “trade-land” transaction at the end of 2016. Champlain Area Trails ...
- Upcoming CATS Volunteer & Recreational Events Mark your calendar for January 21 and join CATS Stewardship Coordinator, Bill Amadon to make the new Hemlock Hill Trail. ...
- CATS Success in 2016 & Moving Forward in 2017 2016 ended well for CATS. Thank you! Thank you for using the trails. And a special thank you for donating to make ...
- CATS Now Protects 128 More Acres Champlain Area Trails protected 128 acres in Beekmantown yesterday when Dick and Leanna DeNeale donated a conservation easement to preserve ...
- Help CATS Save Land & Make Trails We want CATS trails to pass through a landscape where forests stay forests, farms stay farms, wetlands stay wet, and ...
- Help CATS Make A New Trail! Making a new trail is the most fun thing about trails. Of course hiking is fabulous too. The great thing ...
- Help Make & Name a CATS Trail On Saturday, December 17, you can MAKE a trail! And NAME a trail! Yes, please help make a trail and as ...
- CATS Thanks You! Trail of the Week Here’s a great “three trails-in-one hike.” Take the Boquet Mountain Trail from Cook Road up to the ...
- Hike to Crowfoot Pond with CATS This Sunday *UPDATE: The good news is it is snowing. The not-so-good news is that the Crowfoot Pond Hike scheduled for today ...
- Success! CATS Meets Matching Grant! A few weeks ago we asked for your help to reach $20,000 in donations so we would receive a $20,000 ...
- CATS Receives Matching Grant: Rise to the Challenge! You may have recently received a CATS Newsletter in the mail with some news about a grant we were awarded. For ...
- Prowling for Owls & CATS Volunteers Champlain Area Trails thanks a wonderful group of hard-working, dedicated volunteers from the American Hiking Society (AHS) who joined us for a week of trail ...
- Pond Sprint & Old Growth Forests Presentation Yes, on Saturday, October 8, 2017, all you runners, walkers, and picnickers can HIKE, RUN, CLIMB and CELEBRATE Long Pond. Registration is at 9:00 a.m., the race begins ...
- ADK Harvest Festival & Hike Success Forty-four people came out to enjoy the Sunset/Harvest Moon Hike beginning on the DaCy Meadow Farm Trail and ending at ...
- Harvest Festival Hikes & Old Growth Forest Presentation Autumn is just around the corner with wonderful hiking temperatures and amazing colors. In October CATS is co-hosting an Old ...
- Adirondack Harvest Festival Hikes The Adirondack Harvest Festival is fast approaching! Celebrate local farms, innovative farmers, tasty beer/cider/wine, great music, and CATS Trails at the ...
- CATS August Outings & September Harvest Festival Making the Most of GPS APPS This Saturday, August 13 from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. Shelby Perry of Northeast Wilderness Trust ...
- CATS Workshops in August On Tuesday, August 9, join Taylor Haskins from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. on the Hidden Quarry Trail in Westport for ...
- CATS in the News, Mountain Biking Trails, and More! CATS in the NEWS! CATS has been featured recently in local publications and on Mountain Lake PBS! Click to view the ...
- New CATS Trail Maps Are Here! Yes, the new 2016-17 CATS Trail Maps have arrived. If you’re a CATS donor, you will receive one in the ...
- Lakeside School: Soundwaves Kids at Farm and Forest Summer Camp Lakeside School at Black Kettle Farm offers birth –3rd grade education and Farm and Forest Summer Camp based on the ...
- Holiday Weekend Hikes The Holiday Weekend is coming up and it looks like it will be a lovely weekend for getting out doors. ...
- Connecting People to Nature While Champlain Area Trails (CATS) mission is to “make trails and save land,” another part of the mission is to “connect people ...
- CATS Celebration Success What a GREAT DAY! Over 60 hikers came out to Celebrate National Trails Day with CATS by hiking Over the ...
- Hike and Celebrate CATS Tomorrow! There is still time to sign up for Saturday’s Celebrate Champlain Area Trails Event! WHERE: At Camp Dudley, on the shores ...
- CATS Celebrates National Trails Day with Hike and Event Fresh off its successful Grand Hike to the Essex Inn, Champlain Area Trails is holding another big hike on National ...
- Grand Hike Success! What’s Next? Over 250 people came to the Grand Hike to the Essex Inn last Saturday where they hiked on three new ...
- Join CATS Grand Hike Tomorrow Hooray!! This SATURDAY is the GRAND HIKE! Click here for more information and to register. Park in Essex and take one ...
- Anticipating the 2016 Grand Hike to Essex (LakeChamplainRegion.com) Reminiscing about the Inaugural Event May 2014 – At dawn for the first year’s Grand Hike, the dark sky loomed ominously ...
- CATS Grand Hike One Week Away The GRAND HIKE is just one week from today. If you’d like to prepare for the hike, or if you sadly ...
- CATS Grand Hike Two Weeks Away Today’s a great day to register for the Grand Hike to the Essex Inn. It’s only TWO WEEKS away on ...
- Building Bridges & Another Conservation Easement Success Story Building Bridges for Grand Hike to the Essex Inn We built some bridges in preparation for the May 14th Grand Hike ...
- New Trails Incorporated into Inn-to-Inn Hike (The Sun) “People taking part in Champlain Area Trails’ (CATS) “Grand Hike to the Essex Inn” on Saturday, May 14 will walk ...
- Conservation Easement Success Story & Upcoming CATS Events Spring Has Arrived! Time to get outside and get involved! Upcoming Events We invite you, your friends, and family to come to ...
- Paying the Conservation Easement Costs Upcoming Events April 23, 2016, Coot Hill Bird Walk & Hawk Watch – Our Outreach Committee has developed a schedule of ...
- Conservation Easement Costs CATS Grand Hike to the Essex Inn Plans for the CATS Grand Hike to the Essex Inn on May 14, 2016 ...
- The Art Farm Outside Wadhams In a way the Art Farm is one man’s eccentricity, and I take full responsibility, the blame is mine. However, ...
- Grand Hike, Bird Walk, & Conservation Easements Part 7 Plans for the CATS Grand Hike to the Essex Inn are in full swing. Mark your calendars for Saturday, May ...
- Annual Inn-to-Inn Hike Announced (The Sun) “Champlain Area Trails (CATS) is hosting the North Country’s third annual “Inn-to-Inn” hike Saturday, May 14. The 11-mile “Grand Hike ...
- Call to Action for Complete Streets The Complete Streets Program is a benefit to people hiking and biking in our communities, so we want to bring ...
- Determining Value of Conservation Easements Conservation Easements Part 6 – Determining the Value Conservation easements have value. Landowners can donate the CE and obtain tax benefits ...
- A Summary of the Conservation Easement Process We’ve talked about what a conservation easement (CE) is, provided some examples, discussed working forest/farm easements and forever wild easements, and what ...
- What’s in a Conservation Easement? As we go farther down the trail describing Conservation Easements, let’s look at what they look like. For review, a ...
- Types of Conservation Easements What is a “working” easement? What is a “forever wild” easement? Working Conservation Easements keep the land open for working use. An ...
- Local Examples of Conservation Easements Last week was the first in a series about conservation easements (CE), which are legal agreements, decided jointly by the ...
- What is a Conservation Easement? Last week I briefly explained landowner liability for those who have a trail on their property. This week I will begin ...
- El Niño Wildlife Sightings: Adirondack Coast If you’ve enjoyed recent El Niño wildlife sightings on the Essex blog (“Welcoming the CoyWolf: Whoever It May Be“, “Wrong ...
- Landowner Liability Explained Saturday’s winter hike on the Beaver Flow Trail, led by artist and naturalist Sheri Amsel, was a fabulous event. Several ...
- CATS Announces New Board Chair We are pleased to announce that Evan George is the new chairman of the Champlain Area Trails’ Board of Directors. ...
- CATS Trail of Week: McAuliffe Road Trail The Champlain Valley is even more beautiful with the recent snowfall making our Trail of the Week suggestion the McAuliffe ...
- Mapping, Snowshoeing, Trailblazing, Tracking, and More Have you ever wandered off the trail and weren’t sure where you were? Or perhaps you’ve picked up a map ...
- Start the Year with a Hike or Ski Start off the new year with a hike, ski or snowshoe on a CATS Trail. This week’s TRAIL OF THE ...
- Upcoming Essex Events 1/3-1/10 Learn about the events happening in and around Essex, NY! Check out the schedule below created from the Essex Calendar of Events to ...
- Charting the Trail for 2016 Yes! We have big plans for you in 2016. Please help us accomplish these goals by making your donation now! Saving ...
- Survival Skills Success Good News! Hunting season is over and that means the Field and Forest Trail, the Homestead Trail, and the Three ...
- Saturday Volunteer Project Join us on Saturday, December 19, to build connector trails for people hiking the new 3.5-mile Sophie’s Lair loop trail. ...
- Survival Skills Workshops On Saturday, December 12, we are partnering with Pok-O-MacCready Camps to offer “Survival Skills 101″and “Survival Skills 201.” These two ...
- Stepping Up “Step up,” I told my 4-year old son when he looked at the rocky trail to the top of Coon ...
- Suggested Thanksgiving Hikes This Thanksgiving we’d like to say THANK YOU. Thank you for hiking our trails, volunteering on projects, coming to our ...
- Building Bridges & Moonlit Hiking Saturday, November 21: Take your pick of two CATS outings Bridge-Building This is the best season to make trails so please join ...
- CATS Volunteer Day: Building Bridges Join us on Saturday, November 21, 2015 for a CATS Volunteer Day to build two bridges on the Wildway Passage ...
- Owls and Half Moon Hikes Saturday night, October 24, was the first CATS Owl Prowl of the season. Twenty-seven children and adults came out to ...
- CATS Volunteer Workday: Six Hours in the Woods Join us on Sunday, October 25, for a special “Six Hours in the Woods” volunteer workday at the NEW Sophie’s ...
- CATS’ First Autumn Hike and Harvest Lunch We invite you to an especially beautiful fall event—CATS’ first Autumn Hike and Harvest Lunch at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, ...
- DaCy Meadow Farm Trail Opening & Pond Sprint Make your plans now to join us on October 17, 2015, for the DACY MEADOW FARM TRAIL OPENING & HARVEST ...
- Two Virtual Hikes & Art Farm Trail Opening Over 25 people showed up last Saturday to walk “On the Trail to the Monitor” with local historian Morris Glenn. ...
- Fall Hiking Fall has always been my favorite time of the year in the Champlain Valley. The cooler weather, colorful trees, and ...
- Walking the Trails There’s still time to sign up for Saturday’s Hike, “On the Trail to the Monitor” led by local historian Morris ...
- A Gentle Hike to the Monitor On the Trail to the Monitor – The CATS events/outreach committee has put together a great calendar of events for ...
- Walking the French Way Over the next four weeks, I will be exploring a hiking trail in France with my wife, Michelle and for ...
- CATS Achieves Accreditation! CATS is proud to announce that we have achieved ACCREDITATION with the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of ...
- Upcoming Essex Events 8/16-8/23 Learn about the events happening in and around Essex, NY! Check out the schedule below created from the Essex Calendar of Events to ...
- CATS Recognized by Land Trust Alliance (The Adirondack Almanack) Champlain Area Trails (CATS) in Westport, NY has achieved land trust accreditation from the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent ...
- Exploring Essex Day Were you able to attend Downtown Essex Day last Saturday, August 1st? I thoroughly enjoyed walking around town and exploring the ...
- CATS Welcomes New Summer Interns We are happy to announce that Theo Bakewell (pictured on the right) and James Gilmore (left) are working with CATS ...
- Upcoming Essex Events 8/2-8/9 Learn about the events happening in and around Essex, NY! Check out the schedule below created from the Essex Calendar of Events to ...
- CATS Matching Fund Challenge When we formed Champlain Area Trails and began laying out trails, we’d flag a route, come back to clear it, ...
- CATS Moves Bruce Klink Bench Dedication to Trailhead of Wildway Overlook Trail Champlain Area Trails heard from a number of people who wanted to participate in this Sunday’s dedication of the bench ...
- Champlain Area Trails Honors Founding Member Bruce Klink On Sunday, August 2, 2015 Champlain Area Trails (CATS) will lead a hike to the top of the Wildway Overlook ...
- Walking Sticks & Two New CATS Trails Local artist and craftsman Don Rennell wants to help you enjoy hiking the CATS trails. He donated several beautiful walking ...
- Upcoming Essex Events 7/12-7/19 Learn about the events happening in and around Essex, NY! Check out the schedule below created from the Essex Calendar of Events to ...
- Bill Amadon New CATS Stewardship Coordinator Champlain Area Trails is happy to announce that Bill Amadon has been hired as the new CATS stewardship coordinator. Bill ...
- Upcoming Essex Events 7/5-7/12 Learn about the events happening in and around Essex, NY! Check out the schedule below created from the Essex Calendar of Events to ...
- Upcoming Essex Events 6/21-6/28 Learn about the events happening in and around Essex, NY! Check out the schedule below created from the Essex Calendar of Events to ...
- Join CATS First Summer Trail Project You can join this summer’s first volunteer hike/trail project at the Wildway Overlook Trail and possibly the nearby Brookfield Headwaters ...
- Full Schedule for Celebrate CATS Event Late-breaking news for Saturday’s Celebrate Champlain Area Trails Event! The Essex Inn will be catering and the tradition of great ...
- Celebrate Champlain Area Trails on June 6 The SIXTH Annual Celebrate Champlain Area Trails Event is less than 2 weeks away and it promises to be another ...
- 2015 Grand Hike A Success – CATS Sends Thanks “Great day, great people, great hike!” “Each year just gets better!” “A beautiful walk through the Champlain Valley.” Thanks to over 250 people, ...
- CATS Grand Hike Block Party So, you hike all or part of the Grand Inn-to-Inn Hike this Saturday, arrive at the Essex Inn and join ...
- CATS Grand Hike: Shuttles at Oases The Grand Inn to Inn Hike is just four days away! Hike with friends, meet new people, and enjoy a ...
- CATS Awarded State Grant Champlain Area Trails has some great news! We were awarded a grant of $70,000 over two years to hire a ...
- CATS Seeks Volunteers for Grand Hike Have you heard of the Grand Hike on Champlain Area Trails? This 14-mile trek was inaugurated last year, and on ...
- CATS Wildflower Hike Location Chosen Tension was building as people throughout the known world were contemplating “Where would CATS’ April 25 Wildflowers of the Champlain ...
- Upcoming CATS Events: Bird Watch, Wildflowers, & Grand Hike April 18, 2015 – Coot Hill – Big Hollow Bird Walk and Hawk Watch Some people call it “Coot Hill.” Others ...
- Upcoming Essex Events 4/12-4/19 Learn about the events happening in and around Essex, NY! Check out the schedule below created from the Essex Calendar of Events to ...
- Join CATS’ Second Grand Inn-to-Inn Hike Please join CATS’ Second Grand Inn-to-Inn Hike on Saturday, May 9, 2015. Walk the entire 14 mile route from the ...
- CATS Spring Events Lake Champlain is still frozen yet the calendar says spring is here. Warmer weather will arrive soon so please plan ...
- CATS Welcomes Spring Celebrate the beginning of SPRING by getting out on a CATS Trail! There is still time to see views through treetops ...
- Hike the Lake? Imagine you look across the room and think of trekking along a Champlain Area Trail as you admire the Hike ...
- Lakeside School: Farm and Forest Summer Camp Farm and Forest Summer Camp at Black Kettle Farm Join us this summer for Farm and Forest Summer Camp at Lakeside ...
- Upcoming Essex Events 3/15-3/22 Learn about the events happening in and around Essex, NY! Check out the schedule below created from the Essex Calendar of Events to ...
- CATS Outdoor Learning: Patterns in Nature with Elizabeth Lee It is all about education and Champlain Area Trails is stepping up with some wonderful outdoor learning opportunities! The first is ...
- CATS Announces Second Annual Grand Hike May 9th (Browse some photos from the 2014 Grand Hike above.) Last spring over 200 people joined in the inaugural Champlain Area Trails (CATS) Grand Hike, ...
- 2014 Grand Hike Retrospective With the “Blizzard of 2015” already waning, my mind turns to sunnier spring days in the Champlain Valley. In case you ...
- Upcoming Essex Events 1/25-2/1 Learn about the events happening in and around Essex, NY! Check out the schedule below created from the Essex Calendar of Events to ...
- Winter Hiking and Other Events I received an email today extolling the virtues of hiking the Beaver Flow Trail in the snow. Winter trails are ...
- Moonlight Hike Fun The falling snow was a special feature during last Saturday’s moonlight hike when our small group of intrepid hikers hiked ...
- CATS Moonlight Hike The Owl Prowl hikers have raved about the joys of hiking at night. This may inspire you can join our ...
- Upcoming Essex Events 12/28-1/4 Learn about the events happening in and around Essex, NY! Check out the schedule below created from the Essex Calendar of Events to ...
- Happy Holidays from CATS Happy Holidays from all of us at Champlain Area Trails! Here is a great last-minute gift idea for that special person–make ...
- Heavy Snow on CATS Trails When is a hike like a trail-clearing project? When heavy snow bends saplings and branches over the trail. So, if ...
- Upcoming Essex Events 12/14-12/21 Learn about the events happening in and around Essex, NY! Check out the schedule below created from the Essex Calendar of Events to ...
- Upcoming CATS Winter Events Is there anything more beautiful than snow in the Champlain Valley? I hope you are all enjoying the first real ...
- New CATS Trailhead Signs & Upcoming Events Trail Name Signs Have you ever arrived at a CATS trail but you weren’t sure if it was the right trail? ...
- Wildway Passage Trail Success & New Owl Prowl Saturday’s hike was a great success. Fifty people, some coming from as far away as Saratoga Springs, turned out to ...
- Launching Wildway Passage Trail with Public Hike There can only be ONE “first public hike” on the new Wildway Passage Trail and that is this Saturday morning, ...
- Join First Public Hike on Wildway Passage Trail Join the first public hike on the new Wildway Passage Trail in Westport on Saturday morning, November 22 from 9:30 ...
- Environmental Impact Award, Safe Hiking, & Owl Prowl Several pieces of news to share from Champlain Area Trails (CATS)! Environmental Impact Award I was honored to receive the Environmental Impact ...
- Volunteer Vacation Crew Completes Three Trail Projects The Volunteer Vacation crew of 13 hikers from around the country did tremendous work at three CATS’ trails. They installed ...
- Volunteers from Across Country Help CATS Trail This week CATS is pleased to have hikers and retirees from across the country volunteering their time, expertise, and energy ...
- Lakeside School: Fall Festival and Open House FALL FUN FESTIVAL AND OPEN HOUSE! Sunday October 19th, 1pm to 4pm Join friends, neighbors, students and faculty of Lakeside School for ...
- Upcoming Essex Events 9/21-9/28 Learn about the events happening in and around Essex, NY! Check out the schedule below created from the Essex Calendar of Events to ...
- Help CATS Create Trail Signs Sign making! Many of our trails need direction signs with arrows showing you where to go. You can be a trail-sign ...
- CATS Application Approved By Land Trust Alliance’s Accreditation Commission Champlain Area Trails has some exciting news! Our application to have an extensive review of our policies and programs by ...
- Help Save Ranger Trail Our friends at the organization “Friends of Pok-O-Moonshine” have asked CATS to help spread the word about an important project at one ...
- CATS Trails Tales: Charlotte Story This Thursday, we’ll go to the Bobcat Trail to work on it and the Field and Forest Trail. We’ll put ...
- Soundwaves Concert Benefits Champlain Area Trails Finally! After a full summer of excellent Soundwaves Concerts at Westport NY’s Ballard Park, Champlain Area Trails will be featured this Thursday, August ...
- CATS Tales from the Trails One of my joys is meeting people on the trails. During last Thursday’s project I was lagging behind the others ...
- Let CATS Speak at Your Events Recently, I’ve given several PowerPoint presentations about Champlain Area Trails that describe the biological richness of Champlain Valley’s natural communities ...
- CATS Talks About Upcoming Events This week’s Thursdays on the Trail with Charlotte, will be full of surprises—namely which trail it will be on. Please ...
- Mushroom Identification Forays in Essex UPDATE *UPDATE: Since we’ve had many people express an interest in attending the Mushroom Foraging Workshop but told us they can’t attend ...
- Thursdays on the Trail with Charlotte It’s summer so the grass is growing—that means opportunities to help on the trails! Beginning this Thursday, June 19, CATS summer intern, Charlotte Staats will lead ...
- Celebrate Champlain Area Trails on June 7 The Fifth Annual Celebrate Champlain Area Trails Event will be here before you know it! Join us NEXT SATURDAY, June 7, at the Barn ...
- Recycle Bottles and Donate to CATS Here is some great news—You can turn bottles into trails! As a North Country resident (or when you visit), you ...
- Westport Hotel to Essex Inn: The Grand Hike on Champlain Area Trails Three months ago, Rick Dalton, owner of the Essex Inn, and Chris Maron, executive director of Champlain Area Trails (CATS), ...
- Bridging Champlain: A NY-VT Celebration What happens when you gather folks from New York and Vermont, and you seat them around a big table at ...
- Lakeside School: Upcoming Events Lakeside School at Black Kettle Farm offers birth – 2nd grade (soon to be 3rd grade) education based on the ...
- Upcoming Essex Events 2/9-2/16 Time to share the update of the upcoming events gathered from the Essex Calendar of Events again! Do you want to ...
- Good News and Sad News from CATS Our conservation partnership with Open Space Institute (OSI) just conserved 290 acres in Willsboro. Thank you to Reg and Jenny ...
- Help CATS with Wadhams-to-Whallonsburg Trail Imagine: You and some friends are at Dogwood Bakery in Wadhams. You stash a few more cookies in your pack and ...
- Essex-Whallonsburg Entrepreneurs Unite! I believe a major event occurred in Essex on December 10th—a meeting was held to brainstorm and assess the needs ...
- UPDATE: CATS Tracking Hike Moved to Feb. 15 [UPDATE: Tomorrow’s tracking hike is postponed until Saturday, February 15. The weather prediction is warm and rainy — not conducive for a ...
- See the CATS Photo Contest Finalists The photos for the Champlain Area Trails Photo and Caption Contest are now posted on the CATS website. They are ...
- CATS Hamlet-to-Hamlet Hike Success, Future Plans, & Saturday Trail Project “Fabulous day!” barely describes Champlain Area Trails’ first Hamlet-to-Hamlet hike from Wadhams to Essex. About 60 people met at Dogwood ...
- CATS Fridays on the Trail This summer Champlain Area Trails (CATS) is hosting “Fridays on the Trail” projects. Volunteers are welcomed to help clear and mark trails that ...
- Vote in CATS Photo Contest We told you about the CATS Photo and Caption Contest while they were accepting participants. Now Champlain Area Trails has narrowed down the ...
- CATS Trail Project May 18th Saturday, May 18th 12:30-4:30 pm Meet at Black Kettle Nature Trail Are you ready for the next Champlain Area Trails (CATS) Volunteer Trail Project? ...
- Celebrate National Trails Day with Champlain Area Trails Celebrate Champlain Area Trails Saturday, June 1, 2013 4-6pm At Block House Farm in Essex, NY. Get together with Champlain Area Trails (CATS) to honor National Trails ...
- CATS Photo Contest Champlain Area Trails (CATS) is hosting a photography contest! Are you a photographer? Or do you like taking pictures? If so it’s ...
- CATS Earth Day Trail Project Saturday, April 20 at 12:30 pm Champlain Area Trails (CATS) is putting the final touches on a new hiking/skiing trail that ...
- Whallonsburg Grange Lyceum: North Country Waters in Flux Sunday, March 24 at 3pm Water Proof: Are rising water and shrinking ice the new norm for the North Country? Lecture at Whallonsburg ...
- CATS Receives New Land Champlain Area Trails (CATS) has recently gained access to 319 acres of the highlands, located off of Rte. 22 between ...
- Thanks to Champlain Area Trails Boquet Mountain Boondoggle by Betsy Tisdale is the final story of ten entered in this round of the Champlain Area Trails (CATS) writing contest. Voting ends ...
- Cycle of Seasons A Visceral Acknowledgement by Jessica Wimett is another one of the stories entered in this round of the Champlain Area Trails (CATS) writing contest. If you ...
- Champlain Valley Peace A Place to Unwind by Jillian S. Getman is another one of the stories entered in this round of the Champlain Area Trails (CATS) writing ...
- CATS Trail Trials Kathryn Cramer‘s The Trail Was Soft and Mossy is another one of the stories entered in this round of the Champlain Area Trails (CATS) ...
- Champlain Valley Experiment Another one of the stories entered in this round of the Champlain Area Trails (CATS) writing contest is Paula Castner‘s The Experiment. If you ...
- Hike with Nature Julia Dixon‘s A Coon Mountain Hike is another one of the stories entered in this round of the Champlain Area Trails (CATS) writing contest. If ...
- Adirondack Attraction Another of the stories in the Champlain Area Trails (CATS) writing contest is Coon Dogs of Westport by David Boucher. If you haven’t voted ...
- Adirondack Wildlife Adventures Adirondack Flora and Fauna on the Buddy System by Marian Atkinson is one of the stories entered in this round of ...
- Don’t Be Mistaken for a Bear Natural Ground by Jane Boxall Allen is one of the stories entered in this round of the Champlain Area Trails (CATS) writing ...
- Vote in Champlain Area Trails Writing Contest This season’s Champlain Area Trails Travel Writing Contest submissions are in, and now it is your job to read through ...
- Help Build New Willsboro CATS Trail Finish the Trail! Saturday, October 6, 9:00am Do you want to help create the next new trail in the Champlain Area Trails system? Then ...
- Champlain Area Trails Writing Contest Fall 2012 It’s time again to get your entries ready for the Champlain Area Trails (CATS) Travel Writing Contest! This is the ...
- Essex Inn Offers New Features This summer the Essex Inn has come up with several new features to make a stay there even more special. Guests ...
- Champlain Area Trails Contest Winners The second Champlain Area Trails Travel Writing Contest has ended, and the winners were announced at the annual Celebrate CATS ...
- Reminder of Special CATS Event CATS event this Saturday!!!! The Celebrate Champlain Area Trails Event is this Saturday, June 2nd from 4 – 6 pm at ...
- Turtle Crossing Jen Zahorchak‘s essay “Turtle Crossing” is a humorous, informative and entertaining entry in the Champlain Area Trails Travel Writing Contest. ...
- Patchwork Community “Patchwork Community” is another entry in the Champlain Area Trails Travel Writing Contest. In her essay, local Rebekah White describes some of ...
- One Music “One Music” by Bob Rich is an essay about Split Rock Mountain that is a contender in the current Champlain ...
- Exploring Connections by Roads, History, and Ice Cream Kyle M. Page is another contestant in the Champlain Area Trails Travel Writing Contest. His essay “Exploring Connections by Roads, History, ...
- Falling in Love The Champlain Area Trails Travel Writing Contest entry, “Falling in Love” is not the story of a romance between two ...
- Coming Home Another writer competing in the Champlain Area Trails Travel Writing Contest is Peter Jerdo. This young man recounts his homecoming to Westport, ...
- Lookout “Lookout” by Lucinda Kirk is another entry in the Champlain Area Trails Travel Writing Contest. In her essay she describes some ...
- This Could Be Montmartre Elizabeth Lee wrote a wonderful essay extolling the similarities between Montmartre in Paris and the Champlain Valley for the Champlain Area ...
- In the Heart of the Valley Robert H. Ivy‘s “In the Heart of the Valley” is another current Champlain Area Trails Writing Contest entry. Throughout the essay Ivy ...
- Valley of the Porcupines “Valley of the Porcupines” by Ellie George is another current contestant in the Champlain Area Trails Travel Writing Contest. George ...
- Just Some of the Reasons Why I Love the North Country The first story of this round of the Champlain Area Trails Travel Writing Contest that I am presenting is an essay ...
- Vote in CATS Travel Writing Contest “Hooray! It’s time to vote for your favorite entry in the Second Champlain Area Trails (CATS) Travel Writing Contest. Yes, you ...
- $80k Awarded Locally New York State’s Environmental Protection Fund (EPF) has funded and awarded $1.4 million in Conservation Partnership Program grants to 53 ...
- Frog Wins Adirondack Life Contest Adirondack Life magazine recently awarded Betsy Bacot-Aigner of Basking Ridge, New Jersey First-Place in the Wildlife category for her photograph, ...
- Celebrate Earth Day at Whallonsburg Grange “Celebrate Earth Day on Sunday, April 22nd! Join millions of people around the world in a day to nurture nature and ...
- CATS Spring Travel Contest Begins “The CATS Spring Travel-Writing Contest is underway. Yes, you are invited to enjoy New York’s Champlain Valley, hike on CATS ...
- Celebrate Champlain Area Trails on June 2 Mark your calendars! On Saturday, June 2 you are invited to celebrate Champlain Area Trails (CATS) between 4:00 PM and ...
- Split Rock Split Rock is a geographical monument steeped in history and heritage, and of course natural beauty, located in Lake Champlain’s Whallons Bay ...
- Musicians Inspired | Champlain Area Trails One of the finalists in the Champlain Area TrailsTravel Writing Contest, Catherine Bahn’s “Musicians Inspired” shows us the stark contrast ...
- Looking Home | Champlain Area Trails Stites McDaniel is the director of Pok-O-MacCready Outdoor Education Center and his experience in the outdoors prompted him to enter the Champlain Area Trails ...
- Rejuvenated Essex Inn Has Become a Social Hub Popularity of our small Essex town is growing! The Montreal Gazette came out with a nice article yesterday describing the revitalization of ...
- Wildlife, Connected In and Out of Town Every week since January 2011, Westport ninth-grader Peter Hartwell and mentor David Thomas Train have been exploring the Champlain Area ...
- A Great Resolution | Champlain Area Trails CATS launched their first travel writing contest in September and it has drawn to its conclusion this January. Jessica Wimett, of ...
- Sue Morse Speaks Bobcat & CATS Writing Winners “There is a great show coming up this Thursday, January 26th at the Whallonsburg Grange at 7:30 p.m. Sue Morse ...
- It’s Voting Time in the Travel Writing Contest “Hooray! It’s time to vote for your favorite entree in the first CATS Travel Writing Contest. Yes, you can vote online and the ...
- Outdoor Fun, Learning (and Freezing to Death…) “We spent a day in December walking in the woods along and above the Beaver Flow Trail with Alcott Smith. ...
- Keeping Track Program Keeping Track Wildlife Tracking Course Beginning in January “Sign up for a Keeping Track training program and participate in research and monitoring ...
- CATS on North Country Public Radio Champlain Area Trails was recently featured on North Country Public Radio in a radio interview with Brian Mann. In case ...
- How Wildlife Prepare for Winter How Wildlife Prepare for Winter Saturday, December 10th, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Please join a hike led by Naturalist Alcott Smith ...
- Trail Project at Rocky Ledges Trail “The Third Saturday of the Month Trail Project will be this Saturday, July 16th at the Rocky Ledges Trail in ...
- Travel Writing Contest Hosted by Champlain Area Trails Get your pencils sharpened, your laptops powered, and your cameras ready, Champlain Area Trails (CATS) will soon launch its first ...
- CATS: Immediate Trail-work Gratification Black Kettle Nature Trail “Trailhead Sign” (photo credit: Kathryn Cramer) The June 18th trail project at the Black Kettle Nature Trail ...
- Summer Arrives in Essex on Lake Champlain Kim Rielly posted an enthusiastic blog post about summer in Essex celebrating flood recovery, exciting new businesses and the timeless ...