Champlain Area Trails to Open Spirit Sanctuary Trail

Hikers enjoy a sneak peek of the new trail at Spirit Sanctuary (Credit: CATS)

Champlain Area Trails (CATS) will host a trail opening hike on the new Spirit Sanctuary Trail in Essex, on Saturday, November 27th at 10 a.m.

The Spirit Sanctuary Trail is a one-mile there-and-back trail that begins on Cook Road, about 1.3 miles west of NYS Route 22 in Whallonsburg. It goes through the new “green” cemetery, then along a forested little ridge overlooking a wetland and connects to the popular CATS Black Kettle Trail. Hikers can continue on this 1-mile loop trail with beautiful views, cliffs, big trees, and a scenic brook and then return through the Sanctuary.

“Volunteers and staff have been working on this trail for a while and it’s really exciting to see it come together,” said Chris Maron, CATS Executive Director, “It’s a really unique trail, which we created at the request of Spirit Sanctuary Burial Grounds. As people begin the hike, they can see an alternative system of natural burials. And then the trail goes through a really nice forest people will enjoy.”

Spirit Sanctuary is a 3-acre private burial ground on property owned by the Eddy Foundation, a conservation organization that preserves open space for the welfare of people, plants, and animals. The Sanctuary’s descriptive materials state that the cemetery allows “the deceased to naturally become a part of the earth and nourish a forever-regenerating forest. It is, and forever will be, a place of protected habitat for native plants, birds, and other animals. Visitors to Spirit Sanctuary will experience life in its many forms and be comforted by the great circle of existence.”

To be buried there, a family or individual reserves a burial site ahead of time, and by willing a portion of their estate to a pre-approved conservation group, the burial charges are considerably less than conventional burial costs with the modest fee covering administrative and management costs, including burial itself.

“The great thing about this trail is that it can provide a very healing experience,” said Bill Amadon, CATS Stewardship Coordinator, “Hikers are able to walk this trail and really witness the circle of life.”

Champlain Area Trails will be opening the trail with a guided hike on Saturday, November 27th, at 10 a.m. To sign up, email Emily at emily@champlainareatrails.com.

To learn more about Spirit Sanctuary, visit their website – spiritsanctuaryny.org. Champlain Area Trails (CATS) is a nonprofit, accredited land trust whose mission is to save land, make trails, connect people with nature and promote economic vitality in New York’s Champlain Valley. Information on future CATS events and activities is available at champlainareatrails.com and by following CATS on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Please call 518-962-2287 or email info@champlainareatrails.com for more information.

Champlain Area Trails (CATS) is a non-profit organization, begun in 2009, which creates and maintains hiking and cross-country ski trails in the Champlain Valley that link communities, connect people with nature, and promote economic vitality. In its short history, CATS has developed 35 miles of trails that when added to existing trails, gets it half-way toward the long-envisioned goal of a 30-mile trail loop between Westport and Essex. CATS will extend its trails to neighboring towns and eventually connect them to trails in the Adirondack Mountains, Vermont, and Quebec. Learn more on the CATS website.