Distance: 5 miles
Time: 2 hours 8 minutes
Year to date miles: 165.8
Parking: Taconic North to 301 West. Parking area is on the left - sign for Pelton Picnic Area.
Room for around 20 cars.
Restrooms: At far end of parking area
Post hike dinner: N/A
Directions:
From parking area, head up steps to the picnic building.
Turn left on the yellow trail that loops around the lake.
Walk halfway around the lake.
Where the pond gets narrow, turn left and leave the trail.
You'll immediately reach a camping area and gravel road.
Veer to the left on the road, looking for the white blazes.
Continue along following the white blazes through various camping areas.
Eventually you leave the camping area, and see another kiosk on your right.
Keep following the white blazes, which indicate the multi-use trail.
Pass Stillwater Pond on your left (good for dog swimming).
We hiked out 2.5 miles and then backtracked.
The multiuse trail continues several more miles, so this hike can be extended.
When we reached the yellow trail, we continued along it clockwise.
Notes:
We were originally planning to park at the parking lot for Fahnestock Winter Park and head north on the AT. They lock up the gates to this parking area at 6pm though, which didn't work for us on a weekday evening.
So, we continued to Pelton Pond, and decided to do a hike from there.
We saw a few campers around Pelton Pond.
The water in Pelton Pond is pretty black, so we didn't swim there.
The multi-use trail gets nicer the further away you get from Pelton Pond.
Stillwater Pond was great for swimming.
There is some traffic noise from the Taconic at points on the trail.
This is an easy hike.
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| Sign for the parking area. |
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| Map of Fahnestock |
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| Steps from the parking area to the picnic area |
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| View of Pelton Pond from the picnic building |
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| Stillwater Pond - you have to walk off trail a bit to reach it. Great swimming area. |
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| There was a lot of beaver activity near both ponds |
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| Beaver home at Pelton Pond |
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