A short, but enjoyable hike down to the banks of Trout Brook. The path is a narrow, developed fishing trail, but is perfect for anyone looking to fish or go for a short birding outing.

How to get there

From the intersection of Route 28 and Route 30 in the hamlet of Long Lake follow Route 28/30 toward Blue Mountain Lake. Continue to North Point Road on the right (located on sharp corner). Follow North Point Road for just over 3.5 miles to a yellow gate on the left, park away from the gate along the road.

Key statistics

• Distane: 0.25 miles to marsh on Trout Brook

Hiking

Trout Brook is not named as such on any map, but a historical marker refers to it as such as you cross over it on North Point Road. This short path is a developed fisherman's path, but makes for a very scenic hike that opens up opportunities for fishing and birding.

Pass by the yellow gate and walk to the upper sand pit area. Stay to the left of the sandpit and look for the path in the woods. The trail drops down to the shore of Trout Brook and follows to your right. The path is very narrow and has a few logs that have fallen over it. The path ends at a large boulder on the shore of a wetland area with nice views. This is also an excellent destination for leaf-peeping in September.

Snowshoeing

This would be a nice short snowshoe for the entire family, but parking due to snow removal might be an issue. Trail could be a bit hard to follow in winter with lack of use.

Fishing

This brook got its name from the trout fishing.

Birding

Look for protected and threatened bird species, such as common loon, great blue heron, osprey, bald eagle, golden eagle, sharp-shinned hawk, Cooper's hawk, peregrine falcon or spruce grouse. This wild areas supports many varieties of waterfowl, marsh birds, owls, hawks and song birds.