A group of runners passing through a mountain trail.

Bolton Recreational Hub

Town of Bolton

Land conserved by the LGLC works to filter, clean, and protect the water that flows into Lake George, and it will continue to do so for generations to come.

While this is our focus and primary goal of all of our land conservation efforts, the benefits don’t need to end there. We are working with the Town of Bolton to use protected land in another way: our preserves, managed lands, and future acquisitions within Bolton will help the town to become a premier destination for outdoor recreation and exploration, and be an asset to the downtown economy.

The idea of the Town of Bolton as a “recreational hub” started with Bolton Town Supervisor Ron Conover and Tony Hall, owner of the Lake George Mirror, a regional newspaper based out of Bolton Landing. After learning that Bolton rivals Lake Placid for the number of people visiting for recreational purposes, the two thought that Bolton should take advantage of its unique advantages.

In response, the LGLC, the Town, and the Bolton Landing Chamber of Commerce came together and asked The Chazen Companies to develop a plan. The resulting Bolton Recreational Hub Strategy, published 05/10/2019, is a 96-page compilation of stakeholder interviews, an inventory of existing trails and public spaces, reviews of past plans, and recommendations for moving forward.

For the LGLC, the plan offers ideas for improvements on existing preserves that will offer better experiences for visitors, including ways that people can learn about the importance of protecting land for the benefit of water quality. The plan also identifies potential opportunities to connect existing LGLC preserves to State lands for expanded recreation (including multi-use trails) and natural resource protection.

For the Town, the plan identifies ways to create a marketing campaign that would allow visitors to learn about these opportunities and all that Bolton has to offer. Marketing the system of trails and connecting them to the restaurants and businesses in town would be the responsibility of the Town and Chamber. However, as a member of the Chamber, the LGLC will help with this aspect of the plan where possible within its own materials.

Ultimately, the Hub will work to enhance our ability to protect land and provide opportunities to increase the public’s understanding of why our work is important to the lake. At the same time, it will provide a benefit to the community where we work. The Bolton Recreational Hub is a real win for Lake George.

Progress

2021

On October 5, 2021, the LGLC, Bolton Landing Chamber of Commerce, and Town of Bolton, as well as other special guests and community members joined to celebrate the new and improved Pinnacle Preserve.

The celebration included a ribbon-cutting that marked the opening of a new trail to Bradley’s Lookout and improved trail to the Pinnacle’s overlook, as well as a new, large parking lot to accommodate the preserve’s numerous guests. Read about the celebration in the Lake George Mirror and our Fall/Winter 2021 newsletter.

2020

On September 10, 2020, the LGLC and the Town of Bolton closed on the purchase and protection of Bradley’s Lookout!

Generous LGLC supporters contributed nearly $35,000 for Bradley’s Lookout during our virtual Land & Water Conservation Celebration, July 31-August 2. Watch our promo video shared during the Celebration here (link to YouTube).

In July, the LGLC announced our intention to purchase the 62-acre parcel of land in the town known as Bradley’s Lookout, in partnership with the Town of Bolton. The Town will purchase the property from the LGLC upon completion of their acquisition expected to occur late this summer. The property will be encumbered by a conservation easement held by the LGLC. The property connects the Bolton Community Center and the Pinnacle as well as Cat and Thomas Mountains Preserve, and upon completion will offer another spectacular hiking experience and Panoramic Views of Lake George to our visitors. In addition, it affords us sufficient land to provide additional much needed on-site parking. Read the Press Release about the acquisition.

2019

On December 20, 2019, the LGLC closed on the purchase of 212 acres in the Town of Bolton. (Read the Press Release about the acquisition.) The property was part the Twin Pines Resort owned by the McGurl family. The resort will continue to be run unaffected by this sale, and the LGLC will hold the property until the Town of Bolton is able to purchase it from LGLC encumbered by a conservation easement. This transfer is expected to take place in early 2020. (We are proud to announce that we have completed a $10,000 matching challenge presented by the Cloudsplitter Foundation in support of the Twin Pines acquisition! Thank you!)

The property includes about 20 acres of wetlands and 3,000 feet of stream corridor, and is adjacent to the popular Cat and Thomas Mountains Preserve owned by the New York State Department of Conservation. The addition of these 212 acres in such a key area of Bolton is a huge step forward for the Hub. The trails anticipated for the property as well as possible connectors to Cat Mountain and beyond are highly appealing for outdoor enthusiasts. In addition, the LGLC plans to install educational signage along these trails so that hikers leave with knowledge about the significance of land protection and water quality.

CURRENT FUNDERS

NYS Conservation Partnership Program, administered by the Land Trust Alliance, NY Office
Bolton Landing Chamber of Commerce
Town of Bolton
NextGen Committee fundraising events
2019 Fund-A-Need donors
Cloudsplitter Foundation and matching donors