A Short Hike on the Woodhull Road Trail

From Route 28 in Woodhull, we drove east on Bear Creek Road, crossed the railroad tracks and parked at the lot about 3.1 miles in. We did not bother to sign at the register since we were not planning an extensive hike. Looking at the trailmap, it would be prudent for serious hikers to state their destination. From this point, one can go to Gull Lake, Chub Pond, Star Dam Lake, and as far as North Lake (11.4 miles).




We decided to take the Woodhull Road Trail. According to the guidebook, this road was used to gain access to Woodhull Lake and later to the dam on the lake. It is still being used by ATVs.








We walked down the road for 0.4 miles, then turned left to the trail marked by a vehicle barrier. Enjoying the walk along the grassy trail, we found a fascinating little creature - a red eft.










Finally, we came to a creek (not sure if it was Bear Creek).




But the narrow bridge to the unknown dissuaded us from going any further.








For a detailed description of this trail and others in the West-Central Adirondack Region, check out the Guide to Adirondack Trails (Vol. 5) published by the Adirondack Mountain Club.

Boating on Kayuta Lake

Kayuta Lake is perfect for non-motorized boating. Being somewhat narrow, one is never too far away from the shore. Just in case. And yet, it's long enough (about 4 miles with 13.1 miles of shoreline) to pique the interest of any serious paddler.



Canoes, kayaks, paddleboats, rowboats, and an occasional sailboat normally grace the waters of Kayuta. Paddling on the open waters can sometimes be challenging but at the same time somewhat exciting as you ride the wakes of the motorboats, jetskis and party barges.



And they all love to congregate on the 2 islands in the middle of the north end of the lake.



The bays provide some refuge to enjoy the water lilies and watch the turtle(s) routinely sunbathing on some fallen tree.

Frogs and Toads

When you're in Kayuta Lake, it is just natural to come in close contact with frogs and toads - especially when you're with a kid who would not stop at anything to find one.



Below are some pickerel frogs we saw by the Kayuta dam. The pickerel frog (scientific name Rana palustris) can be identified by the "hand-drawn" squares on its dorsal surface. The squares can become confluent and appear like rectangles. They also have prominent ridges seen as the continuous white lines on its back.























We found this green frog at the Black River Canal towpath in Boonville. The northern leopard frog, which can also be brown in color, is characterized by the dark circular spots irregularly found throughout its body. Two light colored dorsolateral folds can be seen between the back and the sides.




We almost missed this toad hiding among the rocks by the dam. Toads are technically also frogs since they belong to the same order (Anura) of amphibians. (Click here if you don't believe it.) They can be distinguished from true frogs like the leopard and pickerel by their sturdy bodies, dry and warty skin and the presence of poison glands behind their eyes. I believe this is an Eastern American Toad, but I could be wrong.

For more information on frogs and toad, check out this identification guide from the Northern Prairie and Wildlife Research Center.

You can see more images and listen to the sounds of these frogs in a page from the Monocacy and Catochtin Watershed Alliance website.

Ducks on Kayuta Lake

Quack, quack, quack. That's the unmistakable sound of the mallards on Kayuta Lake.

Click here to listen to the mallard and other duck sounds.


The mallard is the most common duck in the US and the ancestor of several domestic breeds. The male mallard is easily recognizable by its beautiful green head separated by a white line from its chestnut brown chest. The female has a mottled brownish color with a dark brown head and a dark brown stripe running through the eye.


I have not had much luck photographing the colorful drake. Normally, the green headed drake can be seen in the spring during breeding season. Once the ducklings hatch, by June and July, they change their plumage to the nonbreeding "eclipse plummage" which is similar to the female's drab coloring. This makes it easier for them to avoid predators. In the fall, they will molt again and hopefully, I'll be able to catch more than a glimpse of their magnificent coloring before the end of this season.

Black River Canal walkway and towpath, Boonville NY

Whereas the Black River Canal was an avenue for commerce in the past, it is now principally a recreational venue. Volunteer organizations have been working to preserve sections of the canal for the public's enjoyment. Click here to see what the canal looks like today.



In Boonville, a new walkway lined with early 20th century street lights run south of the Main Street bridge. It features one of the few remaining Whipple bridges in existence. This bowstring cast-iron truss bridge that was patented in 1841 by Squire Whipple of Utica was eventually adopted by the Canal as the standardized bridge for canal crossings.



The canal walkway connects with a cross-country ski trail maintained by BREIA. Open for biking and hiking in the summer, this trail extends south along the towpath for 10 miles terminating below Pixley Falls State Park.



After a visit to the Black River Canal Museum, our group went on a short hike on this grassy trail that run alongside the canal.



This was lock no. 70. Obviously, the shed was not part of the operation.




This waste weir a little north of the lock served to drain excess water from the canal.



Along the way, we said hello to one of the natives.