Hiking through History New York: Exploring the Empire State's Past by Trail from Youngstown to Montauk

by Randi Minetor, Nic Minetor (Photographer)

Overview

In Hiking through History New York, you can hike through the forest planted on orders from President Franklin Roosevelt and follow the swath cut by the 20th century’s strongest and most influential First Lady. Or you can traverse the Minisink Battleground, a shady natural area once erupted in battle between British, Iroquois, and American troops. Or explore Fort Niagara and walk along lookout points that French soldiers occupied as far back as the 1600s.
Hiking through History New York profiles forty hikes, going beyond stating miles and directions for each hike to include rich descriptions of the history underfoot. Whether you’re a curious tourist or a local history buff, this is a comprehensive guidebook to the area’s natural and human history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493019533
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	09/01/2016
Series:	Hiking Through History
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	1,024,595
Product dimensions:	5.90(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Wife-and husband-team Randi and Nic Minetor have collaborated on twenty books about hiking, exploring historic cities, America’s national parks, and birds and nature. Their popular books on outdoor activities in New York State include five books in FalconGuides’ Best Easy Day Hikes series on Rochester, Buffalo, Syracuse, Albany, and the Hudson River Valley, as well as the popular Hiking Waterfalls in New York and Scenic Routes and Byways New York. They also worked together on four Quick Reference Guides to the native birds, trees, and wildflowers of New York State, New York City, and Long Island. Avid birders and seasoned road trippers, the Minetors also collaborated on the best-selling Backyard Birding: A Guide to Attracting and Identifying Birds for Lyons Press.
When not in the car or on the trail, Randi is a freelance writer for corporations, executives, and nonprofit organizations, and Nic is the resident lighting designer for several theatre and opera companies in upstate New York, and for the PBS series Second Opinion. The Minetors live in Rochester, New York.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

Map Legend viii

Introduction 1

How to Use This Guide 3

Hiking Tips 3

Let's Talk about Bears 7

Be Good to Nature 9

Trail Finder 11

The Hikes

Long Island 13

1 Camp Hero State Park 14

2 Walt Whitman Trail and Long Island Summit 20

3 Fire Island Lighthouse 24

4 Sands Point Preserve 29

Hudson River Valley 34

5 Rockefeller State Park Preserve 35

6 Old Croton Aqueduct Trail: Scarborough to Sleepy Hollow 40

7 Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Park and Loop Trail 45

8 Eleanor's Walk and Top Cottage Trail 50

9 Roosevelt Farm and Forest 54

10 Vanderbilt Mansion Loop 59

11 Taconic State Park: Copake Falls Mine Area and Bash Bish Falls 64

12 Olana State Historic Site 69

13 Kingston Point Rotary Park 74

Capital District 79

14 John Boyd Thacher State Park: Indian Ladder Trail 80

15 Peebles Island State Park 85

16 Saratoga National Historical Park: Wilkinson National Recreation Trail 89

Adirondack Region 95

17 Hooper Garnet Mine 96

18 OK Slip Falls 100

19 John Brown Farm State Historic Site 105

20 Paul Smith's College: Heron Marsh Trail 109

21 Tahawus Ghost Town 115

22 Crown Point State Historic Site to Vermont 121

Catskill Region 126

23 Upper Delaware River / Roebling Bridge 127

24 Minisink Battleground 132

25 Harriman State Park: Iron Mines Loop 138

26 North-South Lake Campground Escarpment Trail Loop 142

27 Onteora Lake / Bluestone Wild Forest 148

Central Leathers to eking Region 153

28 Erie Canalway Trail: Warners to Camillus 154

29 Fillmore Glen State Park 158

30 Glimmerglass State Park and Hyde Hall 163

Rochester 168

31 Genesee Riverway Trail and Rochester Lighthouse 169

32 Erie Canalway Trail: Pittsford to Fairport 175

33 Ganondagan State Historic Site: The Earth Is Our Mother Trail 180

34 Mount Hope Cemetery 186

35 Highland Park 192

Western New York 199

36 Royalton Ravine County Park 200

37 Devil's Hole State Park 205

38 Old Fort Niagara State Historic Site / Beach Trail 211

39 Letchworth State Park: Lower, Upper, and Middle Falls Area 218

40 Newtown Battlefield State Park 223

Appendix: Clubs and Trail Groups 228

Hike Index 230

About the Author and Photographer 231