The Uihlein Foundation in Lake Placid has opened a four-mile trail system on the 940-acre Heaven Hill Farmhouse property on Bear Cub Lane.

The new Heaven Hill Trails augment the popular Henry’s Woods Trail System, about five miles of trails on the Heaven Hill property that opened in 2009. Both trail networks are open to walking, skiing, mountain biking, snowshoes, but not motorized nor equestrian use.

There are three sets of trails in the new Heaven Hill Trails System, each. Most follow long established farm or woods roads and intersect with other trails to add variety.

Old Orchard Loop

The 1 1/2-mile Old Orchard Loop begins in a wooded setting, first passing over a causeway constructed on an old farm road through a wooded swamp, then heading westerly over gently rolling terrain, one enters a field that was used to pasture the Uihlein’s prize winning Jersey cows. The trail loops around the edges of the field, past and among the remaining trees of the old apple orchard. There are views into the High Peaks Wilderness on the return to the trailhead.

Bear Cub Loop

This is a woodland route with very little terrain change headed east from the trailhead. One encounters hardwood forest and balsam fir-spruce forests and, in places along the trail, pockets of water during wet weather. The basic outer loop is 1 1/2 miles in length with the option of
taking any one of five cross-trails to modify the distance. It parallels the Big Field on Heaven Hill lands and Bear Cub Lane with views to the north of the High Peaks. Stay on the trail to avoid trespassing on private lands.

Big Field Loop

This route has moderate ups and downs. It heads west from the trailhead and then swings north to the edge of the Big Field (stay on the trail) with views of the farm. The trail returns to the trail head through woodlands, making the loop distance .9 miles. There are two cut-off trails to choose from, to vary the route.

Henry and Mildred Uihlein established the Uihlein Foundation in 1979. After their death the Uihlein Foundation began making grants following his guidelines, which concentrate efforts on the region near Lake Placid and sports, education, and charitable organizations. Those guidelines included:

“It is my intent and hope that the Trustees will be able to find a use for the property which will be charitable in nature and in general conformity with the goals of the Foundation, while at the same time preserving the beauty of the area and preventing any commercial or residential development or subdivision of the area,” Henry noted. “My concern is that if the property is sold, a developer will purchase it for the purpose of developing it as residential subdivision.”

Heaven Hill Farm sits on about 940 acres in the Town of North Elba, generally north-easterly of Bear Cub Lane and south-easterly of Averyville Road. The property is about 80% woodland and wetlands and 20% cleared agricultural lands. Several clear cold trout streams originate on the property and feed into the Chubb River and AuSable River.