The Grand Opening of the Sophie’s Lair and Florence Hathaway Trails in Willsboro, the newest additions to the Champlain Area Trails (CATS) network of trails in Florence Hathaway Park, has been postponed until January 2018. The event was originally scheduled for Sunday, October 29, but changed due to weather.

The Florence Hathaway Trail is a one-mile loop trail and leads to Sophie’s Lair Trail which provides for easy hikes of up to five miles on a variety of paths through a lovely forest with stone walls and beautiful old oak, hickory and pine trees. There are small creeks, seasonally wet areas, and gentle hills. Come winter, the trails will be available for cross-country skiing.

The Florence Hathaway Trail is located in the Willsboro-owned public park of the same name. It is named for Florence Hathaway, the first woman Supervisor of Willsboro who was instrumental in building a new town hall. She passed away in September, 2017.

Most of CATS trails are on private property where landowners allow public access along the trail. Sophie’s Lair Trail landowners Jenny and Reginald Bedell offered their property as a place for a trail and worked with CATS and the Open Space Institute to conserve their property and make the trail permanent through a conservation easement.

Information on future CATS events and activities is available on their website. Call (518) 962-2287 for more information.

Map of CATS Sophie’s Lair Trails, courtesy Adirondack Atlas; Hikers on Sophie’s Lair Trails, courtesy CATS.

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