For Immediate Release
June 18, 2010
Contact: Kate Williams, Executive Director
Northern Forest Canoe Trail
802-496-2285 or kate@northernforestcanoetrail.org 
WAITSFIELD, Vt. – Kayakers and canoeists will find improved portage trails, new and rehabilitated campsites, and a new information kiosk for the 2010 paddling season along the Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT) in New York.
Trail staff and volunteers completed projects last year on the historic 740-mile waterway in New York, Vermont, Québec, Canada; New Hampshire and Maine. NFCT, Inc., the non-profit organization that manages the trail, will celebrate its 10th anniversary this year.
"In 10 short years we have translated a wonderful idea into a mapped, accessible recreation resource of national significance," said NFCT Executive Director Kate Williams. "We are grateful to our community partners, and to the paddling community for supporting and encouraging this endeavor. We are looking forward to the next decade and beyond."
Overgrowth was cleared from the Buttermilk Falls and Deerland portage trails on the Raquette River. The trails were signed and 25 feet of stone causeway was built. A 20-step stone staircase was built on the Permanent Rapids portage trail just south of Franklin Falls Pond. Eight campsites were rehabilitated in the Franklin Falls area, and 100 saplings were planted at locations of paddler impact and erosion in the region.
A dilapidated cabin was removed and two new campsite areas were installed on Upper Saranac Lake, and an information kiosk was installed at the Green Street boat launch on the Saranac River in Plattsburgh.
Paddlers on the trail in New York can also use the new NFCT Guidebook to help with trip planning and learn about attractions and services along the route in the state. There are now 30 public access points along the NFCT in New York, and more than 70 campsites on public and private land.
The NFCT’s western terminus is in Old Forge, New York, on the Fulton Chain of Lakes. Three of the trail’s 13 mapped sections follow 147 miles of lakes, ponds, rivers and streams once used as travel routes by Native Americans. To learn more about the Northern Forest Canoe Trail in New York visit http://www.northernforestcanoetrail.org or call 802-496-2285.
###
About the Northern Forest Canoe Trail: The Northern Forest Canoe Trail is a 740-mile inland paddling trail tracing historic travel routes across New York, Vermont, Quebec, New Hampshire, and Maine. NFCT, Inc. is internationally regarded as the preeminent water trail organization in North America, and connects people to the Trail’s natural environment, human heritage, and contemporary communities by stewarding, promoting, and providing access to canoe and kayak experiences along this route.
SHOW COMMENTS