ECOS Spring Walks

APRIL 30   Paint Mine at Thacher Park: Paint Mine Trail has rich limestone soils that support a variety of woodland wildflowers. The higher elevation means a later start to the blooming succession. We may see bloodroot, trillium, early meadow rue, blue cohosh, baneberry, wild ginger, and many others.  The Paint Mine Trail runs alongside Minelot Creek, climbing uphill through the hemlock northern hardwood forest. With Nancy Engel as our leader, we’ll walk up to a wetland overlook, then back down the hill.

            Directions: From Altamont, drive up the escarpment on Rt. 156 then turn left onto Old Stage Rd.  Follow this until it ends, then bear left onto Rt. 157/Thompson’s Lake Rd.  Drive about 1 mile and turn left onto Ketcham Rd.  At the end of Ketcham Rd. turn left onto Thacher Park Rd.  It’s about 1 mile to the Paint Mine parking area on the right.  For those using GPS or Google, the Visitor Center’s address is 830 Thacher Park Rd., Voorheesville; the center is just west of Paint Mine.