5 Mile Trail

Dogs Leashed

Features Birding · Fall Colors · Fishing · Geological Significance · Historical Significance · Spring · Waterfall · Wildflowers · Wildlife

The park is open year round and you'll find people engaging in all kinds of activities: running, hiking, mountain biking, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, to name a few. The area along the Geyser Creek, East-West Road, and North-South Road charge a day use fee during the summer, but parking is always free near the Hall of Springs, the Gideon Putnam Hotel and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center.

This trail features both rugged singletrack, gravel road and some paved road. Begin at the concourse near the Hall of Springs and head south past the Lincoln Baths and into the woods. The trail descends moderately steeply to the Geyser Loop road, crosses the Geyser brook and turns sharply right following the brook on a singletrack path past the natural, gas geyser to a small waterfall beneath the bridge to the Saratoga Performing Arts Center. Here you'll pass a natural tufa outcrop, one of the few on the east coast.

From the waterfall, ascend the stairs to the top of the cliff and proceed to follow the path under the bridge and past the Orenda Spring. The park has many fresh water and naturally carbonated springs that were considered healthful in the past. Feel free to sample the water, but most of the people who like the water are locals.

Just past the spring the trail re-enters the woods and emerges near a picnic pavilion where it crosses the Geyser Loop Road and once again joins a singletrack which rolls through beautiful hardwood forest until it encounters a gravel road which leads to the Peerless Pool complex, which the trail skirts around in the woods.

The trail ascends a slight grade and crosses the East-West Road at the South Route 50 entrance. Crossing the road it follows a power line blaze for a short distance before it becomes a singletrack and passes a small pond with an observation blind for bird watching. You can typically find Canadian Geese, ducks, Great Blue Herons, and many other birds here.

The trail turns sharply left and descends to the power line blaze again where it turns left once more. A short distance and the trail goes back into the woods where it rolls along for a distance until it crosses the East-West Road. Another short distance and you emerge near the parking lot for the Peerless Pool. It then traverses in front of the parking lot on a lawn that doubles as a Frisbee Golf course.

The course arcs around the pool complex and picks up the trail again as it descends steeply to the Geyser Creek where it turns right and follows to a bridge on the East-West Road. Cross the creek here and ascend back into the woods where it rolls easily along eventually running along the crest of the beautiful Ferndell Gorge. The trail encounters the North-South Road where the trail up Ferndell intersects but immediately dodges left back into the woods. In a short distance the main concourse is once again encountered.

One can find wildflowers in season and expect to possibly see wild animals such as white-tailed deer, wild turkeys and water birds. Raccoons, porcupines, foxes, skunks, squirrels, chipmunks and other such creatures live here too, but most are rarely seen during the day.