Map of Cole's Woods Skiing & Snowshoeing Trails
Cole's Woods, located in Glens Falls and Queensbury NY, features a network of trails that are perfect for walking, running and mountain biking in the summer, and cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the winter. The trails are maintained by the Friends of Cole's Woods. Many of the trails are even lighted so outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy cross-country skiing during dark winter evenings.
Check out the trail map below to plot out your cross-country skiing or snowshoeing route before heading out.
Cole's Woods Trails Listed In The Above Map
Lighted 5KM Race Loop
Cole's Woods' Lighted 5KM Race Loop is used for high school cross-country ski meets, but can also be used by recreational skiers. Skiers can start at any of the five parking areas - Fire Road, the YMCA, Inside Edge, Aviation Mall, or the small city lot on Glen Street - and end back where they started.
The 5KM trail sticks primarily to the outside perimeter of Cole's Woods, with a few switchbacks and turns toward the woods' interior to add on extra distance. It crosses over Halfway Brook a total of four times, with wide, flat wooden bridges at each crossing.
Ski trails stay lit until 10:00PM, so skiing is possible late into the evening.
The 5KM Race Loop includes a mixture of "More Difficult" and "Most Difficult" trails, so be sure to know your limits before attempting this loop.
Lighted Ski Trails Outside The 5KM Race Loop
In addition to the 5KM Race Loop mentioned above, Cole's Woods features other stretches of lighted trails. This means that skiers can create their own routes throughout the park without winding up in the dark.
Other lighted sections include:
- "Avenue of the Pines" - which runs parallel to Fire Road - and a section of trail that is also parallel to Avenue of the Pines, but is to the interior of the woods as opposed to the Fire Road side
- A small section of trail that connects the midpoint of "Long Diagonal" to "Dead Fox Hill"
- The long straight-away that breaks off to the left just east of "Long Diagonal" and continues to an intersection point of three different trails
Non-Lighted Ski Trails
While there are miles of lighted trails within Cole's Woods, there are also some trails that do not have lights.
These include:
- The northernmost section of the straight-away between Four Corners and the Filtration Plant (stay left at the fork to continue on "Long Diagonal," a lighted trail; the right trail off the fork is non-lighted.
- The north-to-south section of trail between the Filtration Plant and S.O.B.
- Hadley Loop
Non-Lighted Snowshoe Trails
Snowshoers are welcome in Cole's Woods, but they must stay on designated snowshoe trails so they don't interfere with the groomed cross-country ski trails or the skiers who are using them. The best places for snowshoers to park are the Fire Road and Aviation Mall lots because they're most closely located to the snowshoe trails.
The snowshoe trails wind all throughout the park staying, for the most part, inside the boundary of the 5KM cross-country race loop. Don't forget that the snowshoe trails are not lighted, so you'll want to make sure you finish your adventure before sundown.
The Sri Chinmoy Peace Mile
This one-mile lighted loop is located in the heart of the Cole's Woods trail system. The Fire Road lot provides the best access to this loop.
From the Fire Road lot, start out to your right, and take a left when you reach Four Corners. Continue over the two bridges, and take a left at the top of the slight hill. From there, continue straight ahead. Just before the trail takes a steep incline, veer to the left and cross another bridge. Continue straight along Avenue of the Pines and you'll wind up back at the Fire Road parking lot.
The entirety of the Sri Chinmoy Peace Mile is lighted.
Things To Keep In Mind
There is no walking, sledding, or pets allowed on the groomed ski trails in the winter. Pets are welcome in Cole's Woods again after April 1.
Motor vehicles - including snowmobiles - are not allowed in Cole's Woods.
Trail condition updates are available on the Friends of Cole's Woods website: http://coleswoods.weebly.com/trail-conditions