The Boquet Mountain Trail has two trailheads and it can also be accessed via the Rocky Ledges Trail.  It is part of the Randorf Ramble Trail section and connects across Cook Road to the Homestead Trail which leads to the Beaver Flow Trail.

The North Trailhead starts on Jersey Street (County Road 12).  The trail goes up to the saddle between North and South Boquet Mountains, traverses below the east side of the South Boquet Mountain through a biologically diverse oak-hickory-hornbeam forest, and then along an old logging road through mature forest to Cook Road, a seasonal road closed in winter.

The South Trailhead starts on Cook Road, which is a seasonal road and closed in winter.  The trail goes for more than a mile on a mild logging road through the forest. Then it becomes a trail with some up and down and some sections across a slope and beneath rock ledges. It traverses a wetter lowland forest and climbs up to the saddle between South and North Boquet Mountains. By the time you reach the Jersey Street end (north) you are making a pretty steady descent.

Location of Trailheads: This trail can be approached from either end. The North end starts on Jersey St about 1.5 miles west of the junction with NYS Route 22 or about 0.8 miles east of the corner at Brookfield Rd. The trailhead is on the south side of the road. The South end the trail starts on Cook Road about 3/4 of a mile up the hill from the junction with Leaning Rd or 0.3 miles east of Brookfield Rd. The trailhead is on the north side of the road. 

• Best Feature of Trail: Occasional views of the Champlain Valley through trees as you walk along the trail. Another feature is that it provides an easy walk through an attractive forest especially if you start from the South Trailhead.
• Sights and Natural Features: This pretty trail travels through varying habitat from dry forest to wet and past grassy, rocky outcroppings with intermittent views. One natural community it passes through is the “dry calcareous oak-hickory-hornbeam forest” which means it is a forest dominated by oak, hickory, and hornbeam trees growing on dry, limestone soils.  The forest is an “open forest” with more widely-spaced trees.  This allows more sunlight to reach the ground which encourages grasses and greater varieties of flowering plants to grow.  This forest community is on the south-facing slopes and is one of the most biologically rich forest types in New York State.
• Trail Length: This trail is about 3 miles one way.
• Trail Type: There and back with side trail onto the Rocky Ledges Trail
• Trail Difficulty: Mild Hike
• Trail Condition: muddy in places, rough terrain in places
• Parking: Roadside Parking
• Animal Signs: We saw many garter snakes, toads and even a woodfrog on one hike. There are birds everywhere but the thickness of the forest makes identification a lucky thing. We did see a rose-breasted grosbeak and heard many chickadees.
• Location: Essex, NY 12936
• Last Updated: July 1, 2011

3 miles one-way.  The trail is fairly level when starting from the south.  After about a mile, it climbs a little and traverses the east side of South Boquet Mountain.  It gets to the saddle between two mountain and then goes downhill to the north trailhead on Jersey Street.  Starting from the north, the trail has a steady climb to the saddle between the mountains, then traverses the east side of the South Boquet Mountain, descends to an old logging road and then follows it on fairly level terrain to Cook Road.

Views through trees of Lake Champlain.

Biologically diverse forest communities.

The first mile of the hike leading from the Cook Road trailhead is very easy.

Champlain Area Trails developed the trail, which is part of its hiking/skiing trail network that will eventually link all the communities in New York's Champlain Valley.  For more information go to the website:  www.champlainareatrails.com

The trail is on land owned by the Eddy Foundation, a non-profit organization which fosters harmony between humans and nature.

Pets must be leashed.

Southern access off Cook Road is level and may be accessible for visitors who use wheelchairs or canes.

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