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Distance: |
Dayhike |
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Difficulty : |
Easy for children |
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Distance : |
2.4 miles, loop |
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Hiking time : |
2 hours |
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High point/elevation gain : |
410 feet, 70 feet |
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Hikable : |
May-October |
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Map : |
USGS Pine Plains |
Thompson Pond, settled in a yawning valley west of the Taconic Range, is no ordinary wilderness lake. A national natural landmark, this 44-acre glacial kettle was created nearly 15,000 years ago when massive blocks of ice melted to create a deep hole (which eventually pinched off in two places to form nearby Stissing and Twin Island Lakes in addition to Thompson Pond). Today, this circumneutral bog attracts the attention of naturalists and nature lovers due to the abundance of wildlife it supports and its unusual combination of both bog and marsh qualities.
In general, a bog is a deep, acidic wetland that has little or no moving water in it. The only water a bog gets comes from rain and runoff from the surrounding area. Thompson Pond is a little different, however. It's a circumneutral bog, also called a scrub bog—that is, a bog that also receives groundwater. That makes the wetland neutral to slightly acidic, which in turn means that the vegetation will be somewhat different. There will be fewer low-growing shrubs, less sphagnum moss, not as many acid-loving plants such as wild cranberry, and more marshy-type plants such as grasses and sedges.
Kids may yawn at the background information ("Circumneutral bog?"), but they won't be bored on the hike. We met three local boys at the trailhead—brothers, aged twelve, ten, and five—who offered to act as our guides. They had just finished walking around the pond, but effortlessly repeated the route with us. They reinforced our belief that this easy trail with gentle ups and downs is appropriate for just about anyone in just about any physical condition. Although the trail circles the pond from a distance, frequent water views punctuate the route. Farms and footbridges, cattails and boardwalks combine to make this Nature Conservancy property a delight.
From New York City, take the Thruway (I-87) north to the Taconic State Parkway north. About 100 miles from the city, take the Pine Plains exit onto NY-199 east. Follow NY-199 east for 6.8 miles to Pine Plains and the junction with NY-82. Drive 0.3 mile south on NY-82 and turn right onto Lake Road, immediately passing a fire station on the left. At 1.5 miles from NY-82, pull off the left side of the road into the parking area for Thompson Pond (as Lake Road bends right, heading north).
Follow the wide path southward through mixed deciduous woods, glimpsing Thompson
Pond in about 100 yards. As you pass a registration box and information board
0.15 mile from the start, a blue-blazed trail veers right to make a longer loop
around the pond while another blue trail splits left to sweep close to the water
and quickly rejoin the main trail. Avoid the blue side trails and continue straight
on the grassy, level woods road. Kids can lead the way, equipped with only the
knowledge that the pond will always be on their left. Shortly after the short
pond loop trail rejoins the woods road, another blue-blazed trail branches right
as you head straight.
Soon, the pond dominates the landscape. Choked with white and yellow pond lilies and rimmed with marshy banks, this body of water serves the needs of frogs and turtles, not human bathers. At a junction 0.6 mile from the start, the dwindling woods road you've been following continues straight as you bear left (southeast) onto a foot trail up a slight grade. Here, hemlocks mingle with birches and maples. Hug trees to determine the age of the forest. Do your arms reach all the way around these trees? Is this a young or an old forest? The trail winds through the woods, following the curve of the shoreline but rarely approaching the pond's mucky edge.
At 0.7 mile, pause atop a bluff near a granite bench memorial to Elting Arnold, who helped preserve the pond and surrounding land. Enjoy the pleasant water views and pass around the binoculars. Golden eagles have been spotted here. Can you identify any of the birds you see? Are any woodland creatures stopping for a drink? (If it's not your turn for the binoculars, focus on the natural beauty nearby. Look for wildflowers like Dutchman's-breeches, lady's slipper, and wild geranium.)
As you approach the southern end of the pond, cross a footbridge and follow sporadic yellow arrows along rolling terrain. Follow the trail through a break in an ancient stone wall, to an intersection. As a blue-blazed trail heads right (northwest), follow the left-hand (southeast) path along a fence that marks the edge of a field.
The path veers away from the field, dips into a sag, and then scrambles out to a northerly view over the pond. The trail rejoins the edge of the field beyond the overlook and sweeps left away from the fence, plunging down a steep slope. Nearly 1 mile from the start, let the kids lead the way across a lengthy stretch of boardwalk cutting though a red maple swamp. Who can point out the skunk cabbage? If no one can identify it by sight, use your sense of smell. Break off a leaf and take a whiff to discover how this malodorous plant got its name.
Soon, the trail opens onto the swampy water's edge. Send the kids on a "hunt" for frogs: they can follow the croaking until it stops, pause until the voices resume, then close in on their prey. (Always encourage children to return any creature they capture to its original spot after examination.) Wrapping around the southern end of the pond, the trail runs along a section of raised gravel that may have been an old retaining wall. The numerous white birches seem to illuminate the woods.
As you sweep northeastward, the fire tower that crowns 1430-foot Stissing Mountain looms over the treetops. Some geologists believe that this mountain is actually a gigantic fault block—like a mountain island—that was either pushed or slid here millions of years ago. Ask the kids to guess how scientists came to that conclusion. (They compared the age and composition of the shales of the surrounding valley with the mountain's bedrock and discovered that the Precambrian mass of the mountain is significantly older.)
As you weave along a tangled fence that marks a farmer's boundary, turn your binoculars away from the deer to focus on the Holsteins grazing in the pasture. Pass outbuildings and barns on the right, and embark on another extended section of boardwalks and footbridges, 1.5 miles into the hike. Here, at the property's lowest elevation, Thompson Pond empties into this swamp and funnels into Wappinger Creek. Here the creek begins its 30-mile journey to the Hudson River. Do you see any snapping turtles?
Curling left (west), the trail winds around the southern base of a wooded hill before curling back to the right up a slight grade. As the trail follows the edge of another field, yellow arrows guide you along a path choked with seasonal undergrowth.
Notice that the hemlocks you saw on the opposite shore are absent here. Ask older kids why this is so. What are the differences between the two sides of the pond? Does the hemlock have more competition in this sunnier location from red maples, ash, and other hardwoods?
At the pond's northern end, the path meets a woods road where an arrow indicates a left turn. Within 100 feet, turn left at a second arrow, descending through a gravel gully to reach the northern shore. From here, you have the best views of the trip across the pond to Stissing Mountain. Take turns looking through your binoculars at the fire tower while the kids hug more trees. Is this forest older or younger than the one across the pond? Turn right to weave along the shoreline as the trail widens to become a woods road. You'll reach Lake Road after 2.1 miles of hiking; turn left and walk 0.25 mile to your car, crossing the causeway (beside a cattail marsh) that separates Thompson Pond from Stissing Lake.
Note: Camping and fires are not allowed. Dogs must be leashed.
Best Hikes with Children in The Catskills & Hudson River Valley, Copyright � 2002 by Cynthia Copeland and Thomas J. Lewis, published by The Mountaineers Books Seattle. Maps by Jerry Painter.