With its dramatic glacial-carved topography, pristine ponds and streams, and significant wildlife habitat, the Northeast Wilderness Trust’s Eagle Mountain Wilderness Preserve located in Chesterfield, New York stands out as a wild, climate-resilient gem. Nestled within the Eastern Adirondack foothills, the extensive 2,445-acre Preserve harbors several rare plants and animals, as well as numerous wetlands and streams that flow into the Boquet River, a major tributary of Lake Champlain.
In February, the Lake Champlain Land Trust accepted a donated forever-wild conservation easement on the Eagle Mountain Wilderness Preserve from the Northeast Wilderness Trust, which owns and manages the land.
Visitors to Eagle Mountain Wilderness Preserve can follow a moderate trail on a woods road with mostly gentle grades to scenic Clear Pond (3 miles round trip). Important Note: A half-mile from the trailhead a beaver pond often floods the trail, requiring hikers to jump over the pond outlet or even wade through 2 or 3 feet of water. For the latest trail conditions, visit NEWT’s Eagle Mountain Wilderness Preserve webpage.
Also, please be sure to read NEWT’s Preserve Guidelines before visiting this special wildlife preserve.
Directions
From the North: Take I-87 to Exit 33 (US Route 9 /NY 22). Follow Route 9 South 10.6 miles to Trout Pond Road on the right. Follow Trout Pond Road for approximately 3.3 miles to the parking area on the left.
From the South: Take I-87 to Exit 32 (US Route 9). Turn left onto Stowersville Road. Follow Stowersville (County Route 12) for 1.7 miles to Route 9. Take Route 9 North 5.1 miles to Trout Pond Road on the left. Follow Trout Pond Road for approximately 3.3 miles to the parking area on the left.
From Vermont: The trailhead is located about 25 minutes from the Charlotte, VT to Essex, NY ferry landing. From the ferry landing, turn left then right onto New York Route 22. Turn right onto Jersey Street (CR-12). Take Deerhead/Reber Road (CR-14) to US Route 9 North. Take Route 9 North 5.1 miles to Trout Pond Road on the left. Follow Trout Pond Road for approximately 3.3 miles to the parking area on the left.
The Eagle Mountain Wilderness Preserve trailhead is located on Trout Pond Road. You can generate custom driving directions using this link to Google Maps.
History
At 2,445 acres, the Eagle Mountain Wilderness Preserve project offered the rare opportunity to protect a large swath of undeveloped forest. Acquired in 2019 by NEWT, this former working forest is a keystone property linking Chesterfield’s Lake Champlain uplands to the Adirondack High Peaks. In February 2024, the Lake Champlain Land Trust accepted a donated forever-wild conservation easement on the Eagle Mountain Wilderness Preserve from NEWT.
Partners
The Lake Champlain Land Trust is proud to have partnered with NEWT to permanently protect Eagle Mountain Wilderness Preserve with a conservation easement. Acquisition of the property by NEWT was generously supported with funding from Sweet Water Trust, Conservation Alliance, Gallogly Family Foundation, Open Space Institute, and Cloudsplitter Foundation. For more information about the conservation project and to download a trail map, visit NEWT’s Eagle Mountain Wilderness Preserve webpage.
