Cross Country Trail

Cross Country Trail is a 2.5-mile moderate loop from Kendall Lake Trailhead through rolling hills, meadow and forest. The park estimates about 1.5 hours. Pick it for a short walk with real ups and downs; there isn’t one big destination at the end, so the changing hillside is the point.

The route starts left of the bulletin board at Kendall Lake and passes beneath Kendall Park Road through a tunnel as it winds around Kendall Hills. The map labels Little Meadow and Crow Foot Gully near the loop. Cross Country connects with Lake Trail and other Kendall Lake paths, so keep the park map handy at junctions; the printed map warns that trail locations are approximate.

Part of the route crosses an old farm field that is gradually becoming woodland through natural succession. That opening is a small reminder of the Ritchie family farm that once covered this part of the valley: records describe sheep and corn in the 1850s, then dairy farming in the 1870s.

The trail is dirt and gravel with rolling hills and about 160 feet of elevation change. It may get muddy after rain. Dogs are allowed on a leash no longer than six feet.

Begin at Kendall Lake Trailhead, left of its bulletin board. The trailhead has parking and an information kiosk; public restrooms with running water are in the lower level of Kendall Lake Shelter. The lot is not plowed in winter and may close when conditions are unsafe; the park points visitors to Pine Hollow for nearby trail access.