Berry Pond Scenic Loop

Berry Pond Scenic Loop is a roughly 5.6-mile circuit from the Lake George Village Recreation Center. It climbs the Blue-marked ridge for open views, drops to Berry Pond, follows the pond-side loop, and returns on the Orange route and a shared approach. The route repeats part of the approach on the way back; allow about 3.5 hours, including stops. Connected trail options have published totals from about 4.1 to 5.9 miles, so the stored distance represents this full ridge-and-pond circuit rather than every possible variant.

Begin at the Village Recreation Center on Transfer Road, not the nearby Girl Scout camp. The approach crosses a network with many junctions and directional changes before reaching state land. Carry a current preserve map, follow the blue markers carefully, and check it at turns; visitors have reported missing junctions or turning back before reaching the pond.

The Blue route climbs about 520 feet over roughly a mile to two viewpoints. One looks north over Lake George and the Narrows; the higher overlook looks south toward Butler Pond, Vermont and the Adirondacks. The map calls the latter Noosa’s Bluff, named for the yellow Labrador of the family who helped establish the preserve.

The pond lies in the headwaters of West Brook and has an active beaver community. Openings along the wooded shoreline reveal lily-covered water, beaver-cut trees and the hillside across the pond. The pond drains in two directions: east toward Lake George and west toward the Hudson River.

The Orange route follows dirt road and forest path between the Blue junction and pond loop. The pond-side path passes below a beaver dam; a low crossing can become impassable during high water, so check the map and turn back if the route is flooded. Snowmobiles also use the Orange route in winter. The current passability of the crossing has not been confirmed.

The Lake George Land Conservancy bought the 1,436-acre tract in 2008 and transferred it to New York State in 2015. It is now part of the Lake George Wild Forest. The route combines a steep ridge walk with a quieter wetland edge, rather than staying on one continuous marked trail.