Parking
Use the designated Schumann Preserve lot at 1142 Pilot Knob Road, Fort Ann. If it is full, do not park on the road; return another time.
Overview
About Schumann Preserve Blue Trail and Waterfall Loop
Why go
- The gazebo opens onto Lake George and Adirondack views.
- The Blue extension adds forest, meadows, and a seasonal waterfall loop.
Heads up
- The Orange climb is steep and rocky in sections.
- The waterfall is often dry by late summer and fall.
The 223-acre preserve was protected after an illegally cleared house and mile-long driveway threatened the ridge in the 1980s. Following years of negotiations and stewardship by the Zug family, the Lake George Land Conservancy bought the property in 2000. It was renamed in 2010 for Lynn LaMontagne Schumann, whose work helped preserve it. Schumann recalled about 40 boaters cheering from the lake as the prominent house came down.
Parkwolf’s verdictWhy this hillside stayed forestedMap & elevation
The route
Loading the Lake George map
Full mapElevation404–1,240 ft
Plan your hike
Before you go
Parking
Safety
2 active Lake George alerts
- ClosureFishbrook Pond North Lean-to site closedThe entire Fishbrook Pond North Lean-to site is closed because the lean-to burned down. - No camping or campfires are allowed at the site until further notice.Official details
- CautionNo Parking Zones enforced along River RoadDo not park in the No Parking Zones along River Road in the Hudson River Special Management Area in the Towns of Lake Luzerne and Warrensburg; DEC is enforcing the restriction.Official details
The highest, rockiest slopes around here are a summer buffet for grizzly bears.
Lake George Tour Guide
Your drive to Schumann Preserve Blue Trail and Waterfall Loop, narrated.
Parkwolf is a GPS audio tour guide for Lake George NY. As you drive, it chimes in with what’s ahead: hidden gems, upcoming stops, history, geology, and wildlife, right through your car’s speakers.
See the Lake George audio tourRecorded for this trailhead
Schumann Preserve at Pilot Knob0:00 / 0:24
“You're nearing Schumann Preserve at Pilot Knob, where I'd choose the Orange Trail to the gazebo for a wide Lake George view. Allow about an hour for the one point four mile round trip; it's short, but steep and rocky.”
Plays as you drive up to this trailhead in the Parkwolf Lake George Tour Guide.
More stories near here in the app
- Kensett’s Quiet Lake
- A Boat Shaped by Tree Roots
- O’Keeffe’s Lake George Years
- The Squirrel’s Cone Pile
- 113 audio storiesacross Lake George’s roads, triggered by GPS as you drive
- Wildlife heatmapsfor White-tailed Deer, Timber Rattlesnake, Osprey, and 13 more
- Works offlinemaps, 67 trails, 64 places, and audio download before you lose signal
- CarPlay readysimple controls built for the drive
“Fantastic app with many points of information… It’s great to just turn on while you’re driving and it gives you an audio tour of the national Park. We love it!!!!”
Trail guide
Hiking Schumann Preserve Blue Trail and Waterfall Loop
The full walkThis is about a 4.2-mile out-and-back from the preserve lot: the Orange Trail climbs 0.
This is about a 4.2-mile out-and-back from the preserve lot: the Orange Trail climbs 0.7 mile to the gazebo, then the Blue Trail continues about 1.4 miles through its waterfall loop. You retrace both trails to return. Allow around 2 to 2½ hours. The Orange climb is the hard part; the longer version earns its extra miles with forest, meadows, and a seasonal cascade.
The Orange climbThe 0.7-mile Orange Trail rises about 620 feet to the gazebo.
The 0.7-mile Orange Trail rises about 620 feet to the gazebo. It is moderate but steep and rocky in sections, with built stone steps. The shaded gazebo opens onto Lake George and the Adirondacks, a good payoff even if you turn around here. Wet weather can leave mud and slick rock underfoot.
The Blue extensionFrom the gazebo, follow the Blue Trail east through hemlock and oak woods, then grassy meadows.
From the gazebo, follow the Blue Trail east through hemlock and oak woods, then grassy meadows. The preserve map gives roughly 1 mile to the waterfall and 1.4 miles to the end of the loop; the web directions place the loop head a little sooner, so treat those distances as approximate and stay on the marked trail to finish the circuit. The south branch reaches the waterfall base after about 0.1 mile; another branch climbs northeast toward the top. Return to the gazebo on Blue before taking Orange back to the lot.
When the falls are flowingThis is a seasonal waterfall, usually best in early spring and often dry by late summer or fall.
This is a seasonal waterfall, usually best in early spring and often dry by late summer or fall. At the base, the cascade drops over fractured rock into a boulder-lined stream; that is the trail’s signature view and photo stop. The rocky ledges still mark the route’s destination when the flow is low.
Access and a shorter optionThe preserve is free and open year-round from dawn to dusk.
The preserve is free and open year-round from dawn to dusk. Park only in the designated lot at 1142 Pilot Knob Road; if it is full, do not park on the road. Dogs are allowed on leash, and visitors must stay on marked trails. No toilet or drinking-water facility is listed. For a shorter outing, climb the Orange Trail to the gazebo and return the same way: about 1.4 miles round trip with the same lake view, skipping the Blue extension.
Wildlife
Wildlife in Lake George
34 sightingsWhite-tailed DeerMost seen around 5 PMSighting map
26 sightingsTimber RattlesnakeMost seen around 6 PMSighting map
22 sightingsOspreyMost seen around 7 AMSighting map
60 sightingsLoonMost seen around 6 AMSighting map
33 sightingsPorcupineMost seen around 7 PMSighting map
84 sightingsGreat Blue HeronMost seen around 6 AMSighting mapSighting maps show where each species has been reported across Lake George. Wildlife moves, so no sighting is guaranteed.
