Fogg Island Trail, Mt. Vernon

The trail, behind a closed gate, starts off on an old woods road. At roughly 0.6 miles, you’ll reach a lovely beaver pond. At 1.4 miles, the path departs left off the road. This turn can be easy to miss. Look for tape flags and the 7 Lakes Alliance trail tags to keep you on route.

Once the path turns off the logging track, it winds through older-growth forest that provides refreshing shade after the hotter, drier road. The trail eventually descends to a bog, passable via bog bridges and boardwalks. Soon after the bog, you’ll emerge on the shrubby shores of Long Pond. The land trust also puts out a seasonal dock here.

Directions: From Cottle Hill Road in Mt. Vernon, turn onto Spring Hill Road. In ~0.5 miles, you’ll turn left onto the narrow dirt drive to the trailhead, about 800 feet past the intersection with Bogg Road. After you turn, continue past the house on the right. You’ll see a couple of signs for Fogg Island Trail parking. The drive ends at a trailhead kiosk and largish area for parking. This road is not plowed in the winter.