In the beginning of March my family and I set out to explore the Grand Lake Reserve in Redwood, NY. This was my first time checking out the nature preserve and it was a perfect day to do so. The weather was a bit chilly and little patches of snow decorated the woods. It was nice and sunny which made the snow shine and birds sing!
We decided to walk along the Butterfield Lake Landing trail. This trail is about 2.6 miles out to the shore of Butterfield lake and back.
The hike was also a perfect excuse to test my new Sawyer Squeeze set up. This new system has the sawyer squeeze filter and includes a Cnoc flexible water bottle. In total its about 5.9 ounces, pretty light and packs away nicely. We were not going to be out long, so I just packed the filter and bottle in my pocket!
There is a small gravel parking lot at the beginning of the trailhead. There is room for at least five cars to park here. The trailhead is located just in front of the parking area, with a large board displaying a map and information about the area. We weren’t sure what the trail conditions consisted of so we brought our snowshoes just in case. We strapped them on but ended up not needing them after a quarter mile.
After the parking lot you are immediately immersed in the woods. The trail is pretty wide, enough room for two people to walk side by side. The tree branches hung over the trail, and the sunshine peeked through just enough for us to feel it on our faces. The path has a couple gentle rolling hills, and in general is pretty easy walking.
The trail hadn’t been travelled on in recent days so we were able to see some animal tracks along the way. This is one of my favorite parts of winter travel, you can see what other beings have followed the same way, and think what they were doing at that time. We made up a couple of stories explaining the tracks.
We reached the lake after about half an hour of walking. At the shore there is another large stand with information about the lake. There is a bench facing the lake as well, perfect for a rest stop.
The lake still had some ice along the water but didn’t look reliable to walk on. There were quite a few puddles of water on the ice. We were surprised to see four wheelers and people ice fishing on the opposite side of the lake.
We stopped here for a little bit, I scooped up some water to filter for us. My mom and stepdad had never used a water filter on a hike before, so it was pretty neat to show them how easy it is. I think it’s fun to try the water where I am hiking, and I enjoyed sharing that experience with family.
We took some photos of the water and then headed back to the car.
The trail is pretty accessible, free, and well-marked. From the parking lot to the shore and back, it was about 2.5 miles and around 260 feet of elevation gain. It is a great trail for a quick stroll and to enjoy the nature of the Grand Lake Reserve. I have included a link below to a PDF version of the map for the reserve. There are a couple of other trails available in the area. If you are looking for a nice walk that is a little bit quieter, this is a great path to satisfy that!
Hannah the hiker 
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