A few weeks ago…okay, actually a few days before Christmas…I was looking for a short, easy hike to take the kids on while our house was being readied for company and food was being made. In other words, I was told to get out of the house for a few hours, and take the kids and dog with me.
We went to the Durand Preserve, a nine acre preserve behind the North Salem Library. The trail consisted of a North Loop Trail and a South Loop Trail. All in all, it was only about one mile total of walking, but not all outing have to be 7 mile slogs through the back-country. This was close, easy, short – and pretty. There was some board-walking, a giant sycamore tree, a maple syrup cauldron that we somehow missed, and people on horses riding through the preserve. While the trails are pretty well-marked, we did manage to go a little too far and ending up off the property. As I indicated, there are horse trails that cross the property, and we somehow managed to follow one of those a short distance off the preserve.
The trail was muddy in spots, so I can only imagine how fun (I mean muddy) in the spring.
You can park in the library parking lot. The address is 276 Titicus Road, North Salem, NY. For more info, a trail guide and a trail map, click here: https://www.nsolf.org/index.php/durand
