Exploring Higley Flow State Park in New York State

I enjoyed my cross-country skiing experience at Domaine Saint-Bernard so much last week that I wanted to find another place with enough fresh snow to ski. I headed south to Higley Flow State Park in New York, as I had read that the ski trails there were open and in good condition.

Higley Flow State Park is located in St. Lawrence County, in the northern part of the state. It’s an area I visit fairly regularly, as it’s right across the U.S. border. The scenery may not be as spectacular as the neighbouring Adirondacks, but it does have some good hiking options.

Higley Flow State Park is located near the hamlet of South Colton. I arrived early on a Sunday morning and it was pretty quiet. After looking at the trail map, I decided that I would first follow the Overlook Trail, which is rated easy.

Higley Flow State Park showcases the environment found in this region of the Adirondack Foothills. The state park is located near Raquette River, the same river I followed while hiking Red Sandstone Trail a little further north.

Surprisingly, for a state park in a hilly area, Overlook Trail was fairly flat and easy to cross-country ski. And with the tall snow-covered pine trees, the forest was magical!

I was able to ski Overlook Trail quickly, as I was moving at a good pace. And it was so good to ski in the silent forest that I decided to continue exploring the park. From Overlook Trail, I started following Warm Brook Trail, a 2.5 kilometre (1.5-mile) trail rated difficult.

Warm Brook Trail gains some elevation through the forest and took me to one of the highest points in the park, at over 320 metres (1,000 feet). There are no viewpoints at the top of this small hill, but there is a shelter there, a good place to take a break from the climb.

I hadn’t found the climb too difficult, but now I had to go back down. And since I’m still a beginner at cross-country skiing, I haven’t yet mastered the proper technique for the steeper descents. It was a bit stressful going down the steep slopes, and I even fell once (thankfully I didn’t hurt myself).

But I did reach the end of Warm Brook Trail. At this point I could have skied back to the parking lot, but I decided to keep going. Ahead of me was Beaver Pond Trail, the park’s trail that also serves as an interpretive trail and provides information on the different ecosystems in the area.

In the winter, Beaver Pond Trail is not groomed and is considered a backcountry ski trail. So it wasn’t an easy trail to follow, and it had some ups and downs, but I’m still glad I did it. The snowy forest was spectacular, and I enjoyed skiing by the beaver pond that gives the trail its name. It looked pretty quiet and peaceful under the snow.

I then followed a combination of Cedarbrook and Toadstool trails to get closer to my starting point. But since I still had some energy left, before returning to my car, I decided to also follow the Pine loop. The trails were all very pleasant and the skiing conditions were perfect.

I returned to my car after covering a total of 7 kilometres. Not only was it a good workout, but I really enjoyed this first visit to Higley Flow State Park. Since there are a few campsites there, maybe I’ll come back in the summer to camp by the Raquette River!