A friend of mine who used to live in Cooperstown and is someone who really enjoys a good hike took me on a trail that I've heard of but have never hiked on before this weekend: the Clark Tower Castle Trail. This trail sits on Clark Sports Center-owned land on a piece of property located between River Road and Beaver Meadow Road. The access point is off of Beaver Meadow Road. You'll see a black metal gate where the trail begins off that road.

Credit: Google Maps
Credit: Google Maps
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The Clark Tower Trail is 3.6 miles long but there are shorter trails versions within this loop that you can take to shorten your walk. I think the shortest trail is about 20 minutes long.

Here's a little history about the tower on this beautiful, wooded trail. The Irish-style tower that you'll come across when you hike this trail belonged to Frederick Ambrose Clark, who was born in Cooperstown and was well known as an avid equestrian and horse enthusiast. He had the tower built in the late 1800s as a hunting camp and there is a gravesite right near the tower where Clark's beloved hunting companion dog "Buttons" is buried. Clark died on February 26, 1964. The tower sits at the top of a hill that was part of Clark's 5000 acres Iroquois Farm estate.

Because the trail runs through the woods with mostly hardwood trees, a hike in the fall would be incredible. At one point, you can see a gorgeous view at the opening to a clearing, with Otsego Lake in the distance. I highly recommend this trail for outdoor enthusiasts.

To find out more about the Clark Tower Trail click here.

You can view some photos from my hike on this great trail below...

TSM Oneonta
TSM Oneonta
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TSM Oneonta
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TSM Oneonta
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TSM Oneonta
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