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Curtis PRESERVE

The Curtis Preserve recently opened to the public in 2025. Three trails, totaling about 1.7 miles, were built by PLAN staff and volunteers, including participants from Regeneron’s Day for Doing Good. In addition to offering a great trail experience, the preserve is an important link for wildlife right on the edge of the Adirondack Park.

The property consists of a mixed forest dominated by red oak, white pine, eastern hemlock, pitch pine, and American beech. This secondary growth forest is the result of the property’s historical agricultural use and former timber harvests. Today, the property is 100% forest cover with a peaceful brook running through the property offering cool, shaded areas for wildlife to rest during the increasingly hot summers. 

Conservation Story

In 1986, Patricia LeClair and her husband built a house on nine acres of land in the Town of Corinth that they bought from neighbors, Jack Curtis and Mary Curtis. Jack, Mary’s brother, was an old friend of Patricia’s husband. Over the years, Mary and Patricia became close and Patricia frequently walked in the woods that spread across both the LeClair and Curtis’ properties. After Jack and Mary passed away, the Curtis’ property was left to the LeClair family.  

Patricia LeClair held on to an article about Saratoga PLAN for many years and after thinking about how important land preservation was to her, she decided to donate the 127.5 acre parcel to Saratoga PLAN. The LeClair family has made an outstanding gift to the community, helping to ensure the property’s ecological, educational, historic, recreational, and scenic values are maintained for generations to come. This gift to the community was also made possible by Saratoga County’s Farmland Protection and Open Space grant. This funding paid the project transaction costs and additional funding from the Nature Conservancy’s Resilient and Connected Network grant program will ensure the property will be stewarded forever for public enjoyment. 

Rules for Curtis Preserve

This preserve is open to the public from dawn to dusk for nature study, walking, snowshoeing, horse-back riding and cross-country skiing. Please carry out all your trash and leave only footprints. Dogs must be leashed and under control at all times; please clean up after your pet. 

The following activities are NOT permitted on the preserve:

  • Cutting, digging, removing, or damaging any tree, shrub, flower, or plant
  • Hunting, trapping, removing, harassing, touching or feeding wildlife
  • Use of firearms, paint ball devices, or artificial light
  • Bicycles, or motorized vehicles, snowmobiles, ATVs, etc.
  • Alcohol or illegal substances
  • Camping or igniting fires

Please follow the rules so that this resource can continue to be accessible to the community.

Directions 


GPS Coordinates: 43.21206612, -73.8650182

From Saratoga Springs – Head North on State Highway 9N/Church St. for 10.4 miles. Turn left on Wells Road. In 0.2 miles, the trailhead parking lot will be on your right.

From Corinth – Head South on State Highway 9N for 2.7 miles. Turn right on Wells Road. In 0.2 miles, the trailhead parking lot will be on your right. 

 

additional info

Hours:
Dawn to Dusk