The Old Birch Spring Trail

There's a magical trail you might consider taking the next time you visit the Smoke Rise beach: the Old Birch Spring Trail. We discovered it thanks to Tom Kline on Sunday, July 5th.

This 1/2 mile long trail was never a fully marked trail. However, at both the starting and end points, it features delicious finds that offer a glimpse into the world of Francis S. Kinney.

The Birch Spring Trail starts at the north end of the beach. You know, Cove Lane, the road that goes behind the parking lot and goes toward the boat racks and docks? Walk a bit along that road - not too far - and you'll notice on your left hand side [the beach is on your right] a large granite flat-topped erratic.

Look closely, and you'll notice something in the middle.

Do you see it in the picture?

Incised there in the middle in a rectangular frame is the word NIGHT.

Intriguing, no?

If you have seen Tom's slide presentation about Smoke Rise and the Kinney Estate, you may remember that he mentions statues. Kinney had many statues placed around his property in unexpected locations, at unusual vantage points. They contributed to the uniqueness of Kinnelon [how Kinney referred to his estate at the time].

This here, then, harkens back to those days! This massive erratic is where a statue called NIGHT was placed. Be sure to look at the flat top. Can't you just imagine the statue? What do you think it looked like?

Once you have discovered NIGHT, turn around. Now, head back toward the beach, cut through the parking lot and walk along East Shore Drive, past The Crossway.

Just past the big red house, heading north, keep an eye out on the left for what looks like a culvert for drainage from under the road.

I'm sure all of us have driven past this spot many times oblivious to the presence of this artifact of old Kinnelon.

If you look carefully, you'll see that there is no culvert, just the BIRCH SPRING itself, carefully walled on three sides, and welling up from within. The spring then drains into the lake.

Take the steps on the right side of the spring [step with care as they are covered with leaves and other debris] - see photo below - and you can admire the stone marker with the words BIRCH SPRING and the date 1894.

Magical, don't you think?

I'm wondering whether BIRCH SPRING wasn't a perfect place for a quick drink of spring water on a hot summer day.

I can certainly imagine the walk being a perfect early morning jaunt, just to stretch the legs. Perhaps it was part of a longer walk or ride?

According to Tom, when this trail was part of the official Smoke Rise trails [pre mid-70s approximately], residents would walk along the lake shore rather than on the road as we did. If you look carefully through the woods as you travel down the road, it does indeed look like a path once existed and perhaps still does in certain areas since the eye can still discern long cleared stretches among the trees.

If you've taken this trail before, what memories do you have?

Have you come across other signs of Kinney's Kinnelon?




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