"Great Ledge" Property Purchased!!

Whoohoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We just took title to the last property needed to complete the Rec Path. We are doing a happy dance! Known as "Great Ledge" on deeds going back as far as 1914, the 13-acre property does indeed have a substantial ledge cliff, maybe 50 feet high. There is also a very big swamp, powerlines, and the Iroquois gasline. It's not a great place to build houses, which is why it cost only $190,000, but it's a perfect place to build the Rec Path. The photo above shows the utility road that will be resurfaced for the Rec Path.

The property is located off the end of Oak Valley Road Extension, a narrow asphalt road that connects to Nells Rock Road near Hope Lake. Here's a map showing the property location in the Shelton Lakes Greenway. And here's the Tax Assessor's map with more detail. The photo above shows more of the utility road as it approaches Oak Valley Road. The Conservation Commission has been actively pursuing acquisition of this property since 2005, so it's been a very long process. This is a real milestone, because Rec Path users can now go all the way from Pine Lake to Huntington Center on the Rec Path (well, a temporary detour onto Oak Valley Road and we'll need some signs showing people where to go...soon, soon). Forget the "Bridge-to-Bridge" route, this is the real deal!

The utility road is pretty easy to walk or ride a bike on except for this one muddy spot. The Trails Committee was already working on plans to fill in this spot for our September 24 Rec Path Celebration, but Irene has given the Committee a lot of unexpected trail clearing to do.

The best way to see this property right now is from the south. Follow the Rec Path off of Wesley Drive north to the powerline and there it is to the left. From L'Hermitage/Chordas Pond on Nells Rock Road, follow Nells Rock Trail to the powerlines and turn right. When you get to that mudhole, that's more or less the beginning of the Great Ledge piece. It's harder to see from the north at this time because there are no signs indicating where the property is (yet) and we don't want people straying onto nearby private property. Also, Irene left a great big tree right over the gate and you can't even see it's there.

Better yet -- join our Rec Path Celebration on Saturday, September 24, at noon. We'll take you along the new route on bike or by foot, stopping in Huntington Center for refreshments.