Wilkinson Trail at Saratoga National Historical Park

There is only one named trail at Saratoga National Historical Park, the 4-mile Wilkinson Trail. This is a fairly easy hike that circles the northern end of the park where the two battles at Saratoga took place in the late summer and early fall of 1777. There are also a few shorter trails at various stops on the Saratoga Battlefield Tour and one at Victory Woods, which is where the British camped during their retreat to Saratoga after losing the Battle of Bemus Heights on October 7th. All trails in the park are for hikers only.

Visitors are also welcome to hike or bike the 9-mile tour road year-round from sunrise to sunset (except when closed on some Federal Holidays). There is a bike lane for most of the way, and the entire road is within the park boundary—no public highways—so most vehicles are traveling at slow speeds. For those who wish to avoid traffic altogether, the tour road is only open to vehicles from April until the end of November. It is closed to vehicles from December through March due to winter conditions. From June 1st through Labor Day, the road is open 9 AM to 6 PM. For the rest of the year it is open until 5 PM, except in November when it closes at 4 PM. Visit before or after these hours for ultimate safety.

A biker I spoke with said that Saratoga National Historical Park is an excellent place for biking. Keep in mind that the road is rather hilly, so it’s probably not suitable for younger bikers.