White Church Valley up Bald Hill and back
Saturday 01/11/2025 10:00 am
Hike rating:
Length - 7 miles
Pace - Moderate
Terrain - Difficult
Event/Trailhead location:
The Finger Lakes Trail crosses White Church Road at 861 White Church Road, Caroline (click here for map). There is a small parking lot adjacent to the road.
Carpool:
Carpool Meeting Time: January 11, 2025 9:40 am
Carpool Meeting Place:
East Hill Plaza. Park near Tompkins Trust branch office, 1012 Ellis Hollow Road, Ithaca (click for map).
Hike Leader: Rhett Dial
Contact:
Hike leader contact information will be sent in the email acknowledging that you have registered for this hike.
Hike Details:
Bald Hill of Caroline (as opposed to the one in Danby!) towers 900 ft above the White Church valley whose slopes are over steepened from the scouring action of glaciers moving southward in the valley below.
Starting on White Church Rd, we will follow the FLT east as it climbs steeply up the slope of Bald Hill (aka Bald Mountain). As we near the top, we head north on other trails in Shindagan Hollow State Forest, before heading west through the Bald Hill Natural Area (Cornell Botanic Gardens) and downhill into the valley. We complete the loop by following the Ridgeway Trail south to reconnect to the FLT.
Dress in warm, layered clothing, wear winter hiking boots and either traction footwear or snowshoes (depending on conditions), and carry water and lunch/snack. Hiking poles are strongly recommended.
Note: this is a steep (uphill and downhill), strenuous hike!