Take a hike through the Natural Stone Bridge and Caves
The Buffalo News
October 9, 2016
On a recent visit to the Adirondacks, my family discovered a unique attraction that’s well off the beaten trail even though it’s just a few miles from the I-87 Adirondack Northway Expressway which runs along the eastern part of New York State.
The Natural Stone Bridge and Caves in Pottersville, NY, about a 5 hour drive from Buffalo, is a privately owned natural geological wonder that has as its centerpiece a huge stone bridge arch which has been determined to be the largest marble cave entrance in the east. The cave entrance measures 166 feet wide and 32 feet high. The cave was formed during the last Ice Age, about 10,000 to 13,000 years ago. There are also several other caves located within the park.
The property has been an attraction managed by the same family for over five decades. The land was originally given to Jacob van Benthuysen, an ancestor of the current owners, as a land grant for fighting in the Revolutionary War in the 1700’s.
Plan on spending at least three or four hours here taking a self-guided tour along the ¾ mile trail through the adventure park. Hiking boots or rubber soled shoes are a must. To hike the trail you should be in reasonably good shape. Even though it’s a marked trail, you will have to climb many stairs, walk over uneven surfaces and in some areas scramble over boulders. The trails are built right into the hillside and rock formations to preserve the natural beauty of the area, so you will have to watch for rocks, tree roots, and uneven ground. Be sure to grab one of the walking sticks provided at the beginning of the trail; you will need it!
There are minimal railings and some steep drop offs, so if you have kids in tow you will have to keep a close eye on them. It’s not really a place to take babies or toddlers.
The trail starts with a display of petrified wood. By each point of interest in the park there are informational signs that explain about what you are looking at. The sign here explains how wood becomes petrified.
If you have younger kids with you, the next spot along the trail is the Caveman Adventure Park. Here kids can mine for items hidden under rocks, climb a caveman wall or play Frisbee disc golf. (There is a nominal fee for some of these activities).
However, the real adventure begins once you get your first glimpse of the Trout Brook, which runs through the park. Back in the 1800’s it was used for transporting timber for logging; a sawmill operated on this property back then. Today, the brook is home to rainbow and brown trout, turtles, and even leeches.
After scrambling down the path along the Trout Brook, you’ll get to a point in the trail where you can overlook the cave and stone bridge. Be sure to stop and take some photos before continuing along the trail. Soon you’ll be at Lookout Point, which is on top of the cave and stone bridge. Continue hiking until you get to the spot where you can actually climb down to the cave entrance. While you can’t actually go deep inside the cave, you are able to walk into the entrance and appreciate the size of the opening.
Your next stop is Noisy Cave; when you walk inside the opening, you’ll know how it got its name. Loud waterfalls are part of this cave system. The water is illuminated with colored lights that change colors continuously. You can also peer down into Noisy Cave through a shaft that’s called Peter Pan’s Peephole.
You can stop and rest on a bench that overlooks the Trout Brook before continuing to the spot that’s called Serenity Park, where you can also rest on a rustic bench and enjoy the scenery.
As you hike the upper trail, you’ll see the pot holes that have been formed by swirling water mixed with sand and rocks. The rocks are deposited in these pot holes when the brook floods during the springtime.
When you get to the section of the trail which overlooks the formation called the oyster shell, you are also supposed to see a formation that looks like George Washington’s profile. I have to admit, as much as I looked, I didn’t see anything that resembled George!
When we finally made our way back to the end of the trail, we browsed through the small museum building that has some artifacts, photos and posters of the cave from days gone by. You can also sit and watch a 30 minute PBS video that describes the history and geology of the caves.
Our two youngest children, ages 14 and 21, accompanied us on this trip. Even though they aren’t little kids, they really enjoyed doing the gemstone mining. You purchase a bag that is filled with sand, gems, stones, shark teeth, and arrowheads (prices range from $10-$20 depending on size). You take the bag to the water troughs, put the contents into a screened tray and let the water rinse away the sand to reveal your gems.
There are some unique geodes on display in this area, including a giant one-ton amethyst geode that was imported from Brazil. On your way out you’ll want to stop at the gift shop to browse their extensive collection of rocks and minerals ranging in price from less than a dollar to thousands of dollars. They also have lots of Adirondack themed items.
Our last stop in the area was the ice cream stand the family operates down the road from the park, at the corner of Stone Bridge Road and Route 9. They have 40 flavors of soft serve ice cream to choose from. After all that hiking we definitely deserved ice cream!
For those families more adventurous than ours, Adventure Tours of the caves are offered on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday in July and August, by reservation only. These tours, which last 3-4 hours, involve wearing waterproof suits and crawling through dark, tight spaces in the caves. At the end of the adventure, you actually get to float in the waters of the caves. It sounded a little too intense for us and it was also quite pricey ($85/person). However, if this sort of activity appeals to you, put it on your bucket list for next summer.
If you go
Natural Stone Bridge and Cave, 535 Stone Bridge Road, Pottersville, NY 518-494-2283, www.stonebridgeandcaves.com Open daily late May-mid October 10-5. $14/adults, $8.50/children. The park opens up again from mid-December-March, Friday-Sunday, for snowshoe tours. The park is closed mid-October-mid-December and April-mid-May.
Directions
From Buffalo take the New York State Thruway (I-90) east to exit 33. Take Route 365 east to Route 8 east to Route 9 to Pottersville. Alternately, take the New York State Thruway (I-90) east to Albany and take the I-87 expressway to exit 26 to Route 9 north to Pottersville
The Natural Stone Bridge and Caves in Pottersville, NY, about a 5 hour drive from Buffalo, is a privately owned natural geological wonder that has as its centerpiece a huge stone bridge arch which has been determined to be the largest marble cave entrance in the east. The cave entrance measures 166 feet wide and 32 feet high. The cave was formed during the last Ice Age, about 10,000 to 13,000 years ago. There are also several other caves located within the park.
The property has been an attraction managed by the same family for over five decades. The land was originally given to Jacob van Benthuysen, an ancestor of the current owners, as a land grant for fighting in the Revolutionary War in the 1700’s.
Plan on spending at least three or four hours here taking a self-guided tour along the ¾ mile trail through the adventure park. Hiking boots or rubber soled shoes are a must. To hike the trail you should be in reasonably good shape. Even though it’s a marked trail, you will have to climb many stairs, walk over uneven surfaces and in some areas scramble over boulders. The trails are built right into the hillside and rock formations to preserve the natural beauty of the area, so you will have to watch for rocks, tree roots, and uneven ground. Be sure to grab one of the walking sticks provided at the beginning of the trail; you will need it!
There are minimal railings and some steep drop offs, so if you have kids in tow you will have to keep a close eye on them. It’s not really a place to take babies or toddlers.
The trail starts with a display of petrified wood. By each point of interest in the park there are informational signs that explain about what you are looking at. The sign here explains how wood becomes petrified.
If you have younger kids with you, the next spot along the trail is the Caveman Adventure Park. Here kids can mine for items hidden under rocks, climb a caveman wall or play Frisbee disc golf. (There is a nominal fee for some of these activities).
However, the real adventure begins once you get your first glimpse of the Trout Brook, which runs through the park. Back in the 1800’s it was used for transporting timber for logging; a sawmill operated on this property back then. Today, the brook is home to rainbow and brown trout, turtles, and even leeches.
After scrambling down the path along the Trout Brook, you’ll get to a point in the trail where you can overlook the cave and stone bridge. Be sure to stop and take some photos before continuing along the trail. Soon you’ll be at Lookout Point, which is on top of the cave and stone bridge. Continue hiking until you get to the spot where you can actually climb down to the cave entrance. While you can’t actually go deep inside the cave, you are able to walk into the entrance and appreciate the size of the opening.
Your next stop is Noisy Cave; when you walk inside the opening, you’ll know how it got its name. Loud waterfalls are part of this cave system. The water is illuminated with colored lights that change colors continuously. You can also peer down into Noisy Cave through a shaft that’s called Peter Pan’s Peephole.
You can stop and rest on a bench that overlooks the Trout Brook before continuing to the spot that’s called Serenity Park, where you can also rest on a rustic bench and enjoy the scenery.
As you hike the upper trail, you’ll see the pot holes that have been formed by swirling water mixed with sand and rocks. The rocks are deposited in these pot holes when the brook floods during the springtime.
When you get to the section of the trail which overlooks the formation called the oyster shell, you are also supposed to see a formation that looks like George Washington’s profile. I have to admit, as much as I looked, I didn’t see anything that resembled George!
When we finally made our way back to the end of the trail, we browsed through the small museum building that has some artifacts, photos and posters of the cave from days gone by. You can also sit and watch a 30 minute PBS video that describes the history and geology of the caves.
Our two youngest children, ages 14 and 21, accompanied us on this trip. Even though they aren’t little kids, they really enjoyed doing the gemstone mining. You purchase a bag that is filled with sand, gems, stones, shark teeth, and arrowheads (prices range from $10-$20 depending on size). You take the bag to the water troughs, put the contents into a screened tray and let the water rinse away the sand to reveal your gems.
There are some unique geodes on display in this area, including a giant one-ton amethyst geode that was imported from Brazil. On your way out you’ll want to stop at the gift shop to browse their extensive collection of rocks and minerals ranging in price from less than a dollar to thousands of dollars. They also have lots of Adirondack themed items.
Our last stop in the area was the ice cream stand the family operates down the road from the park, at the corner of Stone Bridge Road and Route 9. They have 40 flavors of soft serve ice cream to choose from. After all that hiking we definitely deserved ice cream!
For those families more adventurous than ours, Adventure Tours of the caves are offered on Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday in July and August, by reservation only. These tours, which last 3-4 hours, involve wearing waterproof suits and crawling through dark, tight spaces in the caves. At the end of the adventure, you actually get to float in the waters of the caves. It sounded a little too intense for us and it was also quite pricey ($85/person). However, if this sort of activity appeals to you, put it on your bucket list for next summer.
If you go
Natural Stone Bridge and Cave, 535 Stone Bridge Road, Pottersville, NY 518-494-2283, www.stonebridgeandcaves.com Open daily late May-mid October 10-5. $14/adults, $8.50/children. The park opens up again from mid-December-March, Friday-Sunday, for snowshoe tours. The park is closed mid-October-mid-December and April-mid-May.
Directions
From Buffalo take the New York State Thruway (I-90) east to exit 33. Take Route 365 east to Route 8 east to Route 9 to Pottersville. Alternately, take the New York State Thruway (I-90) east to Albany and take the I-87 expressway to exit 26 to Route 9 north to Pottersville
