Peatlands are often challenging places to visit. Adirondack Park offers a number of trails and boardwalks that allow visitors to explore without harming these fragile ecosystems. One of these locations is Ferd’s Bog near Old Forge, New York. If you plan your visit to Ferd’s Bog before July 21, 2024, you will also have the opportunity to see the Northern Peatlands exhibit at View Arts Center, 15 minutes from Ferd’s Bog trailhead.

A short boardwalk provides visitors an opportunity to stand in the middle of Ferd’s Bog (which is actually classified as a type of poor fen). Regardless of its specific wetland classification, it is a type of northern peatland and a birding hotspot in Adirondack Park. The floating walkway makes you feel like you are walking across the floating mat of sphagnum moss and bog plants. Looking closely in this picture, you can see the dark red stalks and flowers of pitcher plants reaching out of the bog––a truly staggering density of these rare, flowering, carnivorous plants.

What to Expect

This .3-mile trail is a short hike ending in a floating walkway bringing you into the heart of a peatland. The narrow trail descends a forested hillside before reaching the walkway. A mixed hardwood forest gives way to tamarack and black spruce as you enter Ferd’s Bog. A blanket of sphagnum moss covers the ground, with various bog plants interspersed. Tree growth is stunted as you walk further into the nutrient-poor, waterlogged fen. By the end of the walkway, few trees remain, and you are surrounded by bog plants. Look closely for pitcher plants and sundews––carnivorous plants that survive the nutrient-poor habitat by trapping and digesting insects and small prey. Orchids also thrive in this wetland habitat.

Keep your eyes and ears peeled for birds who depend upon this habitat, including Canada Jays, White-Throated Sparrows, Swamp Sparrows, Lincoln Sparrows, Palm Warblers, Olive-Sided Flycatchers, Yellow-Bellied Flycatchers, Nashville Warblers, and the Northern Parula. You also have a chance to see Black-backed Woodpeckers, as well as the rare Three-toed Woodpecker. Binoculars are a must, given the birds are often flying from tree to tree on the perimeter of the peatland. You can learn more about the history of Ferd’s Bog, including the creation of the boardwalk to help protect this fragile ecosystem, by reading Edward Kanze’s article in the Adirondack Explorer here.

Directions

Important Notice: Ferd’s Bog is best accessed from Eagle Bay, New York. It is inadvisable to take Browns Tract Road, Stock Lane, or Dillon Road from Raquette Lake, New York.

From Eagle Bay: take Uncas Road 3.75 miles, heading northeast. The road becomes Browns Tract Road as it transitions to a dirt road. The parking area is on the left. Limited parking accommodates 3-4 vehicles. As of June 12, 2024, the sign for Ferd’s Bog is missing. A small sign-in kiosk is located at the trailhead, located here.

Visiting the Northern Peatlands Exhibit

Continue your exploration of these rare and vital ecosystems by visiting the Northern Peatlands exhibit at View Arts Center, 15 minutes from Ferd’s Bog trailhead. The exhibit is on display until July 21, with an artist talk in the gallery space on July 11 from 6-7 pm.