Mud Lake Trail - Davenport Trailhead

"The trail takes about 2h 30 mins both ways with a slow pace and a few stops. If you are in shape, you can probably make it in a little over an hour. It is about 5 miles (8 km) long and you will have to ascent 900 ft (270 m) if you take the Jacy Henderson Memorial Trail one of the ways - if not, it will be slightly shorter. You can park your car on the Hartwick College Pine Lake Campus parking lot (it is allowed). Then, cross the road and start walking upwards on a path, crossing a dirt road on your way. Follow small metal circles or older, wooden signs on the trees. The first part is quite steep and makes for about 280 ft (80 m) of the total ascent. After this, the trail becomes less steep and leads through the forest u til you reach the beginning (or the end - depends on which way you will walk it) of the Jacy Henderson Trail. I recommend taking it one way or the other - it is really beautiful, if a bit steeper and narrow. If you choose to take the main path on your way up you will start getting closer to Shelly Brook on your left, which you will have to cross. Watch out for slippery stones. You will ascend another 300 ft, but without straining yourself too much. Before reach the Mud Lake you will pass the other end of the Jacy Henderson Trail and a crossing with the trail leading from Route 28. After this crossing it’s just a few minutes to the lake. Be aware, that the lake is surrounded by a bog and it is unlikely that you will see much of the lake’s surface. But it does not really matter, because the bog is interesting in itself - there is a lot of huge ferns and soft moss all over it. Do not walk through the bog - first, it is a delicate ecosystem that you should not disturb. Second - you may fall in and - well, let’s just say in some places it is 20 ft deep and what looks like a solid ground may be a floating island of plants. Coming back you can either take the Jacy Henderson Trail or make a bigger loop walking a little towards Route 28, turning left and going back on the blue trail, on the western boundary of the park."

"Nice easy hike for a leisurely afternoon. Across the street from Pine Lake Campus with a parking lot. The entrance is almost directly across the street from the parking lot. The trail is dirt and sometimes a little difficult to find the markers which range from yellow paint on trees, metal circles or small wooden squares. The trail is mostly like a ATV trail. It is steep at the start but becomes easier and mostly level/near level. The trail goes uphill at first, levels off and the goes down hill. At the bottom of the downhill is a marker on the ground which points to the right. You are close to the lake when you find the wooden markers pointing different designations. The lake is about a 1/4 mile from the wooden markers. The lake is more like a bog. When you get close to the lake you will find the plants to be consistent with wetlands. Remember what it looks like when you leave the trees and enter the wetlands because the trail is not easy to find on the way out."

"This trailhead is one of two for Mud Lake. This trailhead is located across the street from Hartwick College's Pine Lake Environmental Campus; you can park in their lot when hiking the trail. The trail is about 2.25 miles to Mud Lake. There is a steady incline with the first quarter mile being the most steep part. As you might expect, there are some muddy portions...follow the side paths created by other walkers. There is a stream you must cross; be very careful as the logs and rocks can shift. Mud Lake itself is surrounded by a bog and is very squishy. Be careful to not damage the bog as it is a delicate ecosystem."