Snowshoeing

Don't let snow keep you off New York State's thousands of trails this winter - grab a pair of snowshoes and enjoy your favorite trails all winter long! The solitude and all engulfing silence of the wilderness in winter await. Many trails are actually easier to traverse in winter as the rocks, roots, and mud are covered over with nothing but smooth, deep snow. You can go to areas otherwise not accessible in summer due to wet conditions and take short cuts across frozen lakes. You may be surprised that a day of exercise and exploring nature in winter could be so much fun.

Protect Yourself

Plan ahead and prepare for a safe and enjoyable adventure by reading up on our outdoor winter hiking safety tips. Winter weather conditions can change quickly and to the extreme. The colder temperatures provide you with a smaller margin for error should something go awry. Proper planning and communicating your trip itinerary to others is a must.

Snowshoeing Etiquette

Trail Safety

1. Stay on the trails. Trails are laid out for snowshoers' safety and convenience. Leaving the trail may cause snowshoers to encounter unknown terrain hazards and become lost.
2. When passing on a flat area, a faster snowshoer should indicate their desire to pass by calling "track." The slower snowshoer should yield by stepping out of the track to the right, where possible.
3. Try not to pass on a downhill. Save it for the flat where the slower snowshoer can maneuver more easily.
4. A snowshoer moving downhill has the right-of-way, since they are moving faster and may have less control. Do not descend a hill until the trail is clear.
5. If the trail is one-way, be sure to snowshoe in the proper direction. If a trail has two sets of tracks, snowshoe the set of tracks on the right-hand side.
6. Move off the trail as quickly as possible after a fall. This will prevent possible collisions and allow other snowshoers to pass. Fill in sitzmarks before proceeding.
7. Do not snowshoe alone. Long tours, especially, should not be tempted alone. Hypothermia is a very real and serious hazard when the temperature is below 15°F.

Respect for Trail Conditions

1. Fill in holes. A hole in a downhill track can be hazardous to other snowshoers. Once these freeze, they are difficult to fill in.
2. Do not walk in tracks. If necessary, walk to the side of the trail.
3. Dogs are best left at home, as their pawmarks can create hazards in a track. Dogs themselves can be a hazard by getting in the way of other skiers and chasing wildlife.