Three young hikers enjoy the view from the Wildway Overlook Trail.
(Photo by Betsy Bacot-Aigner)

[Originaly published in the Valley News on May 29, 2010.]

ESSEX — Champlain Area Trails (CATS) will participate in National Trails Day Saturday, June 5, by hosting a morning hike and a late-afternoon celebration of the trail system it is developing to connect people with nature and link Champlain Valley communities.

The two-hour hike on Wildway Overlook Trail is free and open to the public. It begins 9:30 a.m. on Brookfield Road in Essex, about one quarter mile south of Reynolds Road. For more detailed directions to the hike or more information, go to www.champlainareatrails.com or email champlaintrails@gmail.com

The organization's celebratory event takes place 4-6 p.m. at the historic Block House Farm just north of Essex. Guests will hear Ellie Berger, author of "Stepping Out: A Tenderfoot's Guide to the Principles, Practices, and Pleasures of Countryside Walking," share stories about the joys of hiking through the countryside and the benefits of an interconnected trail network. A reception follows.

Admission to this fundraising event is $15 per person. To attend, send a check to CATS, PO Box 313, Westport, NY 12993, email champlaintrails@gmail.com, or call 962-4640.