Northumberland borders the Hudson River to the east. From Stark’s Knob, the view stretches across the river to Vermont’s Green Mountains. The scenery, river crossings, and historic structures offer different ways to explore the area.

Views and Trails Along the Hudson

Knox Trail Pocket Park has picnic tables and information boards, as well as convenient parking. Stark’s Knob is a short walk from here. General Stark is said to have used the Knob as a vantage point in the fall of 1777. The park is also home to the original sculpture The Train of Artillery.

Eagle Point offers another view. From the parking area at Dix Bridge, you can reach the point via an easy walk of just over a mile. The two walking routes mentioned here are clearly different in length: the walk from Knox Trail Pocket Park to Stark’s Knob is short, while the route from the Dix Bridge parking area to Eagle Point is just over a mile.

Bridges and River Access

Dix Bridge invites cyclists, pedestrians, snowmobilers, and skiers to cross the Hudson River. It also serves as the local crossing for the N.Y.S. Canalway Trail. The Alfred Z. Solomon Kayak Launch provides direct access to the Hudson River for canoes and kayaks. The river landscape therefore offers a range of activities: crossing by bridge, using the designated trail crossing, and accessing the river by paddlecraft.

Clarks Mill Bridge and Northumberland Bridge are also among the area’s historic iron bridges. Clarks Mill Bridge is a three-span truss iron bridge built in 1899 by R. F. Hawkins Iron Works. Northumberland Bridge is an iron structure dating from 1906. In addition to the year, details of its design and builder are known for Clarks Mill Bridge; Northumberland Bridge is characterized primarily by its material and year of construction.

Construction History and Traces of the Champlain Canal

Bacon Hill Dutch Reformed Church dates from around 1820 and is now known as Bacon Hill Church. The site of John Harris Grist and Saw Mill dates to 1832; it was first used as a mill site as early as 1772. The two places represent different aspects of Northumberland’s construction and land-use history.

The Champlain Canal also shaped the history of the hamlet of Northumberland: after the canal opened in 1823, the hamlet became an important transshipment point for goods. On Eagle Point stands Stratton’s Shanty, a replica of a canal lock tender’s hut at the site of the Champlain Canal’s original Lock 10. It gives visitors a glimpse of working and living along the canal. Original stones from the lock wall can also be found on Eagle Point.

Another connection to the history of the canal can be found at the site of the historic reconstruction of the Lock 10 Lock Tender’s Shanty, also known as Stratton’s Shanty. Nearby, the site of Burgoyne’s Bridge of Boats points to the year 1777. These stops highlight different aspects: the shanty reconstruction offers a glimpse of life and work along the canal, while the year 1777 marks a connection to the Revolutionary War era.

Plan a Visit to the Market

The Farmers Market takes place at Veterans Park, at the intersection of Leonard Street and Wilton Gansevoort Road. Goods are sold there on Tuesdays from 3 to 6 p.m. If the market is part of your plans, check the date before you travel.

For the broader travel overview: Saratoga.