The new Curtis Preserve you've been hearing about: all the details

Saratoga PLAN's new trail entices with all the woodsy Adirondack goodness — and the loveliest origin story.

“The Curtis Preserve is a great example of how we can come together to protect land that connects people to nature,” said Rob Davies, executive director of Saratoga PLAN, a local nonprofit that stewards and protects farms, forests and waters of the Saratoga region and southern Adirondack foothills.

Saratoga County now has a new trail for adventurers to explore with the opening of Saratoga PLAN’s new Curtis Preserve in Corinth.

The 127-acre property follows the historic “Blue Line” that defines the Adirondack Park with mixed forest and flowing brook providing critical wildlife habitat and serving as an important link for regional wildlife connectivity.

The preserve was made possible through the generosity of Patricia LeClair and her family. She and her neighbor Mary Curtis shared a love of the woods that connected their properties and often walked together. After the Curtises passed, LeClair inherited their land and later chose to donate it to Saratoga PLAN to ensure its permanent protection.

“I walked those woods for many years,” LeClair says. “I hope that people will enjoy them as much as I did.”

A ribbon-cutting ceremony with the Saratoga County Chamber of Commerce was held on Oct. 23 to celebrate LeClair’s gift to the community. More than 30 people attended, including her daughters Pam and Tari, Senator James Tedisco, Assemblyman Matt Simpson, Town of Corinth Supervisor Eric Butler, as well as PLAN staff, supporters and community members.

“My mother’s gift of land is not surprising considering how she raised my sister and me,” Tari shared at the ceremony. “We grew up exploring farms, fields and woods, and learning to love nature. We want to thank Saratoga PLAN staff and supporters for their conservation efforts across the region.”

Community involvement played an important role in shaping the Curtis Preserve. Locals provided feedback through surveys that helped guide decisions about public access, and volunteers — including employees from Regeneron during the company’s Day for Doing Good — helped build and mark trails.

Support for this project came from the Saratoga County Trails & Open Space Committee through the Farmland Protection and Open Space Grant Program, which funded $32,900 to cover transactional costs, as well as the Nature Conservancy’s Climate Resilience Grant Program that contributed $25,000 toward future stewardship needs of the property.

Learn more and download a trail map at saratogaplan.org.

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