The All Persons Trail

The All Persons Trail at the NorthWoods Stewardship Center in East Charleston provides a rolling, winding tour of the northern hardwood
forest as it encircles campus.

The trail is ADA-compliant and designed to welcome everyone—specifically those who use wheelchairs, adaptive equipment, mobility aids, and small children in strollers or on balance bikes.

This All Persons Trail was designed and built to US Forest Service Trail Accessibility Guidelines, however, several trail segments fall outside of these guidelines due to site-specific factors that meet the need for general exemptions. Trail segments were built to align with the guidelines as much as possible by including low-angle trail segments above and below steep segments and bump-out rest areas where practical.

Trail Description:

From the lodge entrance, head east along the trail, passing in front of the Lodge, patio and offices, with views of Bald Mountain visible to the south in clear weather. From here you can decide upon a direction of the loop, left or right – description continues to the right.

Descending in a sweeping switchback to the NorthWoods pond, the trail passes through a small grove of tamarack as it curves around the water to the accessible stone fishing pier. Past the pond, the trail intersects with the NorthWoods driveway. This intersection can be high traffic during certain times of year – please use caution.

Following the orange All Persons Trail signs, cross the driveway and driving bridge, then passing signs for the Gardner Path, and continue following the broad trail surface southwest into the red pine plantation.

You will pass through the Challenge Course, where our education groups participate in group activities, then continue through the cathedral-like red pines, past the Conservation Barn on the hill to your right, before winding up a series of gentle switchbacks into mixed hardwood forest.

Here the trees thin and open up into the Meadow, where you will see our post and beam outdoor kitchen on the left and Bunkhouse down the driveway to the right. Entering once again into the woods, the trail makes a sharp right turn, providing a flat overlook to the brook below, then continues down a relatively steep grade with periodic flat rest areas, to the 30 foot long Lang Brook Bridge.

Pause here to enjoy the sights and sounds of a small brook making its way down to the Clyde River. As you cross the bridge the trail follows the brook downstream, then begins climbing uphill through a stand of birch—eventually reaching an intersection with the multi-use Leadership Trail.

Here the grade begins to decline once more as the trail sweeps down the hill, again with periodic flat rest areas, then curves around towards the southwest and the raised boardwalk.

Following the 180 ft boardwalk, you will emerge once again at the Main Lodge intersection where you started, with the opportunity to return (right) back along the building to the trailhead, or continue (left) on for another loop!