This originally appeared as a sponsored “Spotlight” page in North Country This Week

On Sat., Sept. 14, the Friends of Higley Flow State Park will hold a festival to celebrate the Park and introduce people to its facilities and attractions.

While summer camping season has ended, the Park remains a destination for other activities.

Admission is $20 for adults, $10 teens, free for under age 12 and $40 for a family. Proceeds benefit the Friends of Higley Flow State Park.

The following events are a chance to support the work of the Friends, learn more about the Park, and have some fun!

SLC Traffic Safety Children’s Helmets • 9 a.m.

St. Lawrence County Traffic Safety, helmets for children in need of one 9:00A.M. until helmets are gone, no admission. HFSP Lodge While supplies last

In Collaboration with St. Lawrence County Traffic Safety Funded by the National Highway Safety through a grant with the Governor’s Traffic Safety Committee

Parent or Guardian must be in attendance and sign a waiver to get your child a free helmet.

5k & 10k Trail Runs • 10 a.m.

Jolene Carotenudo and Art Michalek have mapped out courses for fun, challenging, non-competitive trail runs utilizing the Parks wooded hiking and cross country ski trails.

The runs have 5 and 10k options. Runners will keep track of their own time with an option to enter it on a chart at the end to see how they compare with other runners.

The runs start at 10 a.m. near the sign in kiosk. At 10:30 a.m. there will be a 1k children’s run on the E-Z trail by the lodge.

50k Road Bike Ride • 10:15 a.m.

The ride format is different this year, with more activities for riders and their families to enjoy. David Trithart has once again created a challenging, scenic early fall bike tour for all.

Some riders may want to ride 100k ; for those who wish to do so, David suggests a second loop in reverse. The course will be marked, available for gps, and with cue sheets for those preferring them.

Big Spoon’s food truck will be on site with a delicious variety of meals for your after ride repast.

There will be commemorative items available for a separate donation for online registrations. Day of registration is available but pre-registration is recommended.

Mountain Bike Ride • 10:30 a.m.

This year the Friends are offering an exciting new option for mountain bike enthusiasts.

Thanks go to Debbie Christie for her efforts in trail repair and course design.

The ride will leave from the park and incorporate a portion of the St. Lawrence County Recreation Trail in the ride.

Distance could range from 10 to 18 miles, depending on the groups preference. Ethan Townsend will  act as the leader from the Friends, Debbie Christie also plans on being there.

Kids’ Fun Run • 10:30 a.m.  

A kids fun run on the easy loop of about 1 km. From the Trails Lodge at 10:30 am.

Kids’ Bike Rodeo • 11 a.m.

Bike rodeo for children under 12. Bring your bike to the Beach!

Park History Talk • 12 p.m.

Amateur historian, Mary Jane Watson has dedicated years to learning about and documenting the history of Colton, the Raquette River and its impoundments and the Park.

At 12 p.m. she will offer an interesting presentation on that history in the Lodge.

ADA Accessible Kayak Launch Recognition

1 p.m.

Guided Kayak / Canoe Paddle

 At 1:15 p.m.. Mary Jane Watson will offer a guided interpretive paddle on the water surrounding the Park.

Learn how “Stump” Bay got its name and how it was formed as well as the challenges it created. Paddle the Black Lagoon and learn the legend about it.

 A Little Bit About ‘The Friends’

The Friends, a non profit 501c3 organization, was formed approximately twenty years ago with the initial purpose of improving winter recreation in the Park and the ultimate goal of building a warming building.

In the first few years the group created bird and tree guides, purchased benches for the Park and began working on trail expansion.

The Town of Colton obtained a grant for a grooming drag which was then turned over to the Friends for grooming at the Park. A grant was written for monies to go toward a warming building. It was decided to go instead for a combination Lodge and Nature Center.

The monies, plus a major fund raising campaign resulted in enough funds to purchase materials for the building.

The Regional Parks Office provided staff to construct the building which opened in 2014. In 2016 the Friends raised sufficient funds to purchase a dedicated grooming sled to replace one of the personally owned sleds previously being used.

In 2018 they supplemented the grooming fleet with a roller. Around the same time the Friends purchased a quantity of youth cross country ski equipment for the rentals for the Park and started a school lesson program.

Over the last several years, the Friends have purchased 50% of the tractor trailer loads of woodchips for trail improvements. A youth ski group, the Ermines, was started, as well as an adult lesson group.

In 2020 a second, wider, used grooming drag was purchased. In 2022, thanks to another grant, and partnership with the Parks, a storage building for the grooming fleet which includes the purchased equipment, St. Lawrence University’s sled and drag, and one personally owned sled was completed. In 2021 work on a grant application to purchase an ADA Kayak Launch was begun.

 The grant was awarded, the launch purchased and installation of it is currently in progress by the Regional Parks Office.

The group has expanded its activities to include interpretive walks, an iNaturalist Project, and a designated “Tree” trail. The Friends constantly look for ways they can contribute to enhancing the Park experience.

To become a Friends member visit their website: www.higleyfriends.org.