The Zim Smith Trail is the main multi-use trail of a network of trails in

Saratoga County, New York Saratoga County is a county in the U.S. state of New York, and is the fastest-growing county in Upstate New York. As of the 2020 U.S. census, the county's population was enumerated at 235,509, representing a 7.2% increase from the 2010 populat ...

. Extending twelve miles, it connects the cities and towns of Mechanicville, Halfmoon, Clifton Park, Round Lake Village,

Malta Malta ( , , ), officially the Republic of Malta ( mt, Repubblika ta' Malta ), is an island country in the Mediterranean Sea. It consists of an archipelago, between Italy and Libya, and is often considered a part of Southern Europe. It lies ...

and

Ballston Spa Ballston Spa is a village and the county seat of Saratoga County, New York, United States, located southwest of Saratoga Springs. The population of the village, named after Rev. Eliphalet Ball, a Congregationalist clergyman and an early settler, wa ...

. The trail is the route of the former Delaware & Hudson Railroad, originally the Rensselaer & Saratoga Railroad which was completed in 1836. It is the only trail in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

state to be designated a national recreation trail by the

U.S. Department of Interior The United States Department of the Interior (DOI) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government headquartered at the Main Interior Building, located at 1849 C Street NW in Washington, D.C. It is responsible for the man ...

and

National Park Service The National Park Service (NPS) is an agency of the United States federal government within the U.S. Department of the Interior that manages all national parks, most national monuments, and other natural, historical, and recreational propertie ...

. The trail starts at Oak Street in Ballston Spa and runs through Malta's

Shenantaha Creek Park Shenantaha Creek Park is located in the town of Malta, in Saratoga County, New York. In 1993, the Malta Town Board commissioned the Ruhle Road Park Committee to plan a park on 56.1 acres of land along the Ballston Creek and an abandoned railroad ...

. From there the trail passes under Interstate 87, the

Adirondack Northway Interstate 87 (I-87) is a north–south Interstate Highway located entirely within the US state of New York. It is most of the main highway between New York City and Montreal. The highway begins at exit 47 off I-278 in the New York ...

, and brings you through the village of Round Lake. From Round Lake Village the trail crosses over

U.S. Route 9 U.S. Route 9 (US 9) is a north–south United States highway in the states of Delaware, New Jersey, and New York in the Northeastern United States. It is one of only two U.S. Highways with a ferry connection (the Cape May–Lewes Ferry, between ...

and through a portion of the towns of Clifton Park and Halfmoon. As of 2020, it has now been extended to the city of Mechanicville. There are future plans to extend the trail north to

Saratoga Springs Saratoga Springs is a city in Saratoga County, New York, United States. The population was 28,491 at the 2020 census. The name reflects the presence of mineral springs in the area, which has made Saratoga a popular resort destination for over 2 ...

. The Zim Smith Trail is named after Lt. Col. Zimri "Zim" Smith, USAF (Ret) who died in 1994. Zim was active in historic preservation in Saratoga Springs and founded Friends of Saratoga Battlefield.

References

External links

TrailLink Website

Saratogian Newspaper Article

National Park Service: National Trails System
{{coord, 42.919326, -73.746549, type:landmark_globe:earth_region:US-NY, display=title Hiking trails in New York (state) Bike paths in New York (state) Parks in Saratoga County, New York Capital District (New York)