New Vida Preserve
Managed by Richard/Matthew Vidal
558 acres8.7 mi of trail
Upper Traverse (White)Cliff Hugger (Red)Eagles Nest (Light Blue)Green Trail+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Photo: Mwanner · CC BY-SA 3.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Jay
Jay has 2,578 acres of parks, 1,095 for every 1,000 residents
22% of Jay’s land is conserved, about 9,417 acres. The biggest trail networks: New Vida Preserve (8.7 mi), Four Peaks Tract (8.4 mi), Jay Mountain Wilderness (3.5 mi). 49 miles of mapped trail cross Jay, 0.7 per square mile of land.
Ahead of 86% of U.S. towns. What drives it
Conserved land
22%
9,417 acres · of 67.7 sq mi of land
Trails
49 mi
0.7 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,578 ac
1,095 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
40%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
3,373 ft
Jay Mountain
Lakes & rivers
6
What kind of outdoors town is Jay?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Jay have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Jay is ahead of 86% of U.S. towns. Park acres per resident hold the grade up; the share of residents near a park pulls it down.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Jay’s overall grade.
Conserved land22% of the land · typical NY town 5% · U.S. 4%ATrails0.7 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (49 mi) · NY 0.4 · U.S. 0.4B+Park land1,095 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,578 acres) · NY 31 · U.S. 13A+Parks close to home40% of residents within a half mile of a park · NY 70% · U.S. 72%C
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 86%
LessMore
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from B+ to A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is New Vida Preserve, with 8.7 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Four Peaks Tract
Managed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
474 acres8.4 mi of trail
Cedar TrailLogging TrailBrown's Notch TrailFisher Ridge Trail+1
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Jay Mountain Wilderness
Nature preserve
2,431 acres3.5 mi of trail
Jay Mountain Trail(unmaintained trail)
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Wilmington Wild Forest
Managed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
1,387 acres2 mi of trail
Clements Pond TrailHamlin Mountain Jeep Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Hurricane Mountain Wilderness
Managed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
2,768 acres1.8 mi of trail
Soda Range Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
All 10 parks & preserves
New Vida Preserve558 acres · 8.7 mi of trail · Richard/Matthew Vidal
DirectionsFour Peaks Tract474 acres · 8.4 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Jay Mountain Wilderness2,431 acres · 3.5 mi of trail
DirectionsWilmington Wild Forest1,387 acres · 2 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Hurricane Mountain Wilderness2,768 acres · 1.8 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DirectionsSentinel Range Wilderness834 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Taylor Pond Wild Forest625 acres
East Branch Community Trails7 acres · Essex County
Hurricane Mountain Primitive Area3 acres · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DirectionsBartlett Primitive Area2 acres
Who protects it
9,417 conserved acres
22% of Jay’s land. Who manages Jay’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State conservation8,072 ac
County687 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits633 ac
Town or city26 ac
State Wilderness · 6,044 acState Conservation Area · 2,028 acLocal Conservation Area · 687 acPrivate Conservation · 500 acConservation Easement · 130 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 130 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. Public access isn’t recorded for 1 of 12 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hurricane Mountain Wilderness State Wilderness | State conservation | 2,768 | Open |
| Jay Mountain Wilderness State Wilderness | State conservation | 2,435 | Open |
| Wilmington Wild Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 1,394 | Open |
| Sentinel Range Wilderness State Wilderness | State conservation | 840 | Open |
| Essex County Lands Local Conservation Area | County | 687 | Restricted |
| Taylor Pond Wild Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 628 | Open |
| Beaver Brook Tract Expansion Private Conservation | Land trusts & nonprofits | 500 | Restricted |
| Town Of Jay Land Local Park | Town or city | 26 | Unknown |
| Bartlett Primitive Area State Conservation Area | State conservation | 4 | Open |
| Hurricane Mountain Primitive Area State Conservation Area | State conservation | 3 | Open |
1 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
53 places to go in Jay
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Scenic views in Jay
Bessies ViewIn Four Peaks Tract
DirectionsJay Mountain LookoutIn Jay Mountain Wilderness
DirectionsProvidence RockIn Four Peaks Tract
DirectionsThe LookoutIn Four Peaks Tract
DirectionsView of Whiteface
DirectionsPlus 15 scenic views without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Peaks in Jay
Jay Mountain3,373 ft elevation · In Jay Mountain Wilderness
DirectionsPeaked Mountain3,222 ft elevation · In Hurricane Mountain Wilderness
DirectionsWeston Mountain3,186 ft elevation · In Hurricane Mountain Wilderness
DirectionsCoal Dirt Hill2,927 ft elevation · In Hurricane Mountain Wilderness
DirectionsYard Hill2,897 ft elevation · In Hurricane Mountain Wilderness
DirectionsFrenyea Mountain2,648 ft elevation · In Jay Mountain Wilderness
DirectionsSpruce Hill2,569 ft elevation · In Hurricane Mountain Wilderness
DirectionsClements Mountain2,566 ft elevation · In Wilmington Wild Forest
Directions22 more peaks
Big Lawler Mountain2,474 ft elevation · In Jay Mountain Wilderness
DirectionsLincoln Mountain2,343 ft elevation
DirectionsHardwood Hill2,241 ft elevation
DirectionsBald Mountain2,116 ft elevation
DirectionsDaby Mountain2,044 ft elevation · In Taylor Pond Wild Forest
DirectionsEbenezer Mountain1,982 ft elevation
DirectionsBassett Mountain1,965 ft elevation · In New Vida Preserve
DirectionsLittle Lawler Mountain1,913 ft elevation · In Jay Mountain Wilderness
DirectionsRattlesnake Knob1,873 ft elevation · In Four Peaks Tract
DirectionsEllis Mountain1,824 ft elevation
DirectionsWainwright Mountain1,654 ft elevation
DirectionsClark Mountain1,565 ft elevation
DirectionsRound Hill1,490 ft elevation
DirectionsPine Hill1,437 ft elevation
DirectionsHaystack Mountain1,407 ft elevation
DirectionsRagged Mountain1,296 ft elevation
DirectionsLittle Mountain1,283 ft elevation
DirectionsOak Hill1,227 ft elevation
DirectionsSpruce Knob1,224 ft elevation
DirectionsHarrison Hill1,220 ft elevation
DirectionsSheep Mountain1,171 ft elevation
DirectionsColby Mountain1,096 ft elevation
Directions32 peaks are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Campgrounds in Jay
Lost Pond CampsiteIn Hurricane Mountain Wilderness · NYSDEC
DirectionsTrails & water
25 named trails and 6 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 2.4 miUnpaved · 33.0 mi
Ausable Acres Trails (private)8.4 mi
Jay Mountain Trail2.9 mi
Soda Range Trail1.8 mi
Upper Traverse (White)1.3 mi
Cliff Hugger (Red)1.2 mi
Hamlin Mountain Jeep Trail1.1 mi
Green Trail0.9 mi
Eagles Nest (Light Blue)0.9 mi
Clark Mountain Trail (RED)0.7 mi
Clements Pond Trail0.7 mi
15 more trails
Cedar Trail
0.6 miLogging Trail
0.6 mi(unmaintained trail)
0.6 miBrown's Notch Trail
0.6 miWhispering Woods (Light Green)
0.5 miAlpine Ascent (Yellow)
0.5 miEbenezer "Easy" Trail
0.4 miFisher Ridge Trail
0.4 miZig-Zag Trail
0.4 miEast Trail
0.3 miHenry's Trail
0.3 miThe Lookout trail
0.3 miLower Traverse (Dark Green)
0.3 miThe Lookout Trail (faint markings)
0.2 miEbenezer Scramble
0.1 miLakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
2Tennis
2Baseball
1Basketball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →8 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 1 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Hopkins CottageBuilding · listed 1992
About itWellscroftBuilding · listed 2004
About itWells Memorial LibraryBuilding · listed 2011
About itKeith and Branch Ford Motors Factory and ShowroomBuilding · listed 2013
About itAsgaard FarmDistrict · listed 2020
About itTahawus Masonic LodgeBuilding · listed 2021
About itGraves MansionBuilding · listed 2022
About itAu Sable Forks Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 2026
About itWhen to get out
The best walking months in Jay: May, August and September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.2 | 10.4 | 11.8 | 13.4 | 14.8 | 15.5 | 15.2 | 14.0 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.5 | 8.9 |
| High (°F) | 27 | 30 | 40 | 54 | 67 | 75 | 80 | 78 | 70 | 57 | 44 | 33 |
| Rain (in) | 2.2 | 1.9 | 2.4 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 4.1 | 3.7 | 3.4 | 3.1 | 3.6 | 2.6 | 2.5 |
February is the driest month (1.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 80 °F). 4.1 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Jay →
Next door
Jay and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Keene210 miBlack Brook174 miChesterfield67 miWilmington63 miLewis61 miJay49 miAu Sable25 miAu Sable Forks2.6 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jay | 22% | 0.7 | 1,095 | 40% | A |
| Black Brook | 48% | 1.3 | 17,980 | 53% | A |
| Au Sable Forks | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Wilmington | 63% | 1.0 | 11,340 | 62% | A |
| Chesterfield | 20% | 0.8 | 2,354 | 44% | A |
| Lewis | 23% | 0.7 | 951 | 30% | A− |
| Au Sable | 4% | 0.6 | 8 | 26% | C+ |
| Keene | 78% | 1.3 | 2,499 | 36% | A |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Jay
Where can I hike in Jay?
The longest trail networks: New Vida Preserve, 8.7 miles; Four Peaks Tract, 8.4 miles; Jay Mountain Wilderness, 3.5 miles; Wilmington Wild Forest, 2 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Jay is conserved land?
22% of its land, against a typical 5% for a New York town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Jay’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at New Vida Preserve (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Jay?
167,776 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Jay or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 8,682 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Jay have?
Ahead of 86% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Jay neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →