Zigzag
Photo: andyarthur, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)- 0.7 mi
- round trip
- 119 ft
- climb
- 1,309 ft
- high point
- Out and back
- route
- Jun–Sep
- best months
Zigzag is a short, moderate hike in Tug Hill State Forest in New York, managed by the State Department of Conservation. The route is an out-and-back of about 1.5 miles, with a total elevation gain of 119 feet. The climb is gentle, with the steepest stretch at about 0.58 miles, and the high point sits at 1,309 feet. Summer is the most comfortable time to go. Typical averages from a nearby weather station in Watertown show July highs around 80°F with lows near 62°F, while winter brings frequent snow days and highs in the 20s. The hike takes about half an hour. The Snowbird mountain biking trail starts just 0.1 mile away, and the Whiteway and Electric Loop hikes are each about 0.7 mile off. South Sandy Creek, a canoeing route, is roughly 3.7 miles away.
Best time to go · Jun–Sep
Best time to visit Zigzag
Best months: June–September. Best months have typical highs of 55–85 °F, lows of 30 °F or warmer (32 °F where the station doesn't record snow), at most one snowy day and no more than 12 wet days.
Jan
29° / 11°
18 wet · 12 snow
Feb
31° / 12°
15 wet · 10 snow
Mar
40° / 22°
14 wet · 6 snow
Apr
53° / 35°
13 wet · 1 snow
May
67° / 47°
14 wet
Jun
75° / 57°
12 wet
Jul
80° / 62°
11 wet
Aug
79° / 60°
11 wet
Sep
72° / 52°
12 wet
Oct
59° / 41°
16 wet
Nov
46° / 30°
15 wet · 4 snow
Dec
35° / 20°
17 wet · 9 snow
Typical high / low (°F) and days with rain or snow, 1991–2020. Measured at Watertown, NY, 10.4 mi away at 497 ft. The station sits about 800 ft lower than this place, so expect it a little cooler here. Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals 1991–2020.
Keep exploring — more trails worth the drive
Photo: andyarthur, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Snowbird
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~1 min drive
Whiteway is a 1.82-mile out-and-back trail in New York with 245 ft of elevation gain.
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6.24-mile out-and-back hike in New York with 1,176 ft gain/loss
Photo: andyarthur, CC BY 2.0 (via Flickr)Electric Loop
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1.79-mile out-and-back trail in New York with 452 ft elevation gain.
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0.46-mile out-and-back hike in New York with 54 ft of elevation gain.
Map and trail data © OpenStreetMap contributors
