Take a Walk on the North Side
Brookwood Creek
The Brookwood Point that many people know and cherish includes a leisurely stroll from the kiosk down towards the Garden House and garden beds filled with a rainbow of perfumed flowers. It includes an ADA accessible path where canoes and kayaks are plunged into Otsego Lake and a short walk down the Wetland Trail to the point where one can admire vast north and south vistas of Otsego Lake. Brookwood Creek meanders its way through the center, bisecting the property into north and south sections.
Standing in the lower parking lot on the south side of the property one can take a glance towards the other side. But only a glance. Because there, on a dilapidated bridge, a sign screams to anyone that comes near: “Keep Out.” OLT plans to switch out that sign with one that promises “Coming Soon” because what you may not realize is that when you visit Brookwood, you are only experiencing half of it.
Connecting the Sides: Bridges, Trails, and Signage
The north side of the creek is indeed part of Brookwood Point Conservation Area, but has been closed due to safety concerns. OLT is working to change that. As part of the Brookwood Point North Side project, OLT envisions the entire 22-acre property being open for public access.
Within the next few years, you will be welcomed across the creek on a fresh walking trail that will begin at the kiosk and wind its way to a new bridge.
It will take you beside the site of the former estate and what was once the driveway to the house. While the estate house was torn down, the inspiration behind its foundation will be brought back to life, why it was built on this side, in a meadow overlooking incredible vistas of Otsego Lake. As you walk along the trail and through the woods, you will hear the creek rippling across the stone, learn about the history, plants, and animals on the property through interpretive signage, and pass through mature woods in an upland habitat very different from the manicured lawns and gardens on the south side of the creek.
This is part of the future of Brookwood Point, the only free, public waterfront access to Otsego Lake. OLT is close to getting there, thanks to generous support from private foundations and individual donors, but we need your help to carry out this vision for you and the community.
It is a single undertaking with several phases: stream bank restoration to prevent erosion and protect water quality for Otsego Lake, installing new bridges and signs, and constructing trails. But its completion will mean the entirety of Brookwood will open for the public to enjoy.
