Laverack Nature Trail At Hawkins Brook

PHOTO: On the Laverack Nature Trail at Hawkins Brook boardwalk near downtown Meredith. The 6/10th long path runs between Prescott Park and the Meredith Village Savings Bank. The Nature Trail is wheelchair accessible and the boardwalk is a nice level easy walk for everyone to enjoy. There are educational signs posted along the way to teach about the local animals and wetlands. It is a lovely place.

by Amy Patenaude
Outdoor/Ski Writer

On our way to Funspot, I used my cellphone to search for the Meredith Conservation Commission and then I clicked on the “Hiking Maps & Self-guided Tours” link. It directed me to information about their trails, interactive maps and a lovely slideshow featuring Meredith’s Conservation Areas.
I was itching to stretch my legs and when I read about the Laverack Nature Trail and its accessible walkway with boardwalks along Hawkins Brook that flows into Meredith Bay. I pitched the idea of taking a nice nature stroll to Charlie and he was game.
The Trail runs between Prescott Park and downtown Meredith, just to the west of the Meredith Village Savings Bank and it is 6/10ths of a mile long. Out and back is a nice walk of 1.2 miles.
It was hot and sunny on Sunday mid-afternoon. We pulled into the Meredith Village Savings Bank’s parking area behind the bank and we parked next to the trail’s information kiosk. We were the only car in the lot.

Hawkins Brook and the large wetland are hidden behind the bank and businesses along Routes 25 & 3. The Brook flows into Meredith Bay but it is hidden too because it crosses beneath Route 25 to enter the Lake.
At the trailhead kiosk we learned that the trail is named in honor of Samuel Laverack, recognizing his more than 40 years of community service. He began his career as branch manager of the Meredith Village Savings bank in 1976 and retired as CEO in 2018.
Hawkins Brook is 2.5 miles long, a diverse wetland and has the second greatest inflow into Meredith Bay: the first being Lake Waukewan. The Brook is named after Revolutionary War veteran and early settler John Hawkins and his family. This information is on the kiosk too.
The boardwalk begins right away and the views across the wetland are impressive. The sun felt hot while we were on the boardwalk; it is over a thousand feet long. Then the path is a graded gravel path under the shade of trees. We passed by a cute outdoor classroom on our way to Prescott Park.

Along the way there are educational signs about the local wildlife and wetlands.
Starting from Prescott Park is also possible and probably has better parking during business hours.
We saw geese with tiny yellow goslings following closely behind their mothers! We didn’t see a Blue Heron but we looked.

On our way back we passed by one other person enjoying the boardwalk.
Back at the Bank we decided to cross Route 25. Seeing no nearby crosswalk, we waited patiently for a number of minutes for a big break in the traffic so we could cross safely and without stopping traffic.

We walked along the sidewalk on the edge of Meredith Bay and there were many people walking about and admiring the artwork. These pieces of art are part of the Meredith Sculpture Walk, an annual exhibit of sculptures placed around the town of Meredith.
Too bad so many people are missing out on taking the nature trail. Perhaps they could place a piece of art near the start of the trail or at least include information about the nature trail on their Sculpture Walk map.
We enjoyed our walk but I will confess the air conditioning inside Funspot felt good.
Have Fun.