Most trailheads and trail road crossings are marked with a one-foot square yellow sign with a green FLT logo. Some locations are marked with 3-inch white or orange disks with the FLT logo. Sections of the FLT carrying the North Country National Scenic Trail display the NCT logo. All of these are shown at the right (though not to scale). Other locations use various size and shape wooden signs. FLTLogowhiteBorder.gif FLTTrailheadSign.jpg FLTLogoorange.gif

The trail is marked with 2″ x 6″ vertical paint or plastic blazes on trees, poles, or posts along the entire route, except in the Catskill Forest Preserve where the Department of Environmental Conservation trail disks are used. Blazes are visible when traveling in either direction. Normally, when you are at one blaze, you can see the next blaze further down the Trail. On some roads and well-defined Trail sections the blazes may be a little farther apart. If a Trail section on a road is not blazed, it is usually noted on the FLTC map.

Single blazes are used to identify the route. Double blazes, one above the other, are caution signs for you to look for a turn off from the general direction of travel or other situations for which you should be alert.

Key to trail blazes

blazes.jpg

CCH._love_this_severe_turn_blaze_sm.jpgWhen you are on a well-defined section of trail, be alert for the blazes. Often the Trail joins logging roads or other existing paths for a while and then leaves them—the blazes will tell you where. If you haven’t seen any blazes for a while, go back to where you last saw one and look for a turn.

The blaze shown at right is a bit unconventional, but it does get the message across.