Saratoga National Historical Park
The Saratoga National Historical Park was actually the last stop on our travels, as we headed home from a road trip to Niagara Falls. This park was not originally on our itinerary for this trip, but as we stopped at the other parks on our list, we realized that this one was grouped in with them as part of the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor. We decided that it just made sense to go a little out of our way and see this park to say we did it all in one group (and collect more cancellation stamps!).
Per usual, we stopped into the visitor center first to see the mini museum, complete with a video on the history of the important battles that took place here during the Revolutionary War, and to view some of the canons that were actually used during the fighting. After the introduction (which will bring back memories of junior high american history classes) we hopped in the car for a 9-mile driving loop through the park. This park, in an attempt to modernize, provides it’s visitors with a phone number to call into from their cell phones. This allows you to listen to details of the pull off areas and sights along the drive. The scenery is typical to the area with wide open fields, heavy forested areas and sweeping overlooks.
The hiking paths were closed the day we visited due to the heavy rain they had over night, so we did not have the opportunity to adventure off the beaten path. While we were unable to fully take in what the park had to offer due to the weather, we still enjoyed our short visit as the rangers were kind and the grounds are well kept.