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The Pat Dolan Trail: Where Butterflies Go to Die You see this sign, right? "Pat Dolan Trail." Sounds nice, sounds like a place where families go on a Sunday to forget they're poor. It's even got a website on it, in brass, like the city really cares. Brass and chain-link fences. That's New York for you. Wrapping a little nature in wire and giving it a dead person's name. I looked at the sign, felt the sun on my neck, and I knew this wasn't going to lead to a quiet brook and a bottle of gin. I kept walking, and there's another sign. This one tries harder. It's got a little story about a World's Fair and freshwater wetlands and, would you look at that, monarch butterflies. They painted them right on the sign, like they could keep them there. And some kid named Paul scrawled his name on it, too, right next to "Pam," and some other garbage about butterflies. Good for Paul. He's immortal now. A monument to some sweaty afternoon, scratched onto a sign that tells you to watch your step because it might get wet. As if life doesn't always manage to get wet and muddy when you least expect it. "We strongly recommend hiking boots," the sign says. Yeah. Or a strong stomach and a disregard for where you end up. Then you hit the bridge. This ain't no golden gate. It's a cage. A tunnel of shadow and wire, arching over nothing you want to see. The shadows on the concrete look like the ghosts of all the good intentions that died trying to build this place. A brown dog is standing there, he's my dog Philip and he's in the middle of it all, not moving, just waiting. A good dog. He knows. There's a red metal wall blocking his view, or maybe my view. Doesn't matter. It's a red wall in a cage, and the sun is trying like hell to burn through the mesh, and it feels like the kind of place where a man could stand and write bad poetry for an hour until his last beer runs warm. And finally, you get there. You walk through the cage, past the butterfly sign and Paul's legacy, and you get to the end. The real destination. A view of the subway trains, all lined up like silver coffins waiting for the morning rush. They're behind a massive fence, of course. Everything is. Barbed wire, concrete, a bright orange plastic barrier looking like a lonely, plastic tongue stuck out at the world. The sun is hot, reflecting off the metal, making you squint at a city that doesn't care that you're looking. It's a yard for the machines that move people to jobs they hate. It's beautiful, in a godforsaken kind of way. It's honest. No monarchs, just metal and dust and the long, slow rumble of everything breaking down. It's a good trail. If you like cages, broken dreams, and the smell of hot cities. It will show you the truth, if you can stand it. Most people can't. They want the butterfly sign to be real. This trail, the Pat Dolan Trail, it knows they're lying. I had another beer, my dog at my side, lifebis good, but the sun kept burning. read more
The Pat Dolan Trail, also known as the Willow Lake Trail, seems to be unknown and unused. I am the first reviewer here on Yelp. I added an entry separate from Flushing Meadows, because this is the swampy area to the south of the developed part. People coming here would be someplace very different than there, and vice versa of course. This is heavily wooded and runs across Willow Lake. The first time I tried to access this trail, when I moved to Queens, I was not able to find it. The foliage had grown up around the path. My phone map also did not offer the best directions. But somebody must have cleared out or trimmed back what was obscuring my view, and perhaps the phone has acquired more data. The directions were clear. At either entry point, there is a pedestrian bridge over the respective highway. Basically, if you don't know where you are headed, you will need your phone, these notes, or persistence. Now that I am familiar with it, I anticipate using this regularly. I could see hiking this for fun. I used it as a walker trying to make my way from Kew Gardens Hills, where I live, over to Forest Hills, where the subway, LIRR, and restaurants are. It took a good 40 minutes, but if you value the exercise and break, with an opportunity to be far enough into the wilderness you can neither see nor hear traffic, this is worthwhile. I saw one other person. The path was muddy from rain, but not impassable; you would not do this in nice clothes. There is another route for me from Kew Gardens Hills to Forest Hills (and the other way around), which is on Jewel. From where I work, that is closer. But from my home, it would be another half mile, and while I enjoy running, this is utilitarian, about commuting on foot. Jewel also has lots of traffic and two dangerous moments with highway on/off ramps. I'm also a biker. I believe you could bike this. It wouldn't be the best route. By bike, I'd still use Jewel. The last note concerns safety. When I got lost, I wandered around Willow Lake. There was evidence of a couple of encampments, probably in active use. So I am led to believe there may be a few people living in these environs. I also would assume if you were jumped, it would be a real problem given how isolated it is. So you should be aware of your surroundings, and if you are nervous then this is not for you. read more
3 years ago
First time on this trail. I stepped in a deep mud puddle at first and almost quit but I am so happy I didn't. Nice peaceful trail with tranquil lake views. read more
3 years ago
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