The Peru Gazette

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Lewis, NY — Champlain Area Trails (CATS), an accredited land trust, invites the public to celebrate the 105th anniversary of women’s suffrage in New York by hiking Mt. Inez on Sunday, August 17th. Named after Inez Milholland, an iconic leader in the women’s suffrage movement, the hike is a perfect way to honor the anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment.

Founded in 2009, CATS creates and maintains over 100 miles of hiking and walking trails, protects over 3,000 acres of land, and hosts outdoor education events in New York’s Champlain Valley. The Mt. Inez trail, located in the Champlain Valley region of the Adirondack Mountains, offers stunning views of the surrounding peaks and valleys. The roughly 4-mile round-trip hike has an elevation gain of 1,000 feet, reaching the summit at 1,598 feet.

“This is more than a hike—it’s a way to honor history and connect with the landscape that shaped one of America’s most important activists,” said Arin Burdo, Executive Director of CATS. “We invite everyone to come walk in Inez’s footsteps and celebrate the power of civic action.”

Inez Milholland was a leading suffragette, activist, and lawyer who grew up near the base of Mt. Inez. She was a key figure in gaining momentum for the women’s suffrage movement in New York in the early 20th century through organizing marches and rallies. Tragically, she died at the young age of 30 while on a speaking tour to promote women’s voting rights. CATS aims to raise awareness of her essential role in the suffrage movement by improving access to the trail that bears her name.

The Mt. Inez hike is free and open to everyone. It is led by the CATSWomen volunteer group and the CATS staff. If you’re feeling festive, please consider wearing white, symbolizing the suffragette movement.

The volunteer-led hike will start at 9 a.m. at the trailhead off Lewis-Wadhams Road, on Ray Woods Road in Lewis, NY. For further details and to register, please visit www.champlainareatrails.com.