The History of Up Yonda Farm

Up Yonda Farm was donated to Warren County by long time Bolton Landing residents, Alice and John Scott. Over the years, the Scotts took great pride in caring for the grounds of Up Yonda. Their intent was to create an environment where visitors could learn while enjoying nature. The name Up Yonda comes from Doctor Willie Meyer who referred to the farm as his place “Up Yonda” during the early 1900’s. Alice’s mother, Anna DeJonge purchased the property in 1932 and later sold it to Alice in 1945. The DeJonge family was from Staten Island, where they owned a paint pigment company. John Scott was from Ontario, Canada. He met Alice while visiting his sister, Helen Hamilton, who lived in the Bolton area. John and Alice spent many years together at Up Yonda Farm. They ran a tourist cabin business, raised chickens, and operated an egg business. The Scotts were both real estate brokers, and maintained beautiful perennial and vegetable gardens. A mutual respect for Up Yonda led them to donate the property and a trust fund to Warren County. Their wish was to transform Up Yonda Farm into an Environmental Education Center. Today, Up Yonda Farm is operated by Warren County Parks, Recreation, and Railroad.

Now, as Warren County’s only Environmental Education Center, outdoor recreation and education can be found on the 75 acre Up Yonda Farm in Bolton Landing. A popular visitor attraction for schools and the public, Up Yonda presents a variety of nature programs throughout the year. Up Yonda now features an auditorium, museum, sugar house, and a butterfly exhibit during the summer months. The farmhouse has an educational space, live turtle exhibit and a small gift shop area featuring locally produced honey and maple syrup as well as field guides. There are natural history exhibits and wildlife viewing opportunities throughout the property and series of hiking and snowshoeing trails provide access to a scenic vista of Lake George.