Assorted Farther-Away Hikes
Hike #60-1
FLT from Spruce Pond to Jones Hill, including Fellows Hill Loop Trail, Onondaga County
From the Spruce Pond parking area there are several hike options, including the Fellows Hill Loop, hiking the FLT to nearby Jones Hill or Tinker Falls or the Shackham Pond Loop. HIKE LEADERS FOR THE JONES HILL HIKE: be sure to turn RIGHT at the kiosk near the pond and follow the dual blue/ orange blazed trail section until you reach the left turn that takes the blue blazed trail to Jones Hill and the hang glider overlook area!
Meet at Spruce Pond on Herlihy Rd.
Further information on available trail options for this area are here:
Spruce-Shackham Pond Loop (cnyhiking.com)
Shackham Pond | Trails Less Traveled | Central NY (trailslesstraveledny.org)
More information on the trails in this area, including still photos:
Fellows Hill Loop | Trails Less Traveled | Central NY (trailslesstraveledny.org)
Jones Hill | Trails Less Traveled | Central NY (trailslesstraveledny.org)
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Hike #60-2
FLT in Hoxie Gorge, Cortland County
From Hoxie Gorge Rd, Cortland County
Fingerlakes Trail – Hoxie Gorge Road Acess Trail Trailhead – Google Maps
Look for the marked parking area near the end of Hoxie Gorge Rd
Hoxie Gorge Rd is reduced to a single lane in parts.
DEC information and map here
Hoxie Gorge State Forest – NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation
More information here:
Hoxie Gorge State Forest (cnyhiking.com)
From the parking area hikers can reach the FLT via a blue blazed spur trail or a yellow blazed trail maintained by SUNY Cortland. The SUNY trail is easier going, while the spur trail takes hikers closer to the area streams.
Once at the FLT hikers can hike Northerly for forest and field walks or Southerly through some nice stands of red pines, or a combination of both directions to round out our regular hike duration.
Youtube video here:
(49) Finger Lakes Trail: Hoxie Gorge | Central NY Trails Less Traveled – YouTube
Hike #60-3
Oakley Corners State Forest, Tioga County
For the southern multi-use trail loops that go around several ponds, from parking lot here:
Oakley Corners State Forest Parking – Google Maps
The parking lot is not well signed, but the Google pin is accurate as to the parking lot location.
There is another parking area for the more northern multi-use trail circuit, which features more elevation gain or loss.
State DEC information here:
Oakley Corners State Forest – NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation
The DEC map at that link is inadequate in displaying the trail numbering used within the forest.
Oakley Corners State Forest, Owego Mountain Biking Trails | Trailforks
Or
Map: Oakley Corners State Forest | Andy Arthur.org
More information here:
Oakley Corners State Forest (cnyhiking.com)
Oakley Corners State Forest | Cycle-CNY
Oakley Corners South Loop | Trails Less Traveled | Central NY (trailslesstraveledny.org)
Hike #60- 4
Jenksville State Forest, Tioga County
Note: Multiple trail combinations here require bringing a map to any hike in this forest.
Allison Hill Rd parking area:
Jenskville State Forest Parking Lot – Google Maps
Shirley Rd parking area:
Jenksville State Forest parking – Google Maps
DEC information on the Forest:
Jenksville State Forest – NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation
More information available here:
Jenksville State Forest (cnyhiking.com)
Youtube:
(17) Hiking the Jenksville State Forest Trail System – YouTube
Because this state forest is a little farther away than most of our other hike locations, it’s a fairly new addition to our trail repertoire.
We still haven’t hiked much of the multi-use trail system here, having concentrated on starting from the Allison Hill Road parking lot in the past. Those hikes have included some well-maintained trails with moderate elevation changes. The trails pass through some of the usual remnants of past occupancy that we see in many state forests we’ve hiked in, including old stone walls and building foundations.
There are some nice views across the valley from the more westerly trails where they run along open fields near the state forest boundaries.
After the handful of times we’ve visited this forest, some hikers have commented that they’ve enjoyed the drive to this hike location as much as they’ve enjoyed the hike itself.
Hike #60-5
Logan Hill Nature Preserve, Candor
Meet-up: parking lot for Candor Junior/Senior High School
Park at the entrance to the parking lot nearest Main Street, right in front of the Post Office.
The hike goes from this parking lot across Main Street to Water Street, which becomes Logan Hill Road. It is about 0.6 miles from the parking lot to the first trailhead. Logan Hill Road makes a 90 degree turn to the right (west) at the top of the hill, and the trailhead is about 200 feet on the right after that turn.
The main trail is the yellow trail. Staying on the yellow trail makes the hike 4.4 miles out and back to the parking lot. There is a blue trail short cut that makes the hike 0.75 miles shorter.
Hike #60-6
The FLT to Woodchuck Hollow Lean-To, Cortland County
From Carson Rd, Cortland County
See Tuller Hill State Forest map here
Tuller Hill State Forest Map and Guide (ny.gov)
Google Pin for the trailhead:
Fingerlakes Trail – Carson Road trailhead – Google Maps
Parking is along the shoulder, with no dedicated parking lot.
Leaving Carson Rd the FLT climbs a short ways through pine forests and along old stone walls.
Starting to descend through mixed woods, the Trail follows along and crosses over some nice streams.
Eventually the Trail arrives at Woodchuck Hollow Lean-To.
We turn this into a lollipop hike by continuing on the FLT past the Lean-To to a blue blazed trail that connects back to a part of the FLT we passed through on our way to the Lean-To.
Once back on the FLT we return to our cars on Carson Rd
While it uses another area to make this loop hike, additional information on the Woodchuck Hollow section of the FLT may be found at:
Woodchuck Hollow Loop | Trails Less Traveled | Central NY (trailslesstraveledny.org)
Hike #60-7
IBM Glen
We first tried this hike as one of our summer 2022 Tuesday “farther away” hikes. That hike went well so, we added the location to our hike list.
Meet at:
150 Robinson Hill Rd, Endicott, Town of Union, Broome County
The parking lot at that address is small and easily missed if you’re not looking for it.
Information here:
Sites, Maps & Directions | WCEC (watermancenter.org)
Map here:
Scanned Image (watermancenter.org)
Google pin here:
IBM Glen – Waterman Conservation Education Center – Google Maps
IBM Glen was constructed by the IBM corporation in the 1940s as part of their country club site; at that time they built trails, stairs, picnic facilities and bridges within the Glen property. In 2004 the Glen was turned over to the Waterman Conservation Education Center.
The Glen is currently over 200 acres in size and contains some of the oldest trees in Broome County
Trails within the Glen total around 5 miles and are a mix of old paved paths from the IBM era as well as more recent unimproved footpaths.
From the parking lot the trails descend into the gorge, at times running alongside the creek that flows through the center of the Glen.
The Glen has one of the tallest waterfalls in Broome county; water flow in the summer months can be minimal but hiking the Glen trails is still an enjoyable experience.
Hike # 60-8
Hinchcliff Family Preserve, Cortland County
When hiking both the connector trail and the Hinchcliff Preserve Trail loop, hikers should expect this hike to run longer than our normal two-hour hike duration.
For preserve information and a trail map, see here:
Hinchcliff Family Preserve | Finger Lakes Land Trust (fllt.org)
For our hikes, we’ll start at the parking area for the nearby High Vista Nature Preserve, located at 7556 Vincent Hill Rd.
42°46’16.2″N 76°15’29.9″W – Google Maps
Parking here instead of the parking lot for the Hinchcliff Preserve gives us a couple of additional hiking miles via a connector trail from the parking lot to the Hinchcliff Preserve trail loop.
The connector trail provides a nice warm-up to the main hike, with some minor elevation changes along the way and enjoyable woodland scenery.
Reaching the Hinchcliff Trail loop, hikers can proceed in either direction. This hike provides some wonderful views across open fields of the lake in the distance as well as down the valley. There are opportunities to stop and check out some remaining traces of past habitation in the area, consisting of old building foundations, the traces of old roads and remnants of fences that run along old field boundaries.
The trail navigates along and over some ravines and waterways along its route and some decent elevation changes that should give the hikers a good work-out along the way.
The berry pickers in the group should enjoy the bountiful abundance of berry bushes ( in season, of course ) along the trail.
Additional hike options:
For those looking for a shorter hike, the designated parking area for the Hinchliff Family Preserve is located at
HINCHCLIFF FAMILY PRESERVE – Google Maps
Parking at this location also puts you within a short road-walking distance to the Ripley Hill Preserve, a holding of the Central NY Land Trust:
Ripley Hill Nature Preserve – Google Maps
For those wishing to add to their hike time of both the connector trail and the Hinchcliff Family Preserve loop, walking a short distance down Vincent Hill Road will bring hikers to the trailhead for the High Vista Nature Preserve trail loop:
High Vista Nature Preserve | Finger Lakes Land Trust (fllt.org)
Hike #60-9
Carpenter Falls Unique Area and Bahar Preserve, Cayuga County
This hike combines a hike of the co-located Carpenter Falls Unique Area and the Bahar Preserve, which is a holding of the Finger Lakes Land Trust.
Meet at the new parking lot located at the junction of Appletree and Carver Roads:
Carver Rd & Appletree Point – Google Maps
From the parking lot the hike to Carpenters Falls is a short one, over a recently installed boardwalk.
From there it’s a steady downhill hike along the hills above the stream, first on DEC land and then through Bahar Preserve property. There are some unofficial viewing areas along the way to look down at the streambed.
The trail comes out near the bottom of Appletree Point Rd and terminates at lake frontage for Skaneateles Lake that is part of the Preserve
For those who wish to skip the Falls area entirely or who may want to shuttle cars with other hikers, there is a second FLLT parking lot near the bottom of Appletree Point Rd
See FLLT information and trail map here:
Bahar Preserve & Carpenter Falls | Finger Lakes Land Trust (fllt.org)
and additional DEC information here:
Carpenter Falls Unique Area – NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation
Youtube:
(17) Carpenter Falls Trail | Central NY Trails Less Traveled – YouTube
Hike #60-10
Hawkins Pond Natural Area, Broome County
Hawkins Pond Nature Area | Broome County (gobroomecounty.com)
This hike combines trails within the Broome County Hawkins Pond Park and adjacent state forest trails.
Hawkins Pond State Forest – NYS Dept. of Environmental Conservation
Address for GPS purposes is 224 Scouten Hill Rd , Windsor, but the hike leader may designate one of several available parking lots to meet in depending on the planned hike route. Google maps estimates a drive time of around one and a quarter hours one way, depending on the route taken.
Note: after pre-hiking this area in September 2024 I do not believe that it currently justifies the longer drive for group hikes. As of this date it suffers from what I would call ” benign neglect” on both the state and county sides.
Green Street Garage to 224 Scouten Hill Rd, Windsor, NY 13865 – Google Maps
See trail map here: HawkinsPondNatureAreaTrails-Updated_2011-12-23.pdf (gobroomecounty.com)
Hawkins Pond State Forest Georeferenced Map (ny.gov)
Last revised 09/2024 JFR