New York State is blessed with a multitude of state forests, but it also has a majestic National Forest. The Forest is nestled between Seneca and Cayuga Lakes and is the only national forest in New York State. The forest is approximately 16,259 acres of diverse habitat such as woodlands, meadows, shrublands, and pasture. There are also several ponds in the National Forest as well.
This forest is one of my favorites in all of New York State. We like to come here to drive along dirt roads and find new trails to hike. Each one seems to bring us to a new and beautiful destination, be that a ravine, stream, pond, or berry patch ripe for the picking.
Hiking the Finger Lakes National Forest
With 30 miles of trails, there are endless possibilities for hiking at the Finger Lakes National Forest. The 12-mile Interloken Trail and a portion of the Finger Lakes Trail pass through the Forest. There is a great deal of trail diversity which makes this a great place to trek. There are several ponds, such as Foster Pond and Potomac Pond, that make great hiking destinations.
If you visit during the right season, a blueberry patch allows visitors to pick blueberries and apples, and raspberries when in season.
Cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, snowmobiling, fishing, and horseback riding are all activities that are permitted in the Finger Lakes National Forest.
Autumn at Finger Lakes National Forest
If you want to see dramatic Autumn colors then it makes sense to head to the Finger Lakes National Forest where trees are abundant and the colors are spectacular. We took a lovely October hike on one of the many forest trails. The colors were so intense, it was almost overwhelming. It was also very quiet here, we hike several miles without encountering another soul, which has always been our experience here. The Finger Lakes National Forest is an excellent place to escape to the peace and tranquility of nature.
Camping in the Finger Lakes National Forest
There are several designated campgrounds in The Finger Lakes National Forest. The Blueberry Patch Campground, Potomac Group Campground, and Backbone Horse Campground have sites with picnic tables and fire rings available on a first-come, first-serve basis. There is a small fee for overnight camping in these areas. All camping in the Finger Lakes National Forest is tent camping only.
Potomac Group Camping Area
This group campground accommodates up to 40 people. This campground is open year-round. As with all the camping in the Finger Lake National Forest, this is primitive camping with minimal amenities. There is a group fire ring, a picnic pavilion with several picnic tables, grills, and vault toilets.
Fee:
up to 20 People: $20
21-40 People: $40
Blueberry Patch Campground
Blueberry Patch Campground is named for its close proximity to the blueberry patch, where visitors can gather blueberries and other fruit when it is in season. The campground has 9 sites that are on a first-come, first-serve basis. Each site is equipped with a firepit, a concrete tent pad, and a picnic table. There are handicap accessible campsites available as well as 2 handicap accessible vault toilets as well.
Fee: $10/night
Backbone Horse Campground
Backbone Horse Campground is designed for those bringing their horses to ride within the National Forest. This campground is primitive but has water for horses, as well as a corral. There are vault toilets, grills, and firepits. Horseback riders may use this area for picnicking with a hitching rail to tie horses to for no fee.
Backcountry Camping
Backcountry camping is available for free throughout the Finger Lakes National Forest. Visitors can camp anywhere they choose throughout the entirety of the forest but must be at least 50 feet from all ponds, streams, trails, and developed areas.
Wildlife in the Finger Lakes National Forest
Nature lovers have the opportunity to view all sorts of wildlife at the Finger Lakes National Forest. All sorts of animals through the National Forest include red fox, beavers, white-tail deer, bobcats, raccoons, coyotes, bats, many species of snakes, wild turkeys, wood ducks, as well as a multitude of birds. Bird watchers can get the treat of spotting a wide variety of birds such as American kestrels, northern goshawk, Henslow’s sparrow, northern harrier, bobolink, scarlet tanager, ruffed grouse, yellow warbler, and Eastern towhee.
The ponds and streams are full of fish, and amphibians, such as frogs and salamanders. When we last visited, we saw some of the most enormous tadpoles that I’ve seen. The water in the ponds is so clear, you can see straight to the bottom.
Caywood Point
Most people don’t know that there is a portion of the National Forests on Seneca Lake. Visitors can hike down past several waterfalls and enjoy the lakeshore. This area is usually very quiet, even on a busy Saturday when there is lots of traffic around the lake from people running from winery to winery.
Getting To The Finger Lakes National Forest
Have you visited the Finger Lakes National Forest? What did you think? We would love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment below.