There is much more here than meets the eye in this incredible state forest, especially if you like waterfalls and want to try rustic camping. Like many of New York’s gorgeous state forests, rustic camping is not only allowed but encouraged. See what makes this state forest not only a great camping destination but a wonderful place to hike, fish, and appreciate nature’s beauty.
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Waterfalls & Swimming Holes
The waterfalls are what drew us to this amazing forest. I knew about the small falls within the creek, but I wasn’t aware of the waterfall on the left-hand side of the trail (at about the 1-mile mark) that isn’t even part of the creek.
This is a lovely waterfall in an idyllic wooded setting. If you aren’t paying attention, you can walk right by it. The waterfall is hidden back in the woods, and there is a narrow trail that breaks off from the main trail, leading you over a small creek to the base of the falls.
While Keshequa Creek has numerous small waterfalls created by rocks in the creekbed, and one, in particular, is absolutely fabulous. It is a shelf waterfall that crosses the entire creek, with a sizable swimming hole.
The creek is filled with swimming holes. We hiked quite a bit of the creek and there were deep places within the creek to get a serious dunking every 1000 feet or so. With so many swimming holes, Keshequa Creek is a fantastic place to cool off on a hot summer day.
Hiking
The trail here is fairly easy, minus a small stretch leading down the hill, but long. The trail leads through the heart of the Sonyea State Forest. It is approximately 2.5 miles from the trailhead to the end of the trail, with numerous offshoots leading to the creek.
If have water shoes or don’t mind getting your feet wet, hiking the creek is a lot of fun, especially on a hot day. Just an FYI – if you plan to hike the length of the creek, be prepared to get wet. And I don’t mean just your shoes. There are a few places where the creek is waste deep and there is nowhere to go but through.
The main trail is exceptionally beautiful, taking you through the woods past large rock formations, as well as intermittent segments of the creek. Visit in the late spring/early summer and the woods are dazzling and decorated in varying shades of purple wild flox. Please be aware that there are a few places along the trail that come close to the edge of a cliff overlooking the creek, where the sides of the cliff have been eroded. Watch your footing here and stay clear of the edge.
Just an FYI – be mindful of the edge of the trail. I did notice poison ivy at various places along the trail. I know it is tempting to wear flip-flops to a place where you intend to cool off, but sneakers or hiking boots are an absolute must here.
Camping
There are several designated campsites at Sonyea State Forest; however, visitors can camp almost anywhere in the forest as long as they are 150 feet away from roads, trails, or bodies of water. This is primitive camping, so keep in mind that there are no restrooms or porta-potties in the vicinity. Although, when we visited around the Memorial Day holiday there was a porta-potty at the trailhead near one of the campsites.
There are three designated campsites along the Shaker Access Road/DEC Public Forest Access Road and two along the Keshequa Creek. The campsite may have fire rings, but not all of them do. They are, however, nicely cleared out where you can put a tent on relatively flat ground. This area is exceptionally beautiful and peaceful and looks to be an excellent place to camp. The creekside campsites are amazing campsites. The only downfall of being on the creek means people may unintentionally walk up on your campsite.
Camping for more than three nights or in groups of ten or more requires a permit from a Forest Ranger.
Out and About With Nova
This is an extremely dog-friendly destination. The only drawback is that the trail is exceptionally narrow in some places, which means, should you encounter other hikers, have to move off the trail into a potential patch of poison ivy. The good news is that we met very few other hikers while we were there.
I think this might just be Nova’s favorite destination to date. She absolutely loved the creek hike as well as walking through the woods. She had fun splashing through the water and chasing the butterflies here.
I know this goes without saying, but please remember to leave no trace and clean up after your pet.
Getting to Sonyea State Forest
This is not an easy place to get to via your GPS. If you happen to be on the north side of the state forest, Google Maps will attempt to take you through the Groveland Prison Property, which is definitely the wrong way in. You will need to drive around to the entrance of Sonyea State Forest on Union Corners Rd.
The road to the forest, and leading up to the falls, is a long dirt road that rutted in places. It is also very narrow, only accommodating one vehicle at a time. If a car approaches from the other direction, one of you will need to pull off into the weeds to let the other car pass.
The only obvious indication that you have reached the trial head down to the creek is a placard on the side of the road. When we visited during the summer, there was also a porta-potty near the trailhead. There is no true parking lot. Park your vehicle on the side of the road, as far off it as possible, leaving enough room for others to get by you.