Beaver Meadow State Forest

• Open for recreation: Year-round
• Fee: Free
• Contact Information:
  • DEC Region 7 Sherburne Office (M-F, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM), (607) 674-4017; [email protected]
  • Search, rescue, wildfire, and enforcement matters: 911- or - 1-833-NYS-RANGERS (1-833-697-7264) 
    A local Forest Ranger is a valuable source of information for the state land you would like to visit.
• Location: Towns of Otselic and Smyrna, Chenango County
• Wildlife Management Unit: 7M
• Map: Beaver Meadow State Forest Map (GeoPDF) - GeoPDF Instructions || Google Earth || DECinfo Locator

Beaver Meadow State Forest consists of 5,816 acres and is located between State highway 80 and County highway 16. Popular recreation activities in this forest include hunting, trapping, snowmobiling and nature observation.

Directions

This state forest can be accessed by a variety of dirt roads maintained by the local towns. The primary road used for all season access is the Reit Road which traverses north from Beaver Meadow on County Route 16 to Route 80. The remaining dirt roads through this forest are mostly not plowed, so automobile access is limited during the winter.

• Bliven Hill/Coye Hill Road & MAPPWD Parking (42.685252,-75.680438) Google Maps 
• Graham Road (42.708296°N, 75.705893°W) Google Maps 

All coordinates provided are in decimal degrees using NAD83/WGS84 datum.

Rules, Regulations and Outdoor Safety

Practice Leave No Trace Principles when recreating on state land to enjoy the outdoors responsibly; minimize impact on the natural resources and avoid conflicts with other users.

Users of Beaver Meadow State Forest must follow State Land Use Regulations and should follow all Outdoor Safety Practices for the safety of the user and protection of the resource.

Planning and Management

DEC manages these lands in accordance with the management activities described in the Northern Chenango Highlands Unit Management Plan. In addition to management objectives, the UMP contains detailed information on natural features, recreational infrastructure, geology, natural and human history, habitats, wildlife, fisheries and much more.

If you have questions and/or comments about this UMP, please email us at [email protected].

Beaver Meadow State Forest Deer Management Assistance Program (DMAP)

DEC foresters determined that browsing by deer was negatively impacting the forest beyond what traditional hunting and forest management could address. Trees, wildflowers, and other herbaceous plants were repeatedly damaged and degraded by persistent overbrowsing by deer. From 2010 to 2020, DEC offered tags for the harvest of antlerless deer on Beaver Meadow State Forest via the DMAP program. The decision to discontinue the program on Beaver Meadow was based on the decline in related deer harvests and an assessment of the overall expected value of continuing the program.

Periodic surveys and data collection will continue on the forest in the interest of monitoring changes in deer densities and the health of forest regeneration. The DMAP program remains an available option in the management of State Forests, as it does for private landowners who document negative impacts from deer on their property. The Division of Lands and Forests will not dismiss a possible future application of the DMAP program on State Forest lands in Region 7, but there are no plans to implement a similar program at this time. Additional information is available about DEC's Deer Management Assistance Program.

Nearby State Lands, Facilities, Amenities and Other Information

State Lands and Facilities

• Otselic State Forest
• Lincklaen State Forest
• Bucks Brook State Forest
• Pharsalia Wildlife Management Area

Where to Find Nearby Amenities

• Gas, food, dining and lodging may be found in the nearby communities of Norwich and Sherburne.

Chenango County Tourism Webpage can provide information about other recreation, attractions and amenities in this area.

Numerous guidebooks and maps are available with information on the lands, waters, trails and other recreational facilities in this area. These can be purchased at most outdoor equipment retailers, bookstores, and on-line booksellers.

Additional information, outdoor equipment, trip suggestions and guided or self-guided tours may be obtained from outdoor guide and outfitting businesses. Check area chambers of commerce, telephone directories or search the internet for listings.

Consider hiring an outdoor guide if you have little experience or woodland skills. See the NYS Outdoor Guides Association for information on outdoor guides.

History

Beaver Meadow State Forest was first established in 1933 as the Chenango Experimental Forest. Its creation came about through a cooperative agreement formed between the New York State Conservation Department and the United States Forest Service. Using the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) for much of the labor, a wide variety of studies were conducted to determine the effects of planting trees on abandoned farm lands. These studies examined the growth rates of a wide variety of different tree species to determine which species were most suitable for planting in state forests. Other studies examined different planting methods, rainfall runoff before and after planting trees on abandoned farm lands, and the effectiveness of various chemical treatments to kill undesirable hardwood trees.

A weir dam and road to access the forest were built by the CCC. The dam was built for watershed studies; it also contained a small meteorological station. In 1939, people came from as far away as Yale University in Connecticut to see the Chenango Experimental Forest.

By 1941, most of the work on the experimental forest had stopped as people and government financial resources were directed towards America's involvement in World War II. When the federal government withdrew its involvement in the Chenango Experimental Forest, the land area became known as Beaver Meadow State Forest.

Today, this forest is managed for wildlife habitat, timber production, outdoor recreation, and watershed protection. The tree planting efforts in this area continued through the 1950s and 60s, creating a forest that is a mixture of native and planted hardwoods and conifer trees. A wide variety of species are present in this forest, due in part to the experiments of planting different kinds of trees. Timber harvesting, managed by DEC foresters, commonly occurs on this area. Forested areas are periodically thinned to grow large, high quality trees while other areas of maturing plantations are being gradually harvested and converted to native hardwood and conifer tree species.