Danby State Forest

• Open for recreation: Year-round
• Fee: Free
• Contact Information:
  • DEC Region 7 Cortland Office (M-F, 8:00 AM - 4:00 PM), (607) 753-3095; [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: Town of Danby, Tompkins County and Towns of Candor and Spencer, Tioga County
• Wildlife Management Unit: 7R
• Map: Danby State Forest Map (GeoPDF) - GeoPDF Instructions || Google Earth || DECinfo Locator

Danby State Forest encompasses 7,729 acres. In collaboration with Finger Lakes Land Trust and the Finger Lakes Trail Conference, DEC acquired a144-acre parcel in 2018 and an additional 50-acre parcel in 2022 that brings Danby to its current total acreage. The large size and close proximity of Danby State forest to the city of Ithaca and the Finger Lakes Region make the area a great place to enjoy activities such as hunting, hiking, cross-country skiing, bird watching, snowmobiling and camping.

The forest has a variety of scenic landscapes. Streams, forests, ravines and Michigan Hollow provide wonderful scenery, particularly in the fall. The diverse topography and habitats provide a diverse selection of plants and wildlife. Beautiful views of Michigan Hollow and the Finger Lakes Land Trust Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve are good reasons to visit.

There is also a special place, known as Diane's Crossing, which passes near an old saw mill site along Michigan Hollow Creek, a protected trout stream. Take the Abbott Loop spur, head toward the Western edge of the forest, and at a place known as Thatcher's Pinnacle, you will discover a tremendous panoramic view of a valley created by glaciers.

Directions

From Ithaca, take State Route 96B for about 5 miles and turn right onto either Bald Hill Road, Michigan Hollow Road or South Danby Road. Several parking areas are available (please see map). Bald Hill Road is not plowed during the winter and receives minimal maintenance. Low clearance autos are not recommended on Bald Hill Road.

• South Danby Road Finger Lakes Trail Head Parking appropriate for regular (low clearance) cars (42.30973°N, 76.44333°W) Google Maps 
• Michigan Hollow Road, North of Smiley Hill Road and near Diane's Crossing is appropriate for regular (low clearance) cars (42.31729°N, 76.47759°W) Google Maps 
• The Chestnut lean-to is located 7/10^ths of a mile east of Bald Hill Road. Parking for the Chestnut lean-to is available at the intersection of Comfort and Bald Hill roads (42.32617°N, 76.49826°W) Google Maps 
• The Tamarack lean-to is located about 1/2 mile east of Travor Road (42.31764°N, 76.42254°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.

All users of Danby State Forest must follow all State Land Use Regulation and should follows all Outdoor Safety Practices for the safety of the user and protection of the resource.

Target shooting is prohibited on Danby State Forest.

Planning and Management

DEC manages these lands in accordance with the management activities described in the Rapid Waters 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 [email protected].

Nearby State Lands, Facilities, Amenities and Other Information

State Lands and Facilities

• Shindagin Hollow State Forest
• Newfield State Forest
• Buttermilk Falls State Park 
• The Finger Lakes Trail 

Where to Find Nearby Amenities

• Gas, food and other supplies, dining and lodging may be found in the nearby community of Ithaca.

The Tompkins County Tourism Office 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

Danby State Forest is located on the Allegheny Plateau, which is made of sedimentary bedrock that formed some 350 million years ago when the region was covered by an ancient saltwater sea. Geologists believe that the plateau was created during a collision of the North American and African continents 250 to 330 million years ago. The collision lifted the bedrock, which has since been shaped by continual weathering and the advance and retreat of continental ice sheets (glaciers). The glaciers created the 'U' shaped valleys of the region and the Finger Lakes.

Tompkins County was originally home to members of the Iroquois Confederation or Haudenosaunee, specifically the Cayuga Nation. The Haudenosaunee was established in circa 1570 under the influence of Hiawatha. It was a bond between five nations: the Oneida, Cayuga, Seneca, Mohawk, and the Onondaga. In 1715, the Tuscarora nation was added making it a league of six nations. The Cayugas, who were the main inhabitants of the Tompkins County area, did not use the land heavily. They had semi-permanent dwellings placed near freshwater sources which enabled them to hunt and transport game, as well as irrigate their crops without causing great stress to the land.

Early European settlers and Revolutionary War Veterans referred to the area as "Dark Forest" because the forest was so dense that only small traces of light penetrated through the forest canopy. The new settlers had many forest superstitions and little or no experience in producing forest goods. They therefore decided to clear the area almost entirely for use as farmland. The timber that was not used for carpentry was burned, becoming a valuable by-product known as potash. This process continued until almost the entire land was converted from dense forest to open fields.

As time progressed, it became apparent that the soils had major limitations for intensive crop production, including a seasonally high water table, low fertility, moderate to high acidity, and steep slopes. Early farmers quickly learned that the long harsh winters and thin, fine textured upland soils of the area would not support intensive agriculture. As such, many of the farmlands were abandoned as farmers sought deeper and more productive soils in the Midwest.

Originally part of the Watkins and Flint Purchase, Danby State Forest lands were added to the state forest system from 1933 to 1997. The most significant acquisition took place in January of 1956 when about 6,200 acres were added to the state forest from the federal government. Chiefly former farms, the federal lands were acquired as part of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal under what was then called the federal sub marginal land purchase program. In total, about 50 farms were acquired under the sub marginal land purchase program, with an average land parcel size of about 150 acres. The lands that comprise the Danby State Forest were once rural farming communities. Before federal and state ownership, four schoolhouses and five cemeteries were established on Danby State Forest lands. The 1860 Historical and Statistical Gazetteer of New York State lists grain, butter, apples, and potatoes as the top agricultural and dairy products produced in the town of Danby.

Evidence of the Bald Hill farming community can be found today. Family cemeteries on Danby State Forest include: the Fisher Settlement Cemetery (Ward/Theron Family), the Grant Farm Cemetery, the Green and Mettler Cemetery, the Larue Hill Farm Burying Ground (Bogert/McGowen Family) and the Ryant Family Burial Ground (also called the McFall Family Burial Ground). Burials in these cemeteries took place from as early as 1821 to as late as 1918. The Friends of Bald Hill volunteers have extensively researched the rich history of Bald Hill. In the past several years, the group has located and mapped many of the former farm buildings, sawmill locations, and school foundations on the State Forest.

Danby State Forest has a history of forest fires. On November 10, 1931, a serious forest fire broke out and burned over 2,000 acres of the "wildest sections of Bald Hill." An article from the Ithaca Journal reports that over 200 volunteers, county workers and State Troopers battled the fire which burned mostly second growth timber. On November 12, 1931 an article in the Elmira Advertiser stated that "already the fire had licked up thousands of young pine and elm trees in one of the richest strips of tree country in the Southern Tier." Reports indicated that the fire may have started from careless hunters or from the railroad as it passed through West Danby at the base of Bald Hill.

From 1934 to 1967, Civilian Conservation Corp crew members and Camp MacCormick members planted about 1.1 million trees on Danby State Forest. Most of the trees planted were softwoods such as eastern white pine, red pine, Japanese larch and Norway spruce. However, some hardwood trees were planted as well. In 1934, about 38,000 northern red oaks were planted.

Danby State Forest is a working State Forest that is sustainably managed to provide recreational services, diverse wildlife habitat, and products. These values, products, and services include: locally grown firewood and sawtimber, jobs, carbon storage, clean water, fish and wildlife habitat, hunting, hiking, trapping, Nordic skiing, rustic camping, and snowmobiling and biking opportunities.