- Open for Recreation: Year-round
- Fee: Free
- Contact Information:
- DEC Region 9 Almond Office (M-F, 8:00AM - 4:00PM), (585) 466-3241; [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 Almond and West Almond, Allegany County
- Wildlife Management Unit: 9P
- Map: Turnpike, Palmer's Pond, and Phillips Creek State Forests Map (GeoPDF) - GeoPDF Instructions || Horse Trail Network Map (PDF) || Google Earth || DECinfo Locator
Turnpike State Forest totals 4,744 acres. This area provides opportunities for outdoor recreational activities such as cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, hiking, horseback riding, snowmobiling, camping, bird watching, nature photography, and hunting. The forest has habitat for wildlife species such as deer, rabbit, grouse and turkey. It is also a source of raw material for New York's forest products industry, which provides employment and income for many New Yorkers.
In the 1930s, Turnpike State Forest was the site of many work projects carried out by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The CCC, established by the administration of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, provided employment opportunities for young men during the depression. CCC projects included the construction of roads and the planting of thousands of pine and spruce trees in the open areas on the property.