Sugar Hill State Forest

Sugar Hill State Forest is located about 7 miles west of Watkins Glen, near the hamlets of Tyrone and Bradford, in the Allegheny Plateau. It covers approximately 9,085 acres in the towns of Orange, Tyrone, and Reading in Schuyler County.

Among its many attractions is the Six Nations Trail System, approximately 35 miles long. A portion of the trail system is located on Goundry Hill State Forest. It is open for horse use in the summer months, and snowmobile use when there is sufficient snow cover. Foot travel is encouraged all year round.

The main trail head for the system is the Sugar Hill Fire Tower and Recreation Area located near the north end of the Sugar Hill State Forest, off of Tower Hill Rd. At that location you will find parking, water, flush toilets, the fire tower, rangers cabin, picnic area and pavilion, 16 horse stalls, rec building, kiosks with sign-in sheets, an accessible horse mounting ramp, two radio towers, a couple of archery targets and field area for camping.

http://www.dec.ny.gov/lands/37446.html

Good morning! Well I think I found the Finger Lakes Trail after parking in the wrong place. 🧭

Part of the issue is that I forgot where the trailhead is 🚶🏻 – been fifteen years since I’ve been in this part of Sugar Hill – and part is Open Street Map 🗺 doesn’t have the latest trail reroute. Once I found the current alignment of the Finger Lakes Trail, started hiking the wrong direction but quickly figured out my mistake.

Partly cloudy and 66 degrees at the Sugar Hill State Forest. 🌥 Clearing fast. There is a north-northwest breeze at 13 mph. 🍃. White caps on Seneca Lake. 🌊 Kayakers launching their boats this morning I saw but not me. 🛶 The dew point is 59 degrees. Not much humidity. Good hiking weather. Wish though I had put deodorant on, I stink of sweat. 👃🏻

I got so soaked yesterday putting that kayak on my truck yesterday. 🛶 While it’s pretty dry and clean I plan to let it sit and check it over again hydrilla before I put it out in the water tomorrow, probably Cayuga Lake from Tannaughock State Park 🏞. Figure swim 🏊🏻‍♂️ in Cayuga Lake and spend the day hiking there.

Later on after the library I went to Watkins Glen State Park and swam in the pool for a while, 🏊🏻‍♂️ and soaked up some sun, ☀ then hiked the gorge trail. 🍧I got ice cream at the Glen Dairy Bar, and then went over to Clute Park on Seneca Lake where I watched the rain come through on the lake, ⛲ capturing what looks to be some really nice pictures. Got some food 🍲 at Wally World and then ice, and went back to camp. No fire last night, I was kind of tired 😴 and didn’t get any wood ready in advance.

There was a lot of big burly guys at Wally World yesterday. 🌃 I guess this is redneck country. I’d love to some day live in such a beautiful place as the Finger Lakes but not in New York. It’s hard to live a true redneck life if you can’t burn things like your trash 🔥 and own whatever guns you want without the governments permission and you spend most of your income on taxes. Totally wearing my Molon Labe t-shirt 👕 with the AR-15 on it today, gotta celebrate my freedom before it’s back to the office downtown 4 or 5 days a week and pretend to be a real adult 👴🏼 and not a good ol’ boy. 🤠