The story behind the closed Pinnacle State Park

Pinnacle State Park in Steuben County, New York, evolved from the Ackerson family dairy farm into a private ski and golf facility, before being sold to New York State in 1978 for $1.00. After its 9-hole golf course closed in 2017, the park was merged into McCarthy Hill State Forest.

The land originally operated as a dairy farm owned by the Ackerson family. It transitioned into a private downhill ski facility and golf property, featuring a distinctive layout with T-bars and a zig-zagging poma. Successive dry winters in the late 1970s caused the ski operations to fail. Corning Glass Works briefly acquired the property following the ski facility’s closure.

New York State bought the land and golf course in 1978 for a symbolic $1.00, opening it as Pinnacle State Park the following year. The park expanded in 1986 by acquiring an additional 115 acres, including Levi Pond, totaling roughly 758 acres.

In 2008, the very first section of New York’s Great Eastern Trail was officially marked at the park. Following the golf course’s permanent closure in 2017 and subsequent building demolition, the property was integrated into the adjacent McCarthy Hill State Forest to be managed as public wild forest land.