Braley Hill area of Shindagin Hollow State Forest
Saturday 07/22/2023 10:00 am
Hike begins at 10 am
Hike rating:
Event/Trailhead location:
Braley Hill Road in the Shindagin State Forest where the Finger Lakes Trail crosses the road. Directions from Ithaca: Take Route 79 east. Make a right onto Brooktondale Road. Follow that road straight for 6½ miles (it will change names to Valley Road in Brooktondale, then Central Chapel Road when it passes Boiceville Road on the left). At 6½ miles turn right onto minimum maintenance Braley Hill Road. There will be a parking lot on the left in 1½ miles. (click for map).
Hike Leader: Jackie Gerding
Contact:
Hike leader contact information will be sent in the email acknowledging that you have registered for this hike.
Hike Details:
Brief Hike Details
If you look at the trails of western Shindagin Hollow State Forest on IthacaTrails.org, it looks as though somebody threw a bowl of spaghetti against the wall (replete with marinara sauce, since the trails are depicted in red). We’ll be hiking a 4½ mile loop through this maze looping around the summit of Bald Mountain, utilizing the Finger Lakes Trail, an ATV accessibility trail and a few bike trails.
Wear sturdy hiking boots or shoes and bring water and a snack or sandwich. Bring insect repellent if you use it and sunscreen.
This is tic season. Standard recommendations include: light colored long pants and long-sleeved shirt, gaitors, and a careful check/shower after the hike.
If you will have trouble navigating to the trailhead, contact the hike leader at the email address above.
Check this space the morning of the hike for any changes or a cancellation.
Detailed Hike Description
From Braley Hill Road we will hike west on the Finger Lakes Trail until we reach an ATV trail maintained by the DEC as an accessibility trail. From there we will head north, eventually bearing left on a bike trail to circumnavigate the summit of Bald Mountain (which is neither bald, nor a mountain) before heading east on a labyrinth of bike trails. We will cross Braley Hill Road and continue on bike trails through beautiful open forest, swinging south until we reach the Finger Lakes Trail again, which we will follow west to return to our cars. Note: in addition to the maps on IthacaTrails.org, a number of maps of the area (including GeoPDFs) are available on Shindagin.com.