Quick Hike Details

This is a family-friendly, new hiker friendly hike, good choice for novice hikers. It is a 4.5 mile hike rated moderate. 

There is an option to carpool from EMS Ithaca at 9:30 am. Click on link above for location. Otherwise meet the hike leader at the trailhead: 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.

If you need help with navigation, email the hike leader at the address above.

Check this space the day of the hike for any changes or a cancellation.

Detailed Hike Description

This is a family friendly hike, good choice for novice hikers.

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.

From Braley Hill Road we will hike west on the Finger Lakes Trail until we reach an ATV trailed 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

Dress in layers for the weather, wear sturdy waterproof boots, bring water and a snack.

If you need help with navigation, email the hike leader at the address above.

Check this space the day of the hike for any changes or a cancellation.