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  1. #1
    Senior Member entropy's Avatar
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    Nice 5 day hikes in NY State?

    Hi all.

    Myself and a couple of ground dwelling friends are looking for a change from the Canadian Shield we usually wander around in and were talking about heading state-side for our next hike. Any recommendations? I guess the obvious choice would be the Adirondacks, but lesser known, less traveled trails would be more our taste.

    Thanks

    C

  2. #2
    Senior Member Ramblinrev's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by entropy View Post
    Hi all.

    Myself and a couple of ground dwelling friends are looking for a change from the Canadian Shield we usually wander around in and were talking about heading state-side for our next hike. Any recommendations? I guess the obvious choice would be the Adirondacks, but lesser known, less traveled trails would be more our taste.

    Thanks

    C
    An under traveled jewel of NY trails is the Finger Lakes trail system. It runs from Allegany State Park in the southwest corner to the Catlskills with a few side trails available as well.
    I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.

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  3. #3
    Senior Member MikeM's Avatar
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    I would second the Finger Lakes Trail

    Another option is the Finger Lakes National Forest (which has a section of the FLT). The National Forest has a nice 25+ mile loop option if you start at the Northern end of the Interloken, hike to the Southern end and then head back up on the Backbone trail, and No Tan Takwan (I may be mis-remebering that last trail name) trail.

    And if you do choose the ADK, there is always the Cranberry 50, which is a challenging 50 mile loop.

    -Mike

  4. #4
    Senior Member entropy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ramblinrev View Post
    An under traveled jewel of NY trails is the Finger Lakes trail system. It runs from Allegany State Park in the southwest corner to the Catlskills with a few side trails available as well.
    Ack! There are 560 miles of trails in that system Any particularly nice bits you could recommend?

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by entropy View Post
    Ack! There are 560 miles of trails in that system Any particularly nice bits you could recommend?
    I hike a lot on the FLT near Ithaca and Watkins Glenn NY and can say almost all the trails in that area are very nice. You can pick up a detailed maps from any EMS of that area and a bit beyond for about $14. I believe there are about 14 maps in that series, with each map covering about twenty miles of trail. There are lean tos scattered throughout often within five miles of each other. It's a beautiful area. Most of it is heavily wooded with occasional open areas.

    Miguel
    Last edited by Miguel; 05-24-2010 at 14:23.

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    Actually these might be a bit more typical.

    Miguel

  7. #7
    Senior Member entropy's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Miguel View Post
    I hike a lot on the FLT near Ithaca and Watkins Glenn NY and can say almost all the trails in that area are very nice. You can pick up a detailed maps from any EMS of that area and a bit beyond for about $14. I believe there are about 14 maps in that series, with each map covering about twenty miles of trail. There are lean tos scattered throughout often within five miles of each other. It's a beautiful area. Most of it is heavily wooded with occasional open areas.

    Miguel
    Nice. I'm in Kingston, so thats just a couple hours from here.

    Is there any sort of reservation system in place? Or do you just hike until you get tired, and camp at one of those lean-to sites? The long trails around here (Algonquin, Killarney etc) require you to book with the park office the site you're staying on each night.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by entropy View Post
    Nice. I'm in Kingston, so thats just a couple hours from here.

    Is there any sort of reservation system in place? Or do you just hike until you get tired, and camp at one of those lean-to sites? The long trails around here (Algonquin, Killarney etc) require you to book with the park office the site you're staying on each night.
    A few things to know about the FLT before planning a trip:

    1. Much of the trail is on roads connecting portions of the trail on state land and some private plan. The trail suffers some major re-routes when a private property owner revokes permission (if the guy in the middle of a five mile stretch revokes, the entire 5-miles has to be re-routed, usually to a road.)

    2. the portions of the trail through state forest is the most consistent. re-routes occur only when necessary for trail maintenance or due to logging operations, and even then most of those reroutes stay in the state forest (although some get re-routed to roads as well.)

    3. Large portions of the trail on private property are closed during the fall big game season and the spring turkey seasons. Those closed portions get re-routed to roads during those seasons.

    4. On state forest lands you can camp anywhere that is 150 feet from a trail, road, or water source (unless there is a designated campsite within 150 feet in which cse you can use the designated campsites.)

    5. There are generally no reservation rules for leantos, but the one exception I know about is in Darian Lakes State Park where you have to apply for a permit (no charge) to use the leanto to avoid conflicts.

    6. I like the portion of the trail in Allegany State Park (actually starting about a mile south in PA). It has 3 leantos but camping is allowed "along the trail" (follow the 150 foot rule to avoid problems). The 150-foot rule does not officially apply because the state park is not state forest lands. BTW - other than camping along the FLT (it is also the NCT and CT in Allegany State Park) you can only camp in paid designated caming areas in Allegany State Park, so the rtrail gives you an opportunity that others don't get.

    7. There are dozens of state forest WNY but most only offer one-way hikes of 3 to 4 miles max before you have to road hike 1 to 5 miles to next state forest. However you could spend 2 to 3 days exploring the trails and bushwhacking in most of them.

  9. #9
    Senior Member Ramblinrev's Avatar
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    The catskills offer some unsurpassed hiking opportunities as they have their own high peak areas at a generally less crowded situation than the ADK. There are also some opportunities for bushwhacking to some summits. The FTL is a wonderful gem but the Catskills are a more mountainous area, although not as high as the high peaks. In addition you do not (or should I say did not) need a bear cannister as you do in the high peaks of the ADK.
    I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.

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  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by entropy View Post
    Nice. I'm in Kingston, so thats just a couple hours from here.

    Is there any sort of reservation system in place? Or do you just hike until you get tired, and camp at one of those lean-to sites? The long trails around here (Algonquin, Killarney etc) require you to book with the park office the site you're staying on each night.
    In the Adirondack Forest Preserve or the Catskill Forest Preserve the state leantos are first come first serve. At one time the regulations required that people share leantos but that regulation was modified and no reads:

    §190.6 Open camps

    a. Open camps (lean-tos) may not be occupied by the same person or persons for more than three successive nights or for more than 10 nights in any one calendar year, provided others wish to use such camps.

    b. The enclosure of the fronts of open camps is prohibited, except by tying canvas or nylon tarpaulins in place or erecting snow walls. The use of wood, nails, screws or other fasteners is prohibited.

    c. The erection of tents in open camps is prohibited.

    Thus, sharing of leantos is no longer required although it is encouraged.

    The 150-foot camping rule applies to both Preserves, but there are elevation restrictions:

    §190.3 Camping sites

    a. Areas used for temporary camping and adjacent lands under the jurisdiction of the department must be kept in a neat, clean and sanitary condition. Garbage and refuse must either be deposited in receptacles provided, or removed.

    b. Camping is prohibited within 150 feet of any road, trail, spring, stream, pond or other body of water except at camping areas designated by the department.

    c. No person may pollute in any manner nor deposit waste material of any kind in or on waters under the jurisdiction of the department.

    d. Except in an emergency, or during the period December 15 to April 30 each year in the Adirondack Park, or during the period December 21 to March 21 each year in the Catskill Park, no person may camp on lands under the jurisdiction of the department which are located at an elevation in excess of 4,000 feet above sea level in the Adirondack Park or in excess of 3,500 feet above sea level in the Catskill Park.

    e. Except in an emergency, no open fires are permitted on lands under the jurisdiction of the department which are located at an elevation in excess of 4,000 feet above sea level in the Adirondack Park or in excess of 3,500 feet above sea level in the Catskill Park.

    There are special rules for the Eastern High Peaks Zone prohibiting fires and requiring use of bear canisters (ursacks not authorized) that you can read about here: Adirondack Park – Eastern High Peaks Zone

    And don't be confused by the apparent restricted camping rules for the South Meadows-Flowed Lands Corridor because those rules never into effect do to the failure of the DEC to complete the project. You can read about that here: Adirondack Update: Camping Restrictions

    Be sure to check the link at the end of that article to view maps of the existing campsites and leantos and proposed campsites and leantos in the Eastern High Peaks Zone.

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