Bear Creek State Forest

The 547-acre Bear Creek State Forest is a popular hunting, hiking, snowmobiling and horseback riding destination.

Because there were a number of stream crossings on Bear Creek Road that were difficult to maintain, that road was replaced by the Upper Bear Creek Road. The old road was abandoned and is now part of the state forest. Only the western end still exists as a haul road.

This property was mostly farm land at one time. In the 1930s the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) carried out a number of projects at Bear Creek State Forest. The CCC, established by the administration of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, provided employment opportunities for young men during the Great Depression. Projects included the planting of thousands of pine, larch and spruce trees and a small number of oak trees in the open areas on the property, which still exist today.

• Info from NYS DEC
• Learn more about the history of New York's state forests

FLT Map M4