Jenksville State Forest

Quick Bits

Main Activities - Hike; May 1 to October 31 - Mountain Bike & Horse
Distance - ~12 miles of trails
Quiet - Very quiet
Surface - Various, some ruts, shared with horses.
Elevation - Gradual slopes to moderately steep.
Pets - On leash
Address - Towns of Berkshire and Newark Valley, NY

In a Nutshell

This New York State Forest in northeast Tioga County is remote, quiet, and filled with wildlife and multipurpose trails. 

Location and Parking

More details

The name Jenksville State Forest comes from the hamlet of Jenksville, part of the town of Newark Valley. It's named for Michael Jenks who settled there in 1797, and built a sawmill in 1803. Many of the roads in the area include Hill in the name and are an indication of the hills in this area that separate the valleys formed by the East and West Branches of the Owego Creek and their tributaries. 

Many guidebooks or websites refer to eastern/western. This is based on Shirley Road cutting through the Forest. To avoid the steeper trails, focus on the eastern section of the Forest, the red marker trails. The western section, the blue and yellow markers. The trails are a mix of narrow, winding trails, and those based on old logging roads. On the western most trail (Yellow 4) there are some scenic views of Jenksville and the valley to the south. 

The parking on Allison Hill Road is about 150 feet higher than that on Shirley Road. So if you want to shave off or add to the elevation gain, keep that in mind. Again the Shirley Road parking gives direct access to both sections through Red trails to east and Blue trails to the west.

While 1349 acres make up the Forest, the boundaries zigzag a lot and some trails are very close to the boundaries, so be aware. Mountain bikes are restricted to certain trails and only from May to October. You're also sharing trails with horses at times. Horses have the right of way on the trails.

The forest was established between 1940 and 1945 in an effort to reduce soil erosion problems, produce forest products and provide future recreational opportunities. Most of the property was former pasture or tilled acreage that was suffering from poor agricultural practices. DEC planted this land with 837,000 pines, spruce, fir, cedar, larch and oak seedlings. The planting was accomplished in 1940 and 1941 using Civilian Conservation Corps labor. In 1996 Tioga Economic Development and Triple Cities Ski Club worked with the DEC to open more than 10 miles of trails. Additional improvements from 1996 to 2002 included moving trails out of poor drainage areas, installing a kiosk, and adding bridges. Today, Jenksville State Forest is fulfilling the vision which started in 1940. Almost 99% of the area is forested, the soils have improved, and harvesting of forest products supports all management activities, including recreation. 

Links of Interest

• NY State DEC Jenksville State Forest Page

• CNY Hiking's Page on Jenksville State Forest

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