Skyline Drive NY State Forest
Quick Bits
Main Activities - Hike
Distance - 2.3 miles of trails
Quiet - fairly quiet
Surface - gravel seasonal road
Elevation - moderate for start, and then relatively level
Pets - leash
Address - Grange Hall Road, Kirkwood, NY
In a Nutshell
An in-and-out hike or ride along a seasonal forest service road along a ridge. The road starts in a hardwood forest and transitions to pines. Limited scenic views when the leaves are off.
Location and Parking
Some GPS is misleading as the pin is in the middle of the forest. I had Google add an entry for the "Skyline Drive State Forest Kiosk", which should help. You'll find the start of the Forest Service road off Grange Hall Road, Kirkwood. Note that part of this area is in the Town of Windsor, rather than Kirkwood.
At the start of the Service Road is a Kiosk with space for about two cars. Please do not block the Service Road or Grange Hall Road. There are five other designated parking areas on the DEC map along the 2.3 mile road, including a large area at the far end. Not all of them have signage, but you can guess most of them. Note that the Service Road is rough and starts out with a steep grade. You'll want good clearance and sturdy tires if you drive the road. The worst of it is in the first tenth of a mile.
More details
The name "Skyline Drive State Forest" conjures images of scenic vistas like Skyline Drive in the Blue Mountains. Unfortunately, the name may have been given over a century ago before the forests reclaimed farmland or reforest efforts created a thick wall of trees. Nonetheless, you can get peeks from the ridge when the leaves have fallen.
The 533 acres of the forest is long and narrow. While over 2 miles long, at places it is just 0.2 miles wide. The main 'path' is the 2.3 mile Service Road that winds through the forest from South to North. There are about five spur trails/roads off of this but they typically do not go far. Because of the narrowness, you'll want to pay attention to private property signs.
I find parts of the Service Road hard on the feet as it is golfball-sized gravel, but most of it is in decent shape. Due to the height and age of the trees, the road is fairly shaded unlike some other forest roads I've walked. The road starts off a bit steep, in a mix of of striped maple, northern red oak, and other hardwoods. It travels a long the ridge for about half of it and then slips down a bit along the eastern side of the ridge. About two-thirds of the way, the forest transitions to evergreen, mostly red pine and Norway spruce, planted in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps. The land for Skyline Drive was acquired in 1933.
The road ends about 2.3 miles. From there, unmaintained spurs, abandoned roads, branch off to the northwest and southwest. They both end at private property. You'll also find in this dead end area a lot of spent shotgun shells and other brass as this area is often used for target shooting. This is a prime area for target shooting and there can be hunting in season throughout the forest, so be alert and wear orange during hunting seasons.