From golf course to rustic camping, wildlife habitat: Pinnacle merging into state forest
Removal of buildings and other facilities at Pinnacle State Park in Steuben County is nearing completion, and the former 9-hole golf course, which closed in 2017, is expected to be managed as a State Forest by the end of the year.
The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, the current owner of the site, is finalizing the cleanup work, according to a State Department of Environmental Conservation spokesperson. Once that work is completed, the 719-acre parcel will be transferred to DEC.
The transfer will about double the current 794-acre McCarthy Hill State Forest located in the towns of Addison and Erwin.
The parcel will be managed as a State Forest and will be subject to rules and regulations that currently apply to similar lands, a DEC spokesperson said. Transfer of the property is anticipated later this year.
The State Forest will be open year-round and local Forest Rangers organize and conduct wildland search and rescue missions, prevent and suppress forest fires and act as stewards of public lands.
Pinnacle's unique, hillside 9-hole course was built in the 1960s. The clubhouse had been unoccupied since 2016 and attempts to secure another operator to run the course were unsuccessful. Other buildings included the Pinnacle State Park Lodge, storage buildings and infrastructure.
Demolition was delayed in 2022 to accommodate construction of public safety communications infrastructure. The old golf course is being restored to natural wildlife habitat.
How addition will impact McCarthy Hill State Forest
McCarthy Hill State Forest focuses on rustic experiences with a limited amount of development, according to the DEC.
McCarthy Hill and all state forests in New York are managed for multiple benefits to serve the needs of the people of New York, DEC officials said. Sustainable management practices will ensure a perpetual supply of timber, a diversity of wildlife habitats, compatible recreational opportunities, and clean water.
The addition of the former golf course to McCarthy Hill State Forest will expand opportunities for hiking, mountain biking, primitive camping, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, hunting and trapping, and wildlife observation, according to a state Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation spokesperson.
Pinnacle State Park and McCarthy Hill are already linked by a trail network, including the Finger Lakes Trail/Great Eastern Trail.
McCarthy Hill activities
Hiking and primitive camping. The McCarthy Hill Lean-to is the only designated camping spot, according to the DEC. At-large primitive camping is allowed. Campsites must be at least 150 feet away from the nearest road, trail, or body of water.
Camping for more than three nights or in groups of ten or more requires a permit from a Forest Ranger.
Other activities include cross country skiing, snowshoeing, hunting during appropriate seasons, trapping and watchable wildlife.
McCarthy Hill wildlife
New York's Southern Tier encompasses a wide variety of habitats and landscapes made up of mountainous hills, forests, grasslands and wetlands, according to the DEC. Everything from black bear to black-throated blue warblers and brook trout to wild turkey call the Southern Tier of New York home.
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The grasslands are home to a variety of bird species including northern harrier and state endangered Henslow's sparrow, DEC said. White-tailed deer and fisher thrive in the forested hills, while beaver and mink flourish in the wetlands.
This article originally appeared on The Leader: Old golf course at Pinnacle joining McCarthy Hill State Forest
