Popular Hiking Trail in Cornwall Has Been Closed Until December 13th

Many of us still enjoy hiking through the outdoor trails in our region even though the weather has taken a turn towards the cold. There are many places to enjoy this time of year, but there are also some you need to avoid. One of those places is in Cornwall, New York.

The Black Rock Forest located at 80 Reservoir Road in Cornwall posted on their social media that they will be closed for the next few weeks. Starting Saturday, November 20, 2021, the Black Rock Forest will be closed until December Sunday, 12th. Each year, they close during New York State's regular deer hunting season.

The Forest’s ecosystem management program includes a highly regulated deer hunting program as a tool to keep the deer population within a range that will prevent over-browsing, allow forest trees to regenerate, and conserve biodiversity in the understory. (Black Rock Forest via Facebook 11-12-2021)

 

The area will re-open on December 13th at dawn. In the meantime, the Black Rock Forest shared some other areas in New York and New Jersey that you can enjoy exploring during deer season. The Black Rock Forest Consortium Members and the New York-New Jersey Trail Conference have complied a list of the top 10 "No Hunting Hiking Areas".

No matter where you chose to hike this time of year, be sure to consider wearing clothing that makes it easy to spot you. The Black Rock Forest recommends wearing hunter orange or pink while you go hiking. For a complete list of hiking safety tips this time of year, visit the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation's website dec.ny.com.

Have you ever hiked to these two places?