General Information
The Tarbell family ownership dated back to 1875, when Eli Tarbell
purchased 500 acres around Long Pond. A water driven sawmill and dam was
erected on the Pond. Hemlock from the surrounding forest was sawn there.
In 1903, the Tarbells began purchasing dairy cows. During the 1940' s and
1950's, the farm flourished as a model of efficiency. The farm employed 35
people, maintained 445 purebred Guernsey cows and bottled 2800 quarts of
milk daily. The "Golden Guernsey" milk was shipped by rail to many of New
York City's finest restaurants.
Hikers and cross-country skiers, as well as equestrians and snowmobilers,
are welcome on the trails. The trails are identified on the map and on the
ground by horse trail signs and numbers. You can expect to encounter
interesting terrain with many different plants and wildlife species.
The focal
point of recreation in the Forest is Long Pond. The 117 acre pond offers
year round fishing opportunities. A former State record Tiger musky was
caught in the Pond in 1983. A boat launching ramp and parking area are
located off State Route 41 at the northeastern corner of the Pond. Strong
Brook and Pond Brook are trout streams that course through the forest. The
28 acre glacial Round Pond also has fish to tempt anglers.
Ten campsites are located around Long Pond. Each site has a fireplace,
parking pad and access to a community latrine. A day use area, with
parking and picnic tables is located adjacent to the dam. Explore the
ruins of the Tarbell homestead during your visit.
Four miles of NYS snowmobile corridor trail passes through the forest.
Several steel girded bridges have been constructed to enhance trail
grooming. In addition, hunting for big and small game is a popular pursuit
on the property.
Several unique habitats are found on the Forest. Over 400 acres of grass
and brush land occur. These areas contain breeding populations of two
species of sparrows listed as special concern because their natural
habitat is shrinking statewide. The Henslow sparrow and grasshopper
sparrow both require large areas of grassland to survive. Management
efforts continue to perpetuate this habitat. The bluebird, New York's
official State bird, is also listed as a species of special concern
because of habitat loss. Visitors will notice over two dozen strategically
placed bluebird houses. These houses have attracted several nesting pairs.
A mature hardwood-hemlock forest is located south of Long Pond. This area,
interspersed with wetlands, constitutes an area over 300 acres excluded
from timber harvesting. The area contains large specimens of hemlock, some
over 125 years old. Within this area, the threatened red-shouldered hawk
nests. The birds utilize the wetlands when hunting for food and the mature
hardwood forest for nesting. The hawk migrates back to the forest in early
April, and can be seen soaring over Long Pond.
Directions
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To access the Long Pond
State Forest, take State Highway 41 East from Cincinnatus, or West from
Greene. The fishing access site is located on this route.
Emergencies &
Law Enforcement
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Weekdays, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, call (607) 674-4036.
Evenings, weekends and holidays, call (607) 674-9766 or 674-9555.
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