we hiked the backbone trail on a cold day that was spitting snow. it was really lovely and we were treated to a deer just leaving the creek after getting a drink. we were the only ones on the entire trail. it would be nice to go back and explore some of the other trails

Loved that you can random camp, for FREE and can have fires. Trifecta & way more chill than most government forests. Very pretty with forests, meadows & ponds. Interloken Trail goes through some cow pastures which made me nervous, having never had any exposure to cows walking toward me. I will be back!

This place is a hidden gem! We have hiked in Watkins Glenn and Taughannock Falls on one of our trips to the Finger Lakes region and enjoyed them, but always noted how busy and crowded they are, especially during the tourist seasons. My husband and I enjoy hiking with no one around. We met a few friendly people on the trails, but never crowds of people. It was beautiful walking through pastures and wooded areas. We did the Burnt Trail and Interloken Trail and enjoyed them both. It was a nice (not strenuous) hike before hitting the wineries/breweries!

The Interloken Trail branches off the Finger Lakes Trail near the southern end of the Finger Lakes National Forest and runs 12 miles along a ridge, right through the forest, above Seneca Lake. The trail passes three ponds and runs through three pastures, but most of the time you will be hiking in a third-growth deciduous forest. The views from the pastures to the west will leave you wishing that more of the trail were similarly cleared, especially the one next to Matthews Road. There is a lone apple tree in this pasture. You might be tempted to rest under the tree after a long stretch, but that would be a mistake. I spotted a hornets' nest twice the size of a man's head hanging from one of the branches! You also have the delightful task of walking on the green, not in between, because these pastures are rented to farmers who graze their cows in them from May to October. You are also instructed to close the gates at each end of a pasture after you pass through. Because of the drought, most of the creek beds are totally dry. Be sure to carry sufficient water with you for these hikes. The water at Burnt and Foster Ponds looks unfit to drink. The cleanest and most scenic pond is the northernmost one, Teeter, just south of the Seneca Road crossing. There are quite a few boardwalks placed to carry hikers over muddy areas. Much of this trail is open to horse traffic, as evidenced by the many hoof prints and horse droppings you will encounter on the trail. Many of the boards in the walks are dilapidated and broken north of the Searsburg Road and need replacing. Some of the trail is well-maintained, but there are a few stretches that have numerous blowdowns--between Searsburg Road and Teeter Pond, I counted ten trees across the trail. On the southernmost mile, which is actually the Finger Lakes Trail from forest access point H02A to the North Country Trail/Interloken/Finger Lakes Trail junction, there are about a dozen trees down on this stretch. All of these can be stepped over, but whoever maintains these trails needs to remove them. The boardwalks south of Foster Pond are also quite overgrown. There is also a trail sign missing where the No-Tan-Takto trail branches off the Interloken just south of the Teeter Pond parking lot off Seneca Road. Also, there is no trail sign indicating that the trail turns left as you hike northbound along the west shore of Teeter Pond. No blazes mark the trail that goes left off the pond edge, so it is tempting to keep hiking to the right toward the bench placed at the north end of the pond, where you can sit and enjoy a great view of the length of the pond to the south. If you want more pasture hiking, consider taking the No-Tan-Tatko Trail on a return trip and making a loop with the Interloken. The No-Tan-Tatko goes through pasture and field for nearly 80% of its length, with a 1/4 mile road walk and about 1/4 mile through the woods (this stretch has been turned into a quagmire by horse traffic). In late summer the full bloom of the pasture flowers is spectacular and unforgettable. You will also encounter a fine herd of cows and calves in the northernmost pasture on this trail. You also might meet the farmer, a gentleman named Howard, riding along the trail on his four-wheeler, apprising you of the health of his herd, how many calves he pulled out of the field the previous day, and how well the hay crop is doing. Between this pasture and the next field is a line of trees where you can safely rest, sit on fallen wood, eat your lunch, sip your beverage, and behold the pastoral beauty before you.

We combined some hiking here with a winery spot. It was lovely although I was glad we stopped at the ranger station first to get a map and suggestions for trails as even so we weren't exactly sure of our trail.was an easy hike after a day or two of gorges