Mariposa State Forest - Paradise Garden Lean-to Loop

     The rolling country southeast of Syracuse, NY, over time, has become perhaps my favorite area to explore when I'm in the mood to seek out the forest.  The hills here become a little higher, steeper, and more angular, hinting that the Catskill Mountains are becoming closer with each mile further east along the Finger Lakes Trail one takes.  Nearly 77,000 acres of protected state lands cover this area, loosely bounded by Interstate 81 to the west, NY Route 20 to the north and, eventually, Interstate 88 to the south (I haven't made it that far yet. . . ).  Rural Madison, Cortland, and Chenango Counties make up this verdant region that, to this day, is still a decently remote of corner of upstate New York.  And getting to it isn't a far drive from Syracuse, where I happen to live.  In previous blog entries, I detailed my hikes in Morgan Hill State Forest, which I almost could consider the "gateway" to this patchwork of forests.  The blue-blazed Onondaga Trail finds its way to the white-blazed, long-distance FLT - the latter pathway winding through all of this on a rugged southeasterly journey to those great, looming Catskills that draw so many.
     Speaking of drawing those interested, I've become drawn to lesser known Mariposa State Forest ever since my first hike here four years ago.  There's not much information online about it, yet, in spite of that, its 3,002 acres offer lots of deep woods, creeks below steep slopes, large farm field views, and a lean-to built not long ago.  I also found mixed forest types that seem to abruptly transition from one to the next in such a way that the trail doesn't become boring.
     Mariposa State Forest is located a few miles south of the tiny country hamlet of Deryter and sits along the westernmost edges of Madison and Chenango Counties.  County Route 53 (where I usually start my hike), makes up the western border of the forest and the FLT runs through the land, first heading mainly east, then banking southward (I've actually never hiked that far in yet.).
     Somewhere around mid-August of this past summer, I set out to hike the Paradise Garden Lean-to Loop which, all told, is just over 3 miles long.  So not that much in length.  But I always go a mile or so further for some more sights worth seeing.
     As you can see from the pictures, it was a splendid summer day and the air was just a touch humid but nothing overwhelming.  Beginning at the trail head off County Route 53, the FLT picked up and ascended up South Hill almost immediately on what looked to me like an old logging road.  The path travelled under a mix of young conifers and aspen trees (one of my favorites).  Then it went through a young maple forest, all the while still going gradually uphill.  Not far in, I came across this trail register affixed to a tree which I wrote and signed in.  Beyond that, it was taller conifers and blankets of ferns. 

     The FLT came to an unnamed stream crossing which, more or less, sits along the Madison/Chenango County borders, and its here where an orange-blazed trail (also unnamed), veered to my left.  This second path would be my return trip along the short loop.  So I turned right, following the white blazes, some of which were painted on yellow birches, all the while following that stream.  And this brought me to the Paradise Lean-t and its gorgeous, tall hardwood setting.  I stayed here a few minutes, as I usually do, and went down to the creek side to take it all in.

 
     Beyond the lean-to, the trail followed a more difficult uphill stretch before becoming gentler through a forest of red pine plantations planted way back in the 1930s.  I passed the other terminus of that orange trail to my left, but kept going and hiked along the edge of this great field of grasses where some views of hills miles off can be seen from this part of the FLT.  This is a superb spot!

     East of those fields, I crossed over dirt Paradise Hill road and Wood Road, one right after the other, then came upon this more open forest that had been logged years ago (also the highest point in Mariposa Forest at an elevation of 1947 feet above sea level).  This section is a little reminiscent of that one spot described in my Taylor Valley Forest blog entry.  A beech forest growing out of more small hills greeted me next, and after taking these photos of orange jewelweed, I decided to stop, turn around, and backtrack a mile or so to the orange trail.  Now this loop may be short, but it is quite steep, pitching dramatically down in some places.  I almost tripped at one point, but fortunately was able to regain foothold.

     The views of the creek below make it a worthwhile excursion, however.

     Just as I was almost back at my car and thought this hike could offer no more, here stands this deer right in the middle of the trail!

     This entire walk took me 3 and a half hours to complete with an elevation gain of 477 feet.  I recommend it, if you're looking for something not too far from the metro area but also remote.  One day, I plan to continue east on the FLT  in Mariosa Forest where it meets with the Link Trail, a roughly 40 mile long path that runs north to south from the town of Chittenango, past the village of Cazenovia, and south to Muller Hill State Forest.