Highland Forest County Park - Main Trail to Kirnan Trail Loop

      

     Highland Forest County Park is one of Onondaga County's forever protected pieces of open space and wilderness that I've become very familiar with over the past decade.  There are several other parks run by the county (see Beaver Lake Nature Center depicted in an older blog of mine), yet the breadth, sheer size, and beauty of Highland Forest make it a jewel, in my view.  Its more tucked-away, semi-remote location in Onondaga's southeasternmost corner make it feel farther away from civilization than it actually is, and yet man-made structures (like the handsome Adirondack-style Skyline Lodge at the park's entrance) only enhance its qualities.  There are miles of trails to explore, and many have been created for hikers, cross-country skiers, and horseback riders (surprisingly, nothing for mountain bikes, as far as I know).  The loop I'm describing in this blog is admittedly one of the shorter ones; the longest along the entire length of the circular Main Trail is over 8 miles.  

     And another point: the lodge within the park has emotional value to me since it happens to be the place where my wife and I were married back in 2016.  

     I picked Highland Forest as a place to originally go snowshoeing on a weekend in the middle of January, but opted to try an actual hike with my family's almost one-year-old puppy we adopted last summer (she loves the snow!).  I also wanted to test a new pair of hiking books and break into them before the warmer months arrive.  So I decided to hike a portion of the park's Main trail (M) and return on the loop's second half by way of the Kirnan Trail (K).  The length of this loop was 3.6 miles, so not that long but more ideal for a day of winter hiking.  I often don't hike much in the winter, yet I've been here once before in January and I remember how picturesque the conifers looked after a recent snow, so I wanted to revisit.  A storm dumped 6 or 7 inches of new snow in the area a day before this hike, setting the stage for some white landscapes.  The only drawback is that, in spite of a sunny forecast, there were more clouds lingering around. 

     It was a frigid day overall, with high temps barely breaking the low 20s.  I was dressed in layers which helped immensely.  At the park's entrance by the Skyline Lodge, there were many, many folks lining up at the ticket kiosk for cross-country skiing.  For hikers, the fee is $3 year-round.  The lodge is closed due to the pandemic; inside that building is typically where park day passes have been sold in the past.  

     My hike began at the start of the Phil Suters Memorial Main Trail (M) along its widest section (and also where you typically see the most people.)  The path is designated by "M" placards on trees as well as blue paint blazes since this is also a segment of the Onondaga Trail. 

                         

                                

                                 

                                                

                                                

                                               

                                               

     The first forest setting was a mix of bare hardwoods and tall, green pines and conifers, all coated with snow.  As the pictures indicate the trail was all hard-packed snow, yet still relatively easy to walk upon.  

     After crossing a paved park road, the Main Trail continued into some woods of bare deciduous trees.  Off the path was this interesting picnic pavilion, then a bridge crossing over a limestone creek that plunged downhill to my immediate right (or west).  

                  

                                         

                                         

                                         

                                         

                                         

                   

     One element of the park I should note: there are lots of trail intersections along the Main Trail, and it seemed each junction bordered a forest transition of some type.  

                                             

                                                

     Ten or so minutes into the hike, I was under the canopy of this magnificent stand of wintery conifers: 

      A junction with a cross-country ski trail: 

     Deeper into the park and mixed hardwoods, the trail went over gentle, sloping hills and it was here where I started to see stands of young hemlock trees. 

     Now I was treading downhill - other hills seen through the trees and my dog trying to pull me ahead despite the leash.  A lean-to greeted me at this scenic, small creek gully.  Here I stopped for a rest and some water and snacks.  

     The first true uphill slog on this hike came on the other side of the creek.  Here, the Kirnan Trail (K) spilt off to the left of the Main Trail (M), but I kept to the M trail for a just a short, hilly reach to get to the bed of yet another, wider creek and small, frozen falls.  

     Returning to the Kirnan Trail (K), I took it uphill further to a ridgeline where views to the west of me opened up seemingly out of nowhere.  Other than behind Skyline Lodge, Highland Forest isn't known for views, so this was a nice, albeit brief, lookout.  

     The Kirnan Trail (K) passed through more beautiful woods on its northward journey back toward the lodge, but first I would need to hook up with the Torbert Trail (T) to complete the loop.  

     Once back at the point I started the hike, I walked just behind the lodge for some amazing views of the countryside to the north and east, abundant with farms, valleys, and smaller hills. 

                                           

    For it being a midwinter day where others would find it brutal to be anywhere outside for longer than a few minutes, I very much enjoyed this hike and the chance it gave me to get some fresh air, staving off "cabin fever" for another few weeks.  The hike took me just a little over two hours to complete.