Volunteers affiliated with Cycle-CNY are partnering with the Forest Service land managers at Finger Lakes National Forest (FLNF) to improve mountain bike trail opportunities at this 16,000 acre national forest. Nestled between Seneca and Cayuga lakes in our finger lakes region, the forest has over 20 miles of interconnecting trails that traverse gorges, pastures, and forest. Most of the current formal trail system does not allow mountain bike access or provide a quality mountain biking experience.
After several years of planning, the Forest Service has developed a project proposal to improve mountain bike opportunities in the forest. This project includes adopting 9 miles of user created singletrack trails, creating more new trails, and allowing mountain bike use on many existing trails. Learn more about this project below!
Understand This Land.
Finger Lakes National Forest is the only National Forest in New York and encompasses over 16,000 acres of land between Seneca Lake and Cayuga Lake. The area was originally inhabited by the Haudenosaunee as a forested hunting territory 250 years ago. After the American Revolution, this region was allotted to colonial soldiers in payment for their service. The land was divided into “military lots”, the one-mile square units that are still the basis for the road (and some trail) system present today. By the 1920s, the land was nearly treeless due to unsustainable logging, farming, and grazing practices.
In the 1940s, the federal government purchased over 100 marginal farmlands from willing sellers in the region, resulting in Federal land ownership that resembles a patchwork quilt. The Federal land, named the Hector Land Use Area, was managed with emphasis on soil stabilization by planting trees and converting depleted fields into improved pastures for grazing cattle. The government transferred the Hector land management to the U.S. Forest Service in the 1950s.
Congress enacted legislation to make the Hector Land Use Area a permanent part of the National Forest system in 1985, creating the Hector Ranger District at Finger Lakes National Forest. The Finger Lakes National Forest is an administrative unit of the Green Mountain National Forest. Both are managed by the Forest Service from offices in Rutland, VT, though the Forest Service also maintains a local office in Hector.
Today FLNF is a mix of second growth woodland, pasture, and lots in a transition from pasture-to-woodland. The cellar holes, stone walls, artifacts, and other material evidence in this area are protected by Federal Law. The land provides opportunities for wildlife habitat, recreational trail use, camping, hunting, fishing, cattle grazing, and timber harvests, while providing preservation of historic and archaeological sites. Truly a unique place.
What are the issues?
The existing FLNF management plan (2006) provides over 20 miles of multi-use recreational trails, of which mountain bikes currently have access to less than 6 miles. All trails currently open to bikes are doubletrack managed for shared use with equestrians and snowmobiles. Trail access restrictions limit most bike routes to an out-and-back trail experience or require riding on roads to form a loop. The existing trail access does not provide an experience that is desirable for most mountain bikers. Since the 2006 plan, mountain biking has seen tremendous growth and is now one of the most popular recreational activities in New York.
What happened?
In 2023, the Forest Service contacted Cycle-CNY to initiate a discussion regarding trail use in the Forest. The Forest Service had observed a growing number of cyclists using FLNF trails and roads, as well as identified user-created trails developed during the 2020-2022 covid pandemic. The goal of our partnership was to determine how the Forest Service can be best positioned to support the public’s growing demand for mountain bike trail access at FLNF. Cycle-CNY submitted recommendations to the Forest Service for the improvement of mountain bike trail opportunities.
In March of 2025, the Forest Service released their proposed “Mountain Biking Enhancement Project”. Taking guidance from Cycle-CNY’s recommendations, the Forest Service project includes adopting 9 miles of user created singletrack trails, creating more new trails, and allowing mountain bike use on many existing trails. This project proposal is open for public comment until March 28.
What is the public comment period?
From Feb 28 through March 28, the Forest Service allowed the public to provide feedback on the proposed project and resources investment. Cycle-CNY reached out to the mountain bike community to encourage public feedback in support of proposed project actions, as interest and support from the public will weigh heavily on the final project scope. The Forest Service is reviewing submitted public comments and may consider modifications to their project based on the feedback provided. More information and a template comment letter can be found here – https://cycle-cny.com/action-alert-more-local-trails/
What’s good about the FS project proposal?
If you are a mountain biker, this project speaks to you. It proposes actions and resources to:
- Formally adopt 9 miles of user created singletrack trails. This includes about 7 miles of singletrack trail that can be opened to the public in summer 2025. These are intermediate to advanced skill level bike trails on challenging terrain. Trails would be managed for bike and foot traffic only.
- Create a few miles of new trail, including the Sassafras trail (2.7 mi), that would be managed for bike and foot traffic only.
- Allow access changes for bikes on the existing forest trails. This action would allow the FS to re-evaluate existing trails for consideration of adding bikes as an allowable use. This will formalize existing bike access on Burnt Hill, Backbone, and NoTanTakto trails (6 mi), while phasing in new bike access for Gorge, Potomac Loops, and the Interloken trails (8 mi) in upcoming years. These trails are mostly beginner to intermediate skill level doubletrack, shared with equestrians and snowmobiles.
- Create and improve parking and trailheads near trails open to bikes, and specifically along Potomac Road.
- The sum of these changes could create a 25-mile stacked loop trail system open to bikes, with beginner, intermediate and advanced trail difficulty options.
What’s not so good about the FS project proposal?
- Forest Service proposes to restrict bikes from all trails March 15 – May 15. This seasonal restriction is intended to minimize trail impact during spring freeze-thaw cycles. Horses are currently restricted from trails March 15 – May 15.
- The Finger Lakes Trail, South Slope trail, and Ravine trail will continue to be maintained as foot traffic only.
What are the current trail use rules at FLNF?
- Formal trails currently open to bikes include Burnt Hill, NoTanTakto, Backbone, and the north end of Interloken. All dirt roads are open to bikes. View the FLNF trail map on cycle-cny.com. Please note that the current trails open to bikes drain poorly and are usually the last in our region to dry out.
- Avoid riding muddy trails at all times, but especially between March 15 and May 15 when trails are susceptible to damage during freeze/thaw cycles.
- Forest Service does not allow any e-bikes on any non-motorized trail. This is a Forest Service rule and outside the scope of this current project proposal.
- Tentative plan to open the new Potomac Rd singletrack trails after May 15. Stay tuned for a formal announcement.
- Do not build or maintain trails without permission from the Forest Service.
What can I do?
- Show your support for this project by submitting a comment letter by March 28.
- Share this information with other like-minded individuals and groups.
- Follow the current trail use guidelines while we await formal access changes. Please avoid riding muddy trails at all times, but especially between March 15 and May 15 when trails are susceptible to damage during freeze/thaw cycles. Your stewardship of the trails helps us advocate for less restrictive seasonal trail closures. Please note that the current trails open to bikes drain poorly and are usually the last in our region to dry out.
- Join us for public trail work days this summer (TBA). Do not build or maintain trails without permission from the Forest Service.
- Thank your local Forest Service employees for their dedication to the stewardship of national forest trails.
Please feel free to contact Cycle-CNY at cyclecny@gmail.com with any questions or feedback you may have. Thank you for your support of this important local trail project!
