Pochuck State Forest

Welcome to Pochuck State Forest located in Orange County, New York.

Forest History: Pochuck State Forest was first purchased by the State of New York in 2006 in order to help protect the health of the forest as well as wildlife habitat, reduce erosion, provide for recreation, and for timber production. State Forests 500 acres and larger are to be "forever devoted to reforestation and the establishment and maintenance thereon of forests for watershed protection, the production of timber and other forest products, and kindred purposes" (Article 9, Titles 5 and 7, Environmental Conservation Law).

For the lover of the outdoors there are no formal trails in Pochuck State Forest though there are plans to change that eventually. The best way to currently access this forest is by using the old logging roads. Come on out and explore.

New York State Law requires that when visiting any State Forest you must;

*Never move firewood! Doing so helps spread pests and diseases.

*No littering! Please carry out whatever you carry in.

*Never leave fires unattended. Please extenguish all fires upon your departure.

*Unless otherwise designated, all camping must be done with 150 feet of roads, trails, and bodies of water. Camping more than 3 consecutive nights requires special permit that can be obtained from the local forest ranger.

*All human excrement must be buried in holes no less than 6 inches deep.

*All motor vehicles must stay in designated areas.

*No building of structures or cutting of vegetation.

Please respect these laws and New York's forests.