February Outdoor Discovery - Get Outside this Winter!

Hike of the Month: Willowemoc Wild Forest

(Livingston Manor, Sullivan County)

Lose yourself in the natural beauty of snow-covered rolling hills and forest at Willowemoc Wild Forest in the southwest corner of the Catskill Park. Enjoy more than 40 miles of trails on cross-country skis or snowshoes and take time to visit picturesque Waneta Lake.

Long Pond Trail is particularly good for youngsters and beginners, and the foot trails from the Frick Pond trailhead (2.1 mile loop) are especially suited for cross-country skiing. Snowmobiles are allowed on some of the trails, including Quick Lake Trail, so take care when cross-country skiing.

Watchable Wildlife: David A. Sarnoff Pine Barrens

(Southampton, Suffolk County)

The David A. Sarnoff Pine Barrens is a designated Bird Conservation Area--one of the largest undisturbed pine barrens on Long Island. While many of the diverse bird species migrate south for the winter, visitors can spot white-tailed deer and red foxes during the cold winter months.

Enjoy a hike on the nine-mile-long loop trail on the 2,324-acre preserve, which is open from dawn to dusk daily.  A free seasonal access permit is required from the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation. A PDF file of the access permit is available online. 

Photo by Aaron Winters

Try Ice Fishing During Free Fishing Weekend:  February 16-17

February’s Free Fishing Weekend is a great opportunity to try ice fishing for the first time or for experienced anglers to introduce their friends to ice fishing.

No fishing license is required during the weekend.

Other fishing events during February include:

NYS Parks and DEC Fishing Clinics
• Otsego Lake Fishing Clinic – February 20
• Moreau Lake State Park – February 22
• Thacher State Park – February 24

All fishing gear is provided at these clinics, which will be led by DEC staff.

Lawson Lake Winter Festival and Ice Fishing Clinic – February 23
Activities include ice fishing, snowmobiling, snowshoe hikes, ice skating, and a campfire with s’mores and hot chocolate. Cross-country skis and snowshoes are available for visitor use.

Photo by Washington County

Camp Santanoni Winter Weekends

(Newcomb, Essex County)

DEC and partners host three annual Winter Weekend events at Camp Santanoni, providing a rare opportunity during the season to see inside the buildings at this historic great camp. The remaining winter weekends will be held February 16-18 (Presidents’ Day weekend) and March 16-17. For those who don't have their own snowshoes, the Adirondack Interpretive Center (AIC) loans snowshoes for free at the Gate Lodge.

Camp Santanoni offers a 9.8-mile round-trip cross-country ski excursion. It begins at the Gate Lodge Complex and goes to the remote lakeside Main Camp Complex. Skiers and snowshoers can visit both lodges, view displays about Camp Santanoni, and take interpretive tours with Adirondack Architectural Heritage staff.

The Artist's Studio, a stone building near the main lodge on the shores of Newcomb Lake, will be open as a warming hut. Visitors are encouraged to bring their own cups for complimentary coffee, tea or hot chocolate while enjoying the lodge’s wood stove.

A half-mile trail connects Camp Santanoni to the nearby AIC's 3.6-mile trail system. On event weekends, the center's buildings are open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Photo by Nancy Battaglia

Nature Notes

Four inches of solid ice is usually safe for anglers accessing ice on foot. However, ice thickness can vary on waterbodies and even within the same waterbody. Anglers should be particularly wary of areas of moving water and around boat docks and houses where bubblers may be installed to reduce ice buildup.

Upcoming DEC Events

Winter Wonderland in the Woods, 2/9 at 12 p.m., Reinstein Woods EEC

Birding Snowshoe Walk, 2/16 at 10 a.m., Reinstein Woods EEC

Outdoor Fun: Moonlit Guided Walk, 2/19 at 7:30 p.m., Five Rivers EEC

Winter Wonderland at Five Rivers, 2/22 at 9:30 a.m., Five Rivers EEC

More Upcoming DEC Events

Conservationist

If you like to fish, you’re sure to enjoy the article on ice fishing in the February issue of the Conservationist, and learn how DEC’s Fish Disease Control Unit works to ensure fish stocked in New York are healthy. You can also read about how DEC is protecting freshwater mussels in the Grasse River, and some surprises encountered by a DEC biologist in the field. Learn all about the red fox, and travel along the Hudson River by train. These stories and more, only in the February Conservationist