Shindagin Hollow Has Recreation Rules Beneath the Trail Reputation

Shindagin Hollow’s mountain-bike reputation can make the rule details easy to miss. DEC describes a 5,318-acre state forest with good road access, mountain biking, hunting, hiking, snowmobiling, bird watching, and primitive camping. It also says target shooting is prohibited on Shindagin Hollow State Forest. That one sentence is enough reason to check the actual page before relying on broad state-forest assumptions.

Camping deserves the same careful read. DEC allows primitive camping, but campsites must be at least 150 feet from the nearest road, trail, or body of water. Camping for more than three nights, or in a group of ten or more, requires a Forest Ranger permit.

The forest is still welcoming. The page identifies a Shindagin Hollow lean-to along the trail and notes about 20 miles of mountain-bike trails plus 11 miles of snowmobile trails.

Plan the ride, hike, hunt, winter route, or overnight from the DEC page before you go. Shindagin Hollow has room for several kinds of recreation, but it is not rule-free, and the target-shooting line is too specific to leave to memory.