Tuller Hill riders need the hiker-designated trail split

Tuller Hill is built for mixed use, which is exactly why the trail-type check matters. NYS DEC places the state forest in Virgil, lists 2,497 acres, and describes hiking, skiing, mountain biking, horseback riding, snowmobiling, hunting, trapping, geocaching, and nature observation.

The Multiple-Use Trail System is meant for a wide range of family recreation, but multiple-use does not turn every marked route into every-use.

The important split is simple: horseback riding and biking are not permitted on hiker-designated trails. A winter snowmobile plan and a summer mountain-bike plan are asking different questions, and a hiker-designated route keeps that narrower use even inside a larger multiple-use forest. Before unloading bikes or horses, match the activity to the DEC map, signs, season, and the route you are actually using.

If you need to ask DEC Region 7, bring the forest name, access road, group size, activity, and season. At Tuller Hill, the rule check is part of being a good trail neighbor. It keeps hikers, riders, and bikes from trying to share the wrong strip of Cortland County dirt, and it keeps the outing from starting with a preventable mistake.