Danby State Forest: Finger Lakes Trail and Abbott Loop

Danby State Forest, NYSDEC Region 7 (near Ithaca)

Danby State Forest covers 7,729 acres of hills, glens, and creek bottoms south of Ithaca, according to the DEC, and the Finger Lakes Trail runs east to west through it. The DEC credits the Cayuga Trails Club with building and maintaining nearly 15 miles of trail and lean-tos here. The orange-blazed Abbott Loop climbs to Thatcher’s Pinnacles above the Cayuga Inlet valley.

Backpacker described a 16.7-mile overnight here in 2017, with a campsite “perched 800 feet above the Inlet Valley.”

The hike

Backpacker’s route starts where the Finger Lakes Trail crosses Danby Road; it notes a bus stop, Hillside View, about 1.1 miles away. Heading south on the white-blazed FLT, the first mile gains about 500 feet. At mile 4.3 the route splits onto the orange-blazed Abbott Loop, and at mile 6.3 it reaches Michigan Creek, the water refill. The Pinnacles campsite comes at mile 8.9.

Ithaca Trails describes Thatcher’s Pinnacles at about 1,700 feet, with views of the Inlet Valley, the Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve, and the hamlet of West Danby. Go Finger Lakes explains why the view matters: it shows a U-shaped glacial valley that’s hard to see from the ground.

Day two follows the Abbott Loop 1.9 miles back to the Finger Lakes Trail at Diane’s Crossing, a footbridge over Michigan Creek near an old sawmill site; the DEC calls the creek a protected trout stream. From there Backpacker heads south through a narrow corridor of sugar maples and red pines, passes the Abbott Trail junction, and retraces the first 4.3 miles to Danby Road. The whole loop has more than 3,000 feet of climbing.

The forest’s two lean-tos sit on sections of the Abbott Loop that overlap the Finger Lakes Trail, according to Go Finger Lakes. The DEC places Chestnut about 0.7 mile east of Bald Hill Road, and Ithaca Trails notes a privy there. Tamarack is about half a mile east of Travor Road on the forest’s east side. Either can shorten the trip or replace the Pinnacles camp.

Ithaca Trails’ Abbott Loop descriptions include stream crossings, puncheon over an old beaver dam, and several road crossings. Bald Hill Road isn’t recommended for low-clearance cars and isn’t plowed in winter (DEC).

For a longer Finger Lakes-area trip, the Finger Lakes Trail continues east and west across the region; in the Hudson Valley, see the Ramapo-Dunderberg Trail for another two-day shelter trip.

Tips

Get a ranger permit in fall if you plan to use the designated FLT sites between September 1 and January 1.
Wear blaze orange in hunting season; the trails stay open.
Fill up at Michigan Creek before climbing to the Pinnacles.
Expect stream crossings and puncheon in the creek bottoms.
Skip Bald Hill Road in a low car or in winter.

Camping

The DEC lists 10 designated primitive sites and 2 lean-tos along the Finger Lakes Trail in Danby State Forest. Primitive camping is otherwise allowed throughout the forest at least 150 feet from the nearest road, trail, or water. A Forest Ranger permit is needed for more than three nights, for groups of 10 or more, and for the 10 designated sites from September 1 to January 1. Lean-tos are first come, first served and must be shared to capacity, per DEC rules. Target shooting is prohibited on the forest.

Inside Intel: Backpacker chose the first-come Thatcher’s Pinnacles campsite for its view and sunset, describing a bluff-top camp 800 feet above the Inlet Valley with “open ridgeline views.” No camper accounts recommending the Chestnut or Tamarack lean-tos specifically were found.

Trail facts

Distance: 16.7 miles (Backpacker); Abbott Loop alone about 8 miles
Route type: Lollipop loop
Difficulty: Moderate; more than 3,000 feet of gain
Campsites: Thatcher’s Pinnacles site (about mile 8.9); Chestnut and Tamarack lean-tos; 10 designated FLT sites; at-large sites 150 feet off trails and water
Water: Michigan Creek (about mile 6.3); treat all water
Permits: Ranger permit for designated FLT sites Sept. 1-Jan. 1, groups of 10+, or stays over three nights
Trailheads: FLT crossing on Danby Road (Backpacker); DEC lots on South Danby Road and Michigan Hollow Road
Last verified: October 11, 2026

The Lowdown

A bluff-top bed at Thatcher's Pinnacles:

Backpacker's Danby campsite sits on a bluff 800 feet above the Inlet Valley, open to cold fall nights. See the sleeping pads testers rate for warmth.

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Where this comes from

This page draws on the sources below, along with other guides and trip reports. Links go to the original pages.

Before you go: This page is based on published trail guides, trip reports, and reviews, along with official park and agency information where we could find it. It’s meant to help backpackers discover new trails, not to replace current, official information. Conditions, closures, permits, campsites, and water sources change, and some details here may be out of date or wrong. Confirm everything with the managing agency and check current conditions before you head out, and don’t rely on this page alone for safety or navigation. Backcountry travel involves risk.