Pinnacle State Forest Park

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• Park
• Under 1 kmfrom Addison center
• Wheelchair accessparking lot
• Parking
• Addison

A Hilltop in Transition

For decades this ridge above Addison was known as Pinnacle State Park, complete with a distinctive hillside nine-hole golf course built in the 1960s. When the course closed in 2017 and the clubhouse stood empty, the land's future changed. Buildings and infrastructure have been removed, and roughly 700 acres that once formed the park are being absorbed into McCarthy Hill State Forest to the east, effectively doubling that woodland's size.↗

The result is a shift from developed park to rustic state forest. DEC describes the combined land as focused on simple, low-impact recreation—sustainable forestry, wildlife habitat, clean water and trails—managed by local Forest Rangers who run search-and-rescue and keep watch over public land. It stays open all year with no entrance fee, and the old golf fairways are being coaxed back toward natural wildlife habitat.↗

Views Over the Canisteo Valley

Elevation is the park's calling card. Orr Hill rises steeply out of the Canisteo River Valley and the village below, and from the summit the sightlines open wide across the valley, toward Harris Hill and the patchwork of ridges that define the Twin Tiers region.↗↗

Several viewpoints punctuate the high ground. The Addison Vista, tucked behind the former lodge site, looks down on the village in the valley and the mountains that surround it; other pull-offs along the old course give views north toward Coopers Plain, and hikers on the through-trails note open lookouts on the way up from Reep Road.↗↗

Walking, Skiing and the Trail Network

The gentlest introduction is the Pinnacle Golf Loop, a roughly two-mile, easy semi-paved circuit that winds over the old grounds past ponds, weeping willows and the remnants of pavilions, grills and picnic tables before climbing to the lodge site and the Addison Vista. The shorter Levi Pond Trail hugs the pond's shoreline for an even quieter stroll.↗↗

Beyond the loops, the highlands link into the long-distance Finger Lakes Trail / Great Eastern Trail. Hikers on that route pass scenic Levi Pond with its picnic tables, then follow named forest trails such as the Beaver Pond, Squirrel and Grouse Point paths into McCarthy Hill, where a lean-to with an open pit toilet offers an overnight stop. In winter, the same open meadow and forest trails—several miles of them—become pleasant cross-country skiing and snowshoeing terrain.↗↗↗

Water, Wildlife and Quiet Pastimes

Levi Pond is the natural gathering spot, where anglers cast for bass, bluegill and bullheads and picnickers make use of the tables and grills along the bank. The open meadows and wetlands around the former course give the area an airy, pastoral feel unusual for deep Southern Tier forest.↗↗

This corner of the Southern Tier is a mosaic of hills, forest, grassland and wetland, so wildlife-watching comes easily. Black bear, wild turkey and white-tailed deer move through the woods, beaver and mink work the wetlands, and the grasslands shelter birds including the northern harrier and the state-endangered Henslow's sparrow. Deer, turkey and small-game hunting, plus trapping, are permitted in season.↗↗

Planning Your Visit

This is passive recreation country with limited amenities, so treat it as a relaxed outing rather than a full-day destination. The land sits on a hillside, trails can be muddy or snowy underfoot, and the former park has no staffed facilities or developed parking lot—the old Pinnacle Road entrance has had a vehicle gate, and walkers park in small turnouts on the road and proceed on foot, so check current access before you go.↗↗

Primitive camping is allowed in the state forest, with the McCarthy Hill lean-to the one designated site and at-large campsites required to stay well clear of roads, trails and water; longer stays or larger groups need a Forest Ranger permit. Keep dogs leashed, watch for ticks in the grassy and brushy stretches, and bring your own water and food, since services are minimal. As land, access rules and trailheads can change during the transition from park to forest, the DEC and local ranger offices are the best place to confirm conditions on the day you visit.↗↗