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James Kennedy State Forest

James Kennedy State Forest: History & Recreation

November 20, 2023 by Editorial Staff 1 Comment

James Kennedy State Forest (photo by Chris Ray courtesy Finger Lakes Land Trust)There are many recreational resources at the 4,507-acre James Kennedy State Forest, including snowmobile trails, a portion of the Finger Lakes Trail, and a cross-country ski trail. The Forest, named in memory of the District Forester James D. Kennedy, is located in Harford, Lapeer and Virgil, in Cortland County, NY.

The towns of Virgil, Lapeer, and Harford, in which the James Kennedy State Forest is located, were developed under the Military Tract that was established in 1789. The Governor of New York, DeWitt Clinton, plotted land from Oswego to the southern border of present day Cortland County. This land was dedicated for the payment of New York’s Revolutionary War soldiers. [Read more…] about James Kennedy State Forest: History & Recreation

Filed Under: History, Nature, Recreation, Western NY Tagged With: CCC, Civilian Conservation Corps, Cortland County, Cross-Country Skiing, Finger Lakes, Finger Lakes Trail, Harford, hiking, Homer, Ithaca, James Kennedy State Forest, Lapeer, Military Tract, snowmobiling, Thompkins County, Virgil

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