Cat Hollow State Forest

Discover

An abandoned road gives a visit to Cat Hollow State Forest a line to follow through a landscape with several different pasts. Along McMurray Road, DEC identifies an old farm foundation, a beaver pond and a feeder stream of the West Branch of the Delaware River. These are modest features, but their relationship can make a woodland walk more interesting than a search for one dramatic viewpoint.

The forest covers 759 acres in the Town of Sanford, Broome County. Its name recalls cougars that the operator says roamed the area before 1900. Treat that as a historical naming story, rather than a wildlife-viewing promise. A name can preserve an earlier understanding of a place even when it tells you little about the animals you might encounter on a particular day.

The old farm foundation offers a different kind of evidence. It places an earlier human use within the present state forest, without supplying a complete biography of the people who lived or worked there. Notice the relationship between the trace of a building and the old road. Questions about movement and access can be useful here, while dates, occupants and the former farm's appearance should remain open unless further interpretation establishes them.

Water supplies another thread. The old road follows a feeder stream and passes the pond identified by DEC. Look at where water, vegetation and the line of travel come together from an appropriate public position. A wide composition might explain their relationship more clearly than an isolated close-up. The presence of a beaver pond does not guarantee that a beaver will appear, and an observation visit need not depend on seeing one.

Cat Hollow became state land in 1964 through a purchase using Bond Act funds. That documented acquisition provides another date in a landscape already associated with earlier farming and a historical animal name. Public ownership should not be confused with the beginning of the forest's entire story. The different kinds of evidence invite a more layered reading: a name, a building trace and an administrative decision each preserve a different part of the record.

The property's management also has a wider frame. The Broome State Forests Unit Management Plan groups Cat Hollow with Tracy Creek, Beaver Pond, Whitaker Swamp, Hawkins Pond, Marsh Pond, Skyline Drive and Cascade Valley state forests, covering 5,371 acres in Broome and Tioga counties. Those names describe a shared planning unit, not one continuous walking route. If you add another forest to the day, use its own map and access information.

For Cat Hollow itself, McMurray Road is described as 1.2 miles long. DEC's approach follows Oquaga Lake Road south from Deposit, then Gillette Road toward the Woodford Road intersection. The abandoned road begins there and runs southeast through the forest. The operator identifies parking along Woodford Road and at the forest entrance on Gillette Road. Check the current map and conditions when deciding how much of the old road to follow.

A useful focus for the visit is the way one route links different traces. Begin with whichever feature draws your attention, then consider what the others add to its context. The farm foundation does not explain the pond, and the cougar name does not explain the state purchase. Together, however, they offer several ways to look closely at a place whose interest lies in these connections rather than a single headline attraction.

Fun facts

1. Cat Hollow State Forest is named after cougars that roamed the area before 1900.
2. The forest was acquired in 1964 using Bond Act funds.
3. McMurray Road runs along a feeder stream to the West Branch of the Delaware River.
4. The forest features an old farm foundation and a beaver pond.
5. Cat Hollow is part of the Broome State Forests Unit Management Plan.

Read the official sources →

Capture

1. Capture the serene beauty of the beaver pond, especially during sunrise or sunset for stunning reflections.
2. Photograph the old farm foundation to showcase the historical aspect of the forest.
3. Use the feeder stream as a leading line in your composition to highlight the forest’s natural flow.

Social

Step back in time at Cat Hollow State Forest, named after cougars that roamed the area before 1900. #Cre8Travel

Explore the abandoned McMurray Road in Cat Hollow State Forest, winding through history and nature. #Cre8Travel

Discover the beaver pond and old farm foundation at Cat Hollow State Forest in Broome County, NY. #Cre8Travel

Cat Hollow State Forest is part of a 5,371-acre management plan across Broome and Tioga counties. #Cre8Travel

Use the current Cat Hollow map to plan the Gillette Road approach and a woodland visit around documented features. #Cre8Travel

Learn about the Broome State Forests Unit Management Plan, preserving Cat Hollow for generations. #Cre8Travel

Cat Hollow State Forest offers a unique blend of natural beauty and historical intrigue. #Cre8Travel

Walk along McMurray Road and connect with nature at Cat Hollow State Forest. #Cre8Travel

Hashtags

1. #Cre8Travel
2. #CatHollowStateForest
3. #BroomeCountyNY
4. #NatureAndHistory
5. #ExploreNY
6. #StateForests

Sources & visitor information

• New York State Department of Environmental Conservation — Cat Hollow State Forest