If you're through hiking the Finger Lakes Trail and are coming into Masonville, it's worth the side trip to the Masonville General Store.  The General Store also is home to the Crescent Wrench Cafe.  There is also a small post office located within this small hamlet. 

The trail enters Masonville from NY 8 to the north and leaves along NY 206 to the west.  This section of the Finger Lakes Trail begins as the trail leaves NY 206 along a grassy lane before reaching dirt Getter Hill Road.  From here the trail enters the 617 acre Beales Pond State Forest off Getter Hill Road.  A new lean to was constructed in 2011 in the state forest along the FLT.

The trail winds through the state forest crossing a couple of seasonal streams before descending and crossing seasonal dirt Beales Pond Road.  From here the trail ascends along a logging track before reaching the trails highest point in this state forest at 2051 feet.  Soon the trail leaves the state forest and enters private property for a short time.

The trail now enters the 2858 acre Artic China State Forest along an old DEC road.  The trail follows this old road all the way past a gate to seasonal dirt Shear Road.  The trail follows Shear Road west for 0.3 mile before turning left off the road and back into the forest.

Now the trail climbs to its highest point in Artic China State Forest at an elevation of 2080 feet and then reaches a junction of a blue blazed trail that leads 1.6 miles west to Oquaga Creek State Park.  The trail now descends into China Ravine and crosses a creek on a plank bridge.  The trail ascends out of the ravine and reaches the "summit" parking and camping area off Dunbar Road.  Please note that Dunbar Road does not go all the way to NY 8 as it is stated on the map below.

The trail has one more steep ascent up to a ridge before beginning a long, sometime steep descent toward East Branch Cold Spring Creek.  The trail makes a sharp left turn during the descent and soon reaches Cold Spring Lean To on the left.  There are some views through the trees.  This next part of the trail has numerous old walls and old even a few old foundations from the folks who used to live here many years ago.  The trail continues its descent and finally reaching East Branch Cold Spring Creek, crossing it on a very nice but slippery footbridge.

The trail reaches NY 8 and the end of this section.  The trail continues across NY 8 into Steam Mill State Forest and then Barbour Brook State Forest.  There is a DEC Parking area off NY 8 where the trail crosses the road.  This eleven mile section of the Finger Lakes Trail is moderate to difficult hiking with an overall elevation gain of 2124 feet during this section of the trail. 

Directions:  This section of trail is almost two hours and 90 miles away from Syracuse, NY.  To reach this section take I 81 south to the Whitney Point exit.  Turn left on NY 79/US 11 and follow road into the village.  Look for the NY 206 signs and turn left on NY 26, then a quick right on NY 206.  It is 27 miles to Bainbridge on NY 206 and then another seven miles to Masonville.

Pictures from along the Finger Lakes Trail

Masonville General Store	Masonville General Store	Masonville General Store	Masonville General Store	Masonville General Store
Aerial view of Masonville	View from NY 8 parking area	FLT at NY 8	Trail Register near NY 8	Finger Lakes Trail
Finger Lakes Trail	Bridge over East Branch Cold Spring Creek	Scrappy crosses bridge	Footbridge	Old Foundation ruins
DEC Sign near Cold Spring Lean To	Finger Lakes Trail	Finger Lakes Trail	View from Lean To	Cold Spring Lean To

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