Discover Southville State Forest Trail

Recreational loop trail through dense pine forest and along the banks of the West Branch of the St. Regis River.
TRAIL ACTIVITY
LENGTH
3.10 miles, Network
DIFFICULTY
Easy, Moderate
TOWN
Potsdam
SURFACE
Dirt/Forest Floor, Grass, Ungroomed Snow
PETS
Permitted
FEES
No

Description

Southville State Forest offers more than three miles of pleasant hiking and multi-use trail through a mixed forest of northern hardwoods and pine plantation. A central loop trail (yellow markers) strikes through the center of the forest before looping to the west and following the banks of the West Branch of the Saint Regis River. A short spur trail leads northward from the loop trail and leaves State property, please respect the rights of private landowners.

These trails may be accessed from either the northern PFAR parking area or the southern roadside access parking area. Horseback riding and mountain biking are allowed on the trail that stretches from the southern parking area through the northern spur trail. Neither are allowed on the riverside trail. Please see the NY DEC Southville State Forest map for more information.

Other Information

These trails are within Southville State Forest and are managed by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. The 551-acre Southville State Forest consists of four separate parcels which were purchased in 1941 for the purposes of reforestation, wildlife management, timber production, recreation and watershed protection.

 

 
This trail is part of the Great 8 Challenge. Learn more!

 

 

 

Trail Manager

For more information, please visit the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation online, or contact:

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Potsdam Sub-Office

New York State Department of Environmental Conservation Potsdam Sub-Office
190 Outer Main Street - Suite 103
Potsdam, NY 13676
Phone: 315-265-3090
information.r6@dec.ny.gov
View website

Nearby Businesses

Trail Tips

Avoid the Ivy
Learn to recognize poison ivy, which commonly grows along the edges of trails, fields, and rivers. If contacted, use soap and a washcloth to vigorously wash the oils from your skin.
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Trailhead Information

There are two parking areas for the trails at Southville State Forest.
 
The first parking area is located by the Southville State Forest Sign on Rt. 57 (West Stockholm Southville Road) with 2-4 spaces on either side of the road. The second is in a small clearing a short ways down a Public Forest Access Road (PFAR) which turns west off of West Stockholm Southville Road 0.4 miles north of the first parking area. All coordinates provided are in decimal degrees using NAD83/WGS84 datum.
  • PFAR parking area (44.6935844, -74.8804626)
  • West Stockholm-Southville Road parking area (44.6894913, -74.8748322)

 

Click on a parking icon to get custom directions
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al_geremia
May 28, 2023
Did this trail today with my sister while geocaching! We did the full loop, we did get turned around at one point but inwas not using the map provided by the website or any map at all for that fact so that was on us. There are several trail signs
al_geremia
May 28, 2023
Did this trail today with my sister while geocaching! We did the full loop, we did get turned around at one point but inwas not using the map provided by the website or any map at all for that fact so that was on us. There are several trail signs
listersister
May 10, 2021
This is one of my favorite places to find interesting wildflowers! We found jack in the pulpit on 5/9/21 and in the spring of 2020 found a ton of pink ladyslipper along the trail. It's complicated to follow the trail because there are lots of branches along the loop. Very straight-forward to get to the river by heading straight down the hill when the path branches, but trying to continue the loop after was confusing. There is a small bridge out near the river which can lead to a bit of a challenging/ soggy crossing. Nice wide trails. To the river and back is a great distance for our toddler to do without assistance.
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