Bristol Hills Branch Trail

Bristol Hills Branch Trail is an easy, long-distance hiking route built as part of the Finger Lakes Trail system, mapped here as a designated hiking path (not for motor vehicles).

On the ground, the trail includes a distinctive special-place component within Urbana State Forest: the Huckleberry Bog Nature Trail loop on Map B3. Just south of Bean Station Road, the Bristol Hills Branch Trail goes uphill through private land to the state forest, where the nature trail forms a loop that includes both orange- and blue-blazed sections.

The Huckleberry Bog Nature Trail is described as fairly level, with an elevation band around 1770–1870 feet, and it’s laid out entirely within Urbana State Forest. It’s managed as a self-guided nature loop with informational materials and numbered features at points along the route.

That same Map B3 area is also where the description flags a nearby section constraint: visitors should not leave the designated footpath to use an adjacent old road (ATVs and horseback riders can use the road legally, but the footpath is for hiking/appropriate use).

For route planning, the mapped trail length here is about 5.22 km, and the trail is treated as a short hiking-specific member route (a branch component with multiple members/segments in the mapping).

Preparation for this route: if conditions are wet, inspect the trail tread and the loop’s drainage-prone ground at the bog area before committing—bog-adjacent sections can feel different underfoot than surrounding upland parts.

More information: Digital maps of the Bristol Hills Branch Trail - 4 Maps, Huckleberry Bog - Finger Lakes Trail Conference, The Hills of the FLT