Otselic State Forest
Nature preserve
1,029 acres8.3 mi of trail
Dec Truck Trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Photo: Doug Kerr from Albany, New York, United States · CC BY-SA 2.0–Not graded
Outdoors in Otselic
Few parks or trails are on the map in Otselic
The biggest trail networks: Otselic State Forest (8.3 mi), Bucks Brook State Forest (3.9 mi), Muller Hill State Forest (1.7 mi). 31% of Otselic’s land is conserved, about 7,584 acres. 5,939 acres are parks and preserves, 6,534 per 1,000 residents.
Conserved land
31%
7,584 acres · of 38.0 sq mi of land
Trails
24 mi
0.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
5,939 ac
6,534 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
73%
of residents within ½ mile
Highest peak
1,949 ft
Cary Hill
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Otselic State Forest, with 8.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Bucks Brook State Forest
Managed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
2,156 acres3.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Muller Hill State Forest
Managed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
426 acres1.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Pharsalia Wildlife Management Area
Managed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
1,326 acres1.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Perkins Pond State Forest
Nature preserve
241 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
Mariposa State Forest
Managed by New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
210 acres0.4 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
All 8 parks & preserves
Otselic State Forest1,029 acres · 8.3 mi of trail
Bucks Brook State Forest2,156 acres · 3.9 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Muller Hill State Forest426 acres · 1.7 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
DirectionsPharsalia Wildlife Management Area1,326 acres · 1.5 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Perkins Pond State Forest241 acres · 1 mi of trail
Mariposa State Forest210 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Beaver Meadow State Forest1,786 acres · New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
South Otselic Fish Hatchery139 acres
Who protects it
7,584 conserved acres
31% of Otselic’s land. Who manages Otselic’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
State conservation7,386 ac
USDA easements (NRCS)195 ac
Other or Unknown Local Government3 ac
State Conservation Area · 5,899 acState Resource Management Area · 1,346 acConservation Easement · 195 acState Other or Unknown · 141 acLocal Resource Management Area · 2 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. 195 acres are conservation easements, usually private land. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bucks Brook State Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 2,169 | Open |
| Beaver Meadow State Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 1,810 | Open |
| Pharsalia Wma State Resource Management Area | State conservation | 1,346 | Open |
| Otselic State Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 1,035 | Open |
| Muller Hill State Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 430 | Open |
| Perkins Pond State Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 243 | Open |
| Mariposa State Forest State Conservation Area | State conservation | 211 | Open |
| South Otselic Fish Hatchery State Other or Unknown | State conservation | 141 | Restricted |
| Otselic Town Lands Local Conservation Area | Other or Unknown Local Government | 3 | Restricted |
Things to do
6 places to go in Otselic
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Waterfalls in Otselic
1 waterfall without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Peaks in Otselic
Cary Hill1,949 ft elevation · In Bucks Brook State Forest
DirectionsCole Hill1,903 ft elevation
DirectionsTruman Hill1,781 ft elevation
DirectionsParce Mountain1,745 ft elevation
DirectionsCampgrounds in Otselic
1 campground without a name on the map.
Trails & water
1 named trail
Named trails
Unpaved · 12.9 mi
Dec Truck Trail0.9 mi
Biking & sports
0.0 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
Courts & fields
2Baseball
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →4 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service).
When to get out
The best walking months in Otselic: May and September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.4 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.3 | 15.0 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 11.0 | 9.7 | 9.1 |
| High (°F) | 29 | 32 | 40 | 54 | 66 | 74 | 78 | 77 | 70 | 57 | 45 | 34 |
| Rain (in) | 3.2 | 2.7 | 3.5 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 4.8 | 4.5 | 4.4 | 4.1 | 4.4 | 3.6 | 3.7 |
February is the driest month (2.7 in) and July the warmest (highs of 78 °F). 4.8 inches fall in June, the wettest month. The climate in Otselic →
Next door
Otselic and its neighbors
Otselic has the most mapped trails of the 5 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Otselic | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Pharsalia | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Smyrna | 15% | under 0.1 | 2,922 | 17% | B |
| Lincklaen | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Georgetown | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Otselic
Where can I hike in Otselic?
The longest trail networks: Otselic State Forest, 8.3 miles; Bucks Brook State Forest, 3.9 miles; Muller Hill State Forest, 1.7 miles; Pharsalia Wildlife Management Area, 1.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
Are dogs allowed on Otselic’s trails?
Otselic State Forest and Bucks Brook State Forest don’t have dog rules recorded on the map; check the signs at the trailhead.
Is there public land near Otselic?
75,030 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Otselic or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 7,308 of them inside the town line.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Otselic neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →