Rules & Licenses · Finger Lakes
Connecticut Hill Is Not a Free-for-All Trail System
DEC lists several prohibited activities at Connecticut Hill WMA, including mountain bikes, e-bikes, and camping without a permit.
Published June 24, 2026 · Last verified June 24, 2026
Connecticut Hill is large, wooded, and threaded by many access points, so it is easy to mistake it for a general trail system. It is a Wildlife Management Area, and DEC’s rules are tighter than a casual ride plan might assume. Prohibited uses include motorized vehicles such as ATVs, snowmobiles, dirt bikes, mopeds, and motorboats. The list also includes mountain bikes and e-bikes, camping without a permit, horseback riding, target shooting, unauthorized trail creation or maintenance, and unleashed dogs except during specific hunting or dog-training uses.
Check the activity before the route. Hiking, hunting, trapping, fishing, wildlife watching, and photography can fit the WMA framework when done under the rules. A bike ride, horse ride, target-practice stop, or quick campout is different.
If you are meeting friends near Connecticut Hill Road or another Tompkins-Schuyler access point, send the DEC page around before anyone loads bikes, gear, or targets. The question is not whether the woods look inviting; it is whether the planned use is allowed. A little sorting at home helps. Connecticut Hill, Wildlife Management Area, and Rules should not turn into a wrong-counter trip just because the office names sound similar.