Stokes State Forest
W L.
Reviewed Jan. 8, 2022

Cozy Cabins and Serene Trails

Rented a cabin in November (#009) and again in December (#008) of 2021. I favored Cabin 8, the kitchen and bathroom were separated from the main room.

The cabins are reasonably priced and well-appointed, if a bit rustic. The interior features are just what you'd expect for getting away for the weekend. THe main room has a bunk bed and two twins, a table with benches, two Adirondack chairs, a wood stove set into a fireplace (some cabins still feature a fireplace only, but these two did not), hot/cold water, electric stove with oven, refrigerator, toilet, bathroom sink, mirror, plenty of hooks to hang jackets and coats, storage cabinets in the kitchen area, overhead lighting, wall outlets, and screened windows.

The doors feature deadbolt locks - so be sure to always take the key or set the lock to be unlocked all the time.

The mattresses are vinyl covered, so you can wipe them down with your own sanitizing wipes. There was hand sanitizer in each cabin as well.

Outside is a picnic table, fire ring, and grill. There are hooks near the door to hang a lantern.

The park office is not nearby, about 2(?) miles away. They sell wood, and there are a few road stands near the campground, but that wood is wet. You'll need to find some birch to get your fire going if, like me, you didn't buy wood on the way (plenty of signs for wood as you approach the park office) and the office was closed upon arrival. I bought wood from a house across the street from the entrance to the cabins and it was damp, but in November, I wasn't complaining, it took awhile but I got a nice blaze going. You need that wood stove to heat up the cabin. Turning on the oven is a help, but not a good solution. The wood stove definitely heats the room up nicely. I went through two bundles of wood in one night, and could have used more in the morning. (There's plenty of fallen wood around but it was damp/raining both times I visited). The second time I took six bundles of wood and used them all from Friday to Sunday morning, and 7 would've have been better.

The trails nearby are varied, read the maps (especially NY NJ Trail Conference Maps) to get an idea of difficulty/elevation. We went in November when there was a light rain that turned into a thunderstorm with hail and sleet! It was certainly an adventure. The area was  incredibly peaceful in December with many cabin reservations abandoned due to rain in the forecast. It did rain, but was still a great trip. The photos of the tent sites were taken in December.

Site008 in Nov, 009 in Dec
Month of VisitJanuary
  • Review photo of Stokes State Forest by W L., January 8, 2022
  • Review photo of Stokes State Forest by W L., January 8, 2022
  • Review photo of Stokes State Forest by W L., January 8, 2022
  • Review photo of Stokes State Forest by W L., January 8, 2022
  • Review photo of Stokes State Forest by W L., January 8, 2022
  • Review photo of Stokes State Forest by W L., January 8, 2022
  • Review photo of Stokes State Forest by W L., January 8, 2022
  • Review photo of Stokes State Forest by W L., January 8, 2022
  • Review photo of Stokes State Forest by W L., January 8, 2022
  • Review photo of Stokes State Forest by W L., January 8, 2022
  • Review photo of Stokes State Forest by W L., January 8, 2022
  • Review photo of Stokes State Forest by W L., January 8, 2022
  • Review photo of Stokes State Forest by W L., January 8, 2022
  • Review photo of Stokes State Forest by W L., January 8, 2022
  • Review photo of Stokes State Forest by W L., January 8, 2022
  • Review photo of Stokes State Forest by W L., January 8, 2022
  • Review photo of Stokes State Forest by W L., January 8, 2022
  • Review photo of Stokes State Forest by W L., January 8, 2022
  • Review photo of Stokes State Forest by W L., January 8, 2022
  • Review photo of Stokes State Forest by W L., January 8, 2022
  • Review photo of Stokes State Forest by W L., January 8, 2022
  • Review photo of Stokes State Forest by W L., January 8, 2022
  • Review photo of Stokes State Forest by W L., January 8, 2022
  • Review photo of Stokes State Forest by W L., January 8, 2022
  • Review photo of Stokes State Forest by W L., January 8, 2022
  • Pouring rain on Hike, check out this video! Imagine rain in sheets going down this smooth tree bark! I never saw anything like it. It was gorgeous yet with thunder roaring and hail at times, we were definitely feeling more exposed to the elements than we would prefer.
    Play button icon
  • Review photo of Stokes State Forest by W L., January 8, 2022
  • Review photo of Stokes State Forest by W L., January 8, 2022
  • Review photo of Stokes State Forest by W L., January 8, 2022