Labrador Hollow Unique Area, Protected natural area in Cortland and Onondaga Counties, United States.
Labrador Hollow Unique Area is a protected natural area in a glacier-carved valley in New York State, spanning parts of Cortland and Onondaga counties. The valley has steep rocky walls, a small pond, patches of forest, and several streams running through it.
New York State began considering a purchase with funds from the 1972 Environmental Quality Bond Act, but the land was bought between 1974 and 1978. In 1974 the state approved up to $500,000 for 900 acres around Labrador Pond; after negotiations, 1,000 acres were secured and the area opened in April 1978. Another 307 acres came from Morgan Hill State Forest in 1984.
The name "Unique Area" comes from the state designation given when the land was protected. Visitors can walk a 2,000-foot boardwalk through the wetlands at the northern end of Labrador Pond, and a stone staircase built in 2013–2014 leads to the amphitheater behind Tinker Falls. The area is used for hiking, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, fishing, hunting, and non-motorized boating.
Marked trails run through the area and connect to nearby state forests, with parking available along the main roads. Spring and fall tend to offer the best conditions for walking, when the ground is dry and temperatures are comfortable.
Tinker Falls, the waterfall inside the area, formed as water worked through layers of shale and limestone over millions of years. The exposed rock layers are still visible today and show clearly how differently each layer resisted erosion.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 92,828 contributors worldwide.