Highland Forest, County park in Onondaga County, United States
Highland Forest is a county park of 2,759 acres centred on Arab Hill in Fabius, Onondaga County, New York. Most of it is forested land replanted from the 1930s, crossed by more than 20 miles (32 km) of trails for hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking and cross-country skiing. Elevation mostly runs between 1,550 and 1,900 feet.
Highland Forest grew out of abandoned farmland around Fabius: after New York State offered reforestation funding in 1929, foresters Nelson C. Brown and F. Franklin Moon urged Onondaga County to act, and the county board voted $5,000 on June 3, 1929. Purchases began in 1930, reaching 2,000 acres by decade's end, and from 1930 to 1939 about 2 million pines, cedars, spruce, larch and hardwoods were planted. Trails, fireplaces and picnic tables followed from 1932.
The park's Pioneer Museum opened in the 1950s, built by forester Ray Benson, who collected items on regional history; it grew to about 5,000 objects, closed in 2003, and the Fabius Historical Society planned to reopen it. As of 2025 it opens June to August on weekends.
Different trails are marked with symbols to separate riders, cyclists, and skiers. Check conditions before your visit to find which routes are open for your chosen activity.
During World War II, Syracuse China tested prototypes of ceramic land mines at Highland Forest. The park also has a 300-foot sledding hill, and its Pioneer Museum, opened in the 1950s, is open on weekends from June to August as of 2025.
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