Doodletown, human settlement in New York, United States of America
Doodletown is an abandoned settlement in Bear Mountain State Park in New York, where only foundations, old roads, and cemeteries remain visible today. The site spreads across several kilometers of forest and shows traces of roughly 70 homes, a church, and a school that have all disappeared or decayed.
The settlement was founded in the 1600s and grew over two centuries, with families descended from French Huguenots and other settlers living and working there. In the 1900s, the government acquired the land for Bear Mountain Park, and the remaining residents were displaced through eminent domain in the 1960s, after which most structures were demolished.
Access is via hiking trails in Bear Mountain State Park, with a roughly 3-mile (5 km) route that is not difficult for most people to manage. Visitors should watch for snakes like rattlesnakes and copperheads that live in the area, and bring sturdy shoes and water.
The cemeteries have remarkably survived and are still visited by descendants of former residents who return each year to remember their families. The area has also been recognized since 1997 as an important bird sanctuary, where many bird species can be seen especially during migration seasons.
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