Fellows Hill Loop

 This short loop gives trail users a taste of Morgan Hill State Forest’s natural beauty. With surreal pine forests, a pond surrounded by spruce trees, and a wooded gorge, this hike is worth more than its length. Plus, it can be extended with the nearby Onondaga Trail, with both Jones Hill and Shackham Pond less than two miles from the loop.

Map of the Fellows Hill Loop

You can navigate on this route using the downloadable AllTrails map.

 The trailhead for this hike is located at the Spruce Pond Parking Area on Herlihy Road, south of NYS Route 80 in Fabius. The GPS coordinates are 42.79913, -76.02589.

From the trailhead (1695’), follow the seasonal Herlihy Road north, which is marked with a FLT sign. This entire loop, including this short road walk, is marked with orange blazes. Shortly after the parking area, the trail turns right into the woods, heading away from Spruce Pond.

At 0.1 miles, the trail crosses another seasonal road, just look for the orange blazes on the other side. After the road crossing, it is flat for a bit, but then begins a moderately steep climb that leads to the ridge of Fellows Hill. This is the only major climb on the loop, ending at approximately 0.7 miles from the trailhead (1960’). After the ridge is gained, the trail travels through a mix of open and coniferous forests. Eventually, a short climb will bring you to the summit of Fellows Hill at 1.5 miles, the second-highest point in Onondaga County (2000’).

The trail now descends at a gradient similar to the initial ascent. At 2.0 miles, the trail intersects with Herlihy Road once again. If completing this loop in the winter, it’s recommended that you park here instead of at Spruce Pond as the section of road between here and the pond isn’t plowed. To continue the loop, turn left on the road for a few yards, then turn right again, noting the orange blazes that guide you off the road.

The trail now descends into a wooded gorge, which it follows for most of the way back. At 2.4 miles, a smaller stream flows into the gorge from the left. Since it is too steep to cross this smaller stream, the trail follows it uphill until it’s safe to cross, then returns to the main gorge. From here, it is mostly easy terrain until the junction with the blue-blazed Onondaga Trail/North Country Trail at 3.3 miles. Continue straight at this junction, following the shore of Spruce Pond.

This short section of the loop coincides with the Onondaga Trail/NCT and is marked with both blue and orange blazes. Continue following the shoreline until the end of the pond, where the Fellows Hill Trail leaves the blue-blazed trail. Turn left here and follow the orange-blazed trail 0.1 miles to the trailhead. Total distance for this hike: 3.6 miles with 650 feet of elevation gain.