THIS IS A FAVORITE FISHING SPOT FOR MY WIFE AND I. WE'VE SEEN BALD EAGLES, GEESE, DUCKS, AND RECENTLY WATCH A PAIR OF HERON LAND AND PERCH IN PINE TREES. THE CACHE IS A 30 CAL AMMO CAN LOCATED IN THE WOODS, A LITTLE BUSHWHACHING WILL BE REQUIRED TO GET INTO THE WOODS, BUT IF YOU FOLLOW ONE OF MANY DEER TRAILS THE BUSHWHACKING WILL BE MINIMAL. THE CACHE CONTAINS A FEW FISHING ITEMS, A MICRO CACHE SO THE FUN CAN BE PASSED ALONG. VARIOUS SMALL SWAG. THERE IS A TRAVEL BUG AND FOR THE FTF A FREE CUP OF COFFEE. COME ENJOY A BEAUTIFUL SLICE OF NY.
Keeney Swamp State Forest (Allegany Reforestation Area #5) is located in the Towns of Birdsall and Grove in Allegany County. The forest is named after the natural wetland complex that lies in the headwaters of Black Creek. Keeney Swamp is the only place in Allegany County (and one of only a handful of places in western New York State) where balsam fir occurs naturally.
The swamp is named after an early resident, Fred Keeney, who operated a sawmill and owned extensive property in the area. Much of the swamp was drained and cultivated for a time, but eventually the farmland was abandoned and became flooded once again thanks in large part to the resurgent local beaver population.
In the 1930s, Keeney Swamp State Forest was the site of many work projects carried out by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC). The CCC, established by the administration of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, provided employment opportunities for young men during the Depression. CCC projects included constructing roads and planting thousands of pine and spruce trees in the abandoned fields on the upland areas of the property.
The Birdsall CCC camp, S-117, was located on this state forest along what is now County Route 16.
Remains of stone fireplace at Birdsall CCC Camp, S-117
The former Pittsburg, Shawmut and Northern Railroad passed through the eastern portion of Keeney Swamp State Forest and the adjacent wildlife management area. This railroad ran from St. Mary's, PA to Perkinsville, NY. Abandoned in 1947, the elevated railroad embankment running through the swamp has provided a handy starting point for numerous beaver dams.