Let’s revisit another park stop from the 2021-2022 era of this project!
The Betty & Wilbur Davis State Park lands are located in rural Otsego County, NY, in the proverbial “middle of nowhere.” I joked with a colleague as I drove out of service “if I disappear into the woods, at least you’ll have my last known location for the police.” (Just wanted to make sure everything is right for my “Dateline” episode.)
Joking aside, it’s absolutely pristine natural beauty on full display. The New York State parks website had this to say:
“Perched atop a hill in Southern Otsego County, Betty & Wilbur Davis State Park provides spectacular views to the south and west. Nearly two-thirds of the park is blanketed by a forest of hardwoods, intermixed with smaller areas of conifer plantation. The remainder of this 223-acre property is occupied by gently rolling meadowlands and two ponds. The park offers six full-service cottages and a variety of recreational opportunities. Its expansive views and tranquil surroundings make it a particular favorite among birdwatchers and hikers. Betty & Wilbur Davis State Park is sure to be a fantastic destination for any family outing.”
It was the 164th state park to be dedicate in the Empire State – an impressive number in 2001. Today, state parks in New York total 180 across 11 distinct regions.
I can’t find much online about Wilbur and Betty, but the general consensus is that they loved the wild outdoors of upstate and wanted to see them preserved for present and future New Yorkers to enjoy.
A 2024 social media post on X by New York State Parks shared this about the couple: “Wilbur was a funeral director and an avid sportsman into his late 90s. In 2021, he and his wife of 76 years donated their upstate haven to create Betty and Wilbur Davis State Park in Schenevus.”
Wilbur’s obituary (courtesy of Johnston & Stanimer Funeral Home) is another quick window into the couple’s story:
“He was an avid sportsman, and shot his last deer at the age of 99. (He passed at age 101 in 2013.) He was an accomplished taxidermist. Betty and Wilbur enjoyed and maintained 190 acres of land in the town of Westford, which they shared with family and friends that frequently hunted and fished the property. They donated this land and a generous endowment for its development to the State of New York in 2021, for the establishment of the Betty & Wilbur Davis State Park.”
There is no vehicle entry/parking fee for day access to the park; there are rental fees for the cabins and cottages available to rent at different times throughout the calendar year.
According to Parks, Recreation & Historic Preservation website, the following amenities are available: campsites and lodging via the cabins and seasonal cottages; catch-and-release fishing; hiking (I traversed just a portion of their beautiful trail system); pavilion and shelter rentals; and in winter, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. The park is also a birdwatching location for the Audubon Society Hawk Watch.
Despite its rural locale, the park property is at most a roughly 20-minute drive from the attractions of nearby Cooperstown, meaning if one prefers a lighter version of “roughing it,” you could easily stay in some more polished accommodations but still add a day’s hiking trip to your upstate vacation adventure.
Thanks for reading! Stay tuned for our next edition of “Trail Tales” and make sure to go support Upstate New York’s beautiful parklands. They have so much to offer!
