Sugar Shack

The Sugar Bush is located off the Potter Rd entrance near the Dewaters Educational Building at For-Mar. Dedicated volunteers helped build the For-Mar Sugar Shack in 1989 and it houses our maple syrup evaporator. The sugar bush is a maple forest comprised of both small and mature sugar maple trees of which we tap each March during maple syrup season.

History

Maple sap has been harvested from the tree’s here at For-Mar since before our establishment as a Genesee County Park in 1970. Before becoming a park, Forbes and Martha Merkley tapped sugar maples and harvested the sap as a hobby. The Merkley Family would tap the Sugar Maples next to the Kearsley Creek along the Sugar Bush Trail between trail makers 26 and 27 and then boil the sap in the old rock fireplace’s that can be seen along that trail.

Come see how its made!

The For-Mar Sugar Shack springs to life as we process maple sap into sweet maple syrup. Wander through the woods, peek in buckets, and come to the Sugar Shack where volunteers boil down the sap into syrup. Making Maple Syrup at For-Mar is one of our longest-running programs and we invite you to be part of our yearly tradition.