State ownership
State ownership within the valley began in 1961 with the gift of by Herbert F. Darling Sr., who had purchased land from the Niagara Mohawk Power Corporation in 1952 with the intention of preserving the property. Additional lands were later added under the 1960 Multiple Use Bond Act. For a time in the 1960s, a hippie commune was located within the valley. By 1971, overnight use of the property was prohibited due to "irresponsible behavior on the part of some campers".