Favorite Finger Lakes Nature Centers

With its glacially carved landscapes, majestic forests, sparkling lakes, and unique flora and fauna, the Finger Lakes region is alive with natural wonder. Interpreting it all are the many nature centers that provide environmental education and recreational opportunities for visitors and residents alike. Their trail networks, indoor exhibits, public events, school programs, and more are designed to foster an appreciation of the natural world. Visit some of our favorite nature centers in the region!

Baltimore Woods Nature Center

Rolling wooded hills, well-groomed trails, varied niches, and year-round educational and environmental programs make this small gem a must-visit for all members of the family. Despite the small footprint, one visit will barely be enough to enjoy all this 182-acre nature center has to offer.

Cornell Lab of Ornithology

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, more commonly known as Sapsucker Woods, is a birding haven and a great resource for long-time birders and those with an aspiring interest. Four miles of trails wander through the 230-acre sanctuary, with multiple interconnected loops that can be intermixed for longer trips. The mostly level trails weave through deep woods, atop boardwalks in swamps, and beside ponds bursting with wildlife of all kinds.

Cumming Nature Center

Acting as the Rochester Museum & Science Center’s “living museum,” this 900-acre preserve does an exceptional job at just that. The trails explore an array of environs and are separated into five thematically different loops that are full of historical and artful exhibits. And like many nature centers, the Cumming Nature Center has ongoing, informative events for aspiring naturalists of any age. Particularly popular are the maple sugaring events in late March.

Lime Hollow Nature Center

Twelve miles of trails, open dawn to dusk year-round, weave through meadow, forest, and scrubland, often neighboring or encircling the numerous ponds and varied wetlands found throughout this 430-acre property. A quarter-mile trail, the Trail for All, is wheelchair accessible and a trail-ready wheelchair is available at the visitor center along McClean Road if needed.

Montezuma Audubon Center

This Audubon Center is often referred to as the information hub of the Montezuma Wetland Complex, a vast network of important ecological niches. Walking trails, an observation platform, streams, and wetlands welcome visitors from near and far. The center also offers numerous events that focus on habitat restoration, wetland ecology, bird migration, and general nature-oriented programs.

Sterling Nature Center

The 1,150-acre Sterling Nature Center is a true gem for hikers, birders, and outdoor enthusiasts. Open dawn to dusk every day, the nature center has a bit of something for all: 8.5 miles of hiking trails, access to paddle on Lake Ontario and Sterling Creek, bluffs, ocean-like views, a beaver pond, vernal pools, roughly 2 miles of pebble beaches, and birding opportunities that will thrill novices and veterans alike.

Tanglewood Nature Center

Hikers will find a couple of key features at Tanglewood that are often missing along other trails in the Finger Lakes region, namely varied terrain and a destination with a sweeping vista. The trails here are peppered with placards that have quotes from Mark Twain who had a summer home in nearby Elmira.

Waterman Conservation Education Center

Pleasant gorges, woodlands, meadows, streams, and cascades are all encompassed in the Waterman Conservation Education Center’s 90-plus acreage. Located in Apalachin, the Waterman Center also houses a museum, live animal residents, a reference library, a gift shop, educational displays, and classroom space, all open to the public.

*Please check with each location before visiting as hours of operation may change.

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