When looking at the Cumming Nature Center’s simple trail map brochure, it’s hard to appreciate all that the trails have to offer.  Acting as the Rochester Museum & Science Center’s “living museum,” the 900-acre preserve does an exceptional job at just that.

Separated into five thematically different loops, the excellent walking trails are full of historical and artful exhibits as well as informational placards that accentuate the experience.  Indeed, the information provided is so dense in spots you might find more people reading than actually walking.  This is of course appropriate since the trails are flat, easy, and more conducive to a leisurely pace than arduous hike.

But just because they are easy trails doesn’t mean they are short on features.  The trails explore an array of environs ranging from a thirty-five-acre beaver pond, sections of scrubland, meandering wooded streams, open marshes, and deep forests.  Trails are well-marked with blazes and have clear signage at intersections.  Additionally, the footpaths are superbly maintained and often broad enough to walk two abreast. In winter, visitors can enjoy 9 miles of cross-country ski trails and 3 miles of trails for snowshoeing.

The trail infrastructure features two observation towers, one that overlooks the beaver pond and one that reaches high into the canopy of the Conservation Trail.  The former provides panoramic views of the pond and picturesque marshland, while the latter might just help you sight the elusive forest birds that are so often heard but rarely seen in the tree canopy.

Acting as the ‘living museum’ for Rochester Museum & Science Center, the 900-acre preserve does an exceptional job…

Numerous trail shelters, boardwalks, and bridges have been built utilizing lumber produced by the circular sawmill seen along the Conservation Trail. Though closed in late November, the center reopens during the winter and has groomed trails and equipment rentals.

Cumming Nature Center’s admission costs $3/person in the warmer months (April-November) and $5/person in the winter months (December-March). RMSC members and Pines Pass members receive free admission year-round, plus discounts on select annual events, educational programming, snowshoe and ski rentals, and more.

Some of the nature center’s programming includes Maple Sugaring Weekends (with a pancake breakfast!) in late-March, year-round workshop series (with classes such as blacksmithing, plein air painting, weaving, and more), Yoga in the Pines, and guided Wild Walks hikes on select weekends. Check the website for the complete calendar of events and programs; there are options for outdoor enthusiasts of all ages. The RMSC Cumming Nature Center also runs a year-round Forest School for children ages 1-15 and coordinates guided and themed field trips for local schools and/or community groups.