Kid-Friendly Outdoor Spots!

Photo: Edie Jodz

Kid-Friendly Outdoor Spots in the Finger Lakes

When school is out, it’s time for family fun outdoors. If hiking, swimming, biking, paddling, or camping is your thing, the Finger Lakes region has plenty of options for getting your kids outside. From state parks to nature centers and more, there is something for everyone. Here are a few of our favorite spots:

Photo: Tim Starmer

Catharine Valley Trail

Looking to take the kids for a walk or bike ride that doesn’t include climbing steep hills? The Catharine Valley Trail is contiguous from downtown Watkins Glen to the hamlet of Pine Valley. It’s a great natural corridor that utilizes compact stone dust paths that are an absolute pleasure to walk or bike. Birdwatching opportunities await at the nearby Queen Catharine Marsh, accessible from the trail. When complete, the route will be roughly 12 miles long and will connect the communities of Watkins Glen, Montour Falls, Millport, Pine Valley and Horseheads.

Photo: Lauren McLoughlin

Cumming Nature Center

Acting as the Rochester Museum & Science Center’s “living museum,” this 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. The trails here are well-marked, flat, easy, and explore an array of environs ranging from a thirty five-acre beaver pond, sections of scrub land, meandering wooded streams, open marshes, and deep forests.

Photo: Rick Lightbody

Ellis Hollow Nature Preserve

Need a break from the hassles of everyday life? A walk through the fern-carpeted forests of the Ellis Hollow Preserve could be just the thing. Only a 15-minute drive from downtown Ithaca, the preserve’s streams drain into Cascadilla Creek and offer the perfect opportunity for younger children to explore their shallow waters. The trail system here is just under two miles, making it an ideal location for those looking for a short hike.

Photo: Chris Ray

Green Lakes State Park

With nearly 20 miles of trails, old-growth forests, two pristine lakes, boat rentals, 137 camp sites, a sandy swimming beach, and even golf courses (traditional and disc versions), there are numerous ways to get outside and enjoy Green Lakes State Park. Summer is when the vast majority of visitors frequent the park, but it remains open year round and has equally stunning scenery and outdoor activities in other seasons.

Photo: Steve Knapp

Keuka Outlet Trail

Late in the twentieth century, recreation advocates blazed the way in repurposing this former tow path and rail-bed into one of the best multiuse trails in the region. The trail follows a generally downhill course from the outlet of Keuka Lake in Penn Yan to the inlet along Seneca Lake in Dresden. A winding stream and two impressive waterfalls accompany hikers, bikers and even equestrians along the 6.8 mile route. The most notable waterfall is Seneca Mill Falls located at about the midpoint of the trail near the pavilion at the Lion Bruce Hansen Memorial Park, where many people stop to view the falls and picnic.

Photo: Lime Hollow Nature Center

Lime Hollow Nature Center

Twelve miles of trails, open dawn to dusk year round, weave through meadow, forest, and scrub land, often neighboring or encircling the numerous ponds and varied wetlands found throughout the 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. The center also acts as an information hub for budding naturalists through summer camps, forest preschool, and year round school programs.

Photo: Tim Starmer

Sampson State Park 

On the eastern shore of Seneca Lake in the town of Romulus lies Sampson State Park, the site of a former Air Force and Navy base. Today, there is a museum on-site dedicated to its history, but those looking for an outdoor adventure have plenty of options. Camping, a sandy beach with swimming, hiking along the shore of the lake, biking, and paddling are sure to please every member of the family.

Photo: Tanglewood Nature Center

Tanglewood Nature Center

This museum and nature center features a variety of wildlife exhibits, youth education programs, and summer camps. Hikers will find multiple trail loops of varying difficulty and length that allow for leisurely strolls through meadows or more vigorous excursions through woodland. An additional 50 acres and more trails are available at Personius Woods located on West Hill Road, where the family dog is welcome on-leash.

Photo: Nigel Kent

Taughannock Falls State Park

The waterfall that is this park’s namesake is one of the tallest waterfalls in New York State. A mile-long trail that leads to the falls is level and easily accessed, making it an excellent trip for all members of the family, from toddlers to grandparents and everyone in between. The lakeside portion of the park is home to a swimming beach, picnic areas, a playground, and boat slips.

Photo: Nigel Kent

Wesley Hill Preserve

Put down the devices and immerse your family in nature at the Finger Lakes Land Trust’s Wesley Hill Preserve. Diverse stands of mature forest, a wide array of wildflowers, and sweeping views of the hills surrounding Honeoye Lake’s southern end make this site truly special. Over five miles of hiking trails, a pond, and excellent examples of the area’s geologic history provide the perfect setting for nature discovery.

This list was compiled as a general guide for families wishing to get outdoors. Visitors should check the web site for each individual park, nature center, etc., for specific details on closings and other restrictions due to Covid-19.

Other places to explore…

Baltimore Woods Nature Center

Hemlock-Canadice State Forest

Shindagin Hollow State Forest

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Red Alert!

Photo: Jeff Katris

Watch Your Step: Young Red Newts on the Trail!

Meet the eastern red-spotted newt, lover of ponds and muddy forest floors.  In springtime, at Danby State Forest, you will find them walking the trails with you… so mind your footfalls as you go.

Plan your outing at Danby State Forest.

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Hanging Falls!

A Birdseye View of Carpenter Falls Unique Area

In your travels around the Finger Lakes, be sure to visit the western shores of Skaneateles Lake, where you will find Bahar Preserve and Carpenter Falls.  The Finger Lakes Land Trust conveyed 36 acres of these lands to New York State, creating the Carpenter Falls Unique Area, while the remaining 51 acres of land downstream toward the lake continue to be owned and managed as the Land Trust’s Bahar Nature Preserve.  The Land Trust has entered into a cooperative management agreement with the state, engaging volunteers to help take care of this special place.

To find other outdoor adventures near Carpenter Falls, see the interactive map.

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Chemung Fog & Sun

Photo: Bill Hecht

A Brilliant Autumn Day on the Chemung River

See this beautiful stretch of Chemung River between Bottcher’s Landing and Fitches Bridge as the classic morning fog burns off to reveal a stunning landscape of hillsides, farms, and forests, including conservation lands protected by the Finger Lakes Land Trust and other organizations.

To find other outdoor adventures near the Chemung River, such as the Steege Hill Nature Preserve, see the interactive map.

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Do you have great videos or photos of nature in the Finger Lakes?

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Over the Boardwalk

Photo: Bill Hecht

Wetlands, Forest, and Fields at the Park Preserve

See the beautiful and diverse Roy H. Park Preserve in the upper watershed of Six Mile Creek, where the Finger Lakes Land Trust has undertaken a series of conservation projects to protect open space, habitat, and drinking water for the City of Ithaca.

To find other outdoor adventures near the Park Preserve, including the adjoining Hammond Hill State Forest, see the interactive map.

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Do you have great videos or photos of nature in the Finger Lakes?

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Please email us at gofingerlakes@fllt.org.

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Beavers & Biodiversity

Photo: Lang Elliott

Beavers at Work on the Lindsay-Parsons Preserve

See how beavers have shaped the wetlands at our biodiversity preserve south of Ithaca.

Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve is owned and managed by the Finger Lakes Land Trust as the world’s first temperate-zone preserve for research in biodiversity and chemical ecology.  Scientists and students at Cornell University have used the preserve to study the chemical interactions of organisms there.

Owing to the size and diversity of this preserve, it is ideal for use by area colleges and schools for different educational purposes.  In addition, the preserve may be used by the public for hiking, skiing, birding, and nature walks.  It also provides a place for quiet contemplation.

To find other outdoor adventures near Lindsay-Parsons, see the interactive map.

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Do you have great videos or photos of wildlife in the Finger Lakes?

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Wesley in the West

Photo: Bill Hecht

See Wesley Hill Nature Preserve by Honeoye Lake

In the western Finger Lakes, bordering the northern rim of the immense Briggs Gully, Wesley Hill Nature Preserve offers miles of hiking and solitude.  Learn a little about the preserve in this short video from the Finger Lakes Land Trust.

To find other outdoor adventures near Wesley Hill, see the interactive map.

Do you have great videos or photos of nature in the Finger Lakes?  Want to share with the Land Trust?  If so, please email us at gofingerlakes@fllt.org.

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Staghorns!

Photo: Bill Hecht

You Can Paddle to the Staghorn Cliffs on the Eastern Shore of Skaneateles Lake

Towering over the eastern shoreline of Skaneateles Lake are the Staghorn Cliffs, named for the ancient coral fossils found along the waterline.  The Finger Lakes Land Trust protects over 1,350 feet of the shoreline at its Cora Kampfe Dickinson Conservation Area, accessible only by boat.

To find other outdoor adventures near the Staghorn Cliffs, see the interactive map.

Do you have great videos or photos of nature in the Finger Lakes?  Want to share with the Land Trust?  If so, please email us at gofingerlakes@fllt.org.

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Lick Brook Snow

Photo: FLLT

A Quiet Winter Morning on Lick Brook at Thayer Preserve

Beautiful Lick Brook, at the southern side of Ithaca, runs through two Finger Lakes Land Trust conservation areas.  Sweedler Preserve contains the dramatic gorge and high falls that many people have discovered off of Route 13 across from Robert Treman State Park.  Thayer Preserve, portrayed in this short winter vignette, connects to Buttermilk Falls State Park.

To find other outdoor adventures near Lick Brook, see the interactive map.

Do you have great videos or photos of nature in the Finger Lakes?  Want to share with the Land Trust?  If so, please email us at gofingerlakes@fllt.org.

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Steege on Chemung

Photo: Bill Hecht

See Steege Hill High Above the Chemung River Valley

At 793 acres of conserved land, Steege Hill Nature Preserve offers miles of forested hiking trails and plenty of solitude.  See Steege Hill in early fall colors and learn a little about the history in this short by the Finger Lakes Land Trust.

To find other outdoor adventures near Steege Hill, see the interactive map.

Do you have great videos or photos of nature in the Finger Lakes?  Want to share with the Land Trust?  If so, please email us at gofingerlakes@fllt.org.

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