Wildlife Preserve on Keuka Lake
Take a scenic walk through this natural 16 acre protected wetland for a peaceful and educational experience. The preserve offers easy hiking trails, a 200 foot long boardwalk, a hand crafted post & beam octagonal gazebo, water views, and plentiful wildlife observing. Educational panels dot the trails to pause, read, and observe the flora and fauna.
What to Expect:
Trails: Four short, interconnected trails add up to about a mile, making it an easy, family-friendly walk.
Wildlife: It is a prime bird-watching spot and part of the official NYS Birding Trail, ideal for spotting migratory and marsh birds. Water life and woodland creatures can be spotted along the trail.
Boardwalk & Views: A raised boardwalk borders Sugar Creek and leads to a timber-framed octagon pavilion at the water’s edge.
Amenities: Free parking is available along Townsend Road, and portable restrooms are maintained on-site during the summer season
The land was generously donated by Anne Salisbury and Molly Sujan, sisters, as well as from their neighbor Rolf Zerges and his wife Lynda Rummel in 2014. The preserve was named after the sister’s father and grandmother. The preserve has more than 1,400 feet of water frontage on Sugar Creek and is home to a vast number of wildlife offering the Saunders Finger Lakes Museum the opportunity for educational programs.
The rich diversity of birds, mammals, and amphibians along the trails and creek include:
Great Blue Herons
Bald Eagles
Blue Jays
American Golfinches
Red-winged Blackbirds
American Robins
Baltimore Orioles
Variety of woodpeckers
Red-tailed hawks
Turkey vultures
Wood ducks
Beavers
Muskrats
Spring peepers
Bullfrogs
Easter spiny softshell turtle
Painted turtles
Garter snakes
White-tailed deer
Chimpmunks
And more!
Be sure to check out the Saunders Finger Lakes Museum website for their upcoming programs & events: https://www.fingerlakesmuseum.org/programs-events/
Youth and Community paddle opportunities on Sugar Creek happen almost monthly in the summer. Special moon paddles (strawberry moon, thunder moon, etc) offer a unique guided experience on the Creek and Keuka Lake. Other seasonal programs include a guided bird walk and talks on invasive species.
There is so much to see, hear, and experience at the Townsend-Grady Wildlife Preserve. Get out and see for yourself, you’ll absolutely love it!
Before you go apply bug and tick repellent. Remember your camera (or phone) to capture the wildlife and gorgeous views of Sugar Creek and Keuka Lake. For the bird watchers reading, bring your journal to jot down the variety of birds you identify. For the novice bird watcher, download the Merlin Bird ID App by Cornell Lab - an app that identifies birds by their songs. Please note the preserve is a carry in/carry out facility. If you bring your four legged friend, please keep them on a leash to prevent disturbing the wildlife.
Townsend-Grady Wildlife Preserve, part of the Saunders Finger Lakes Museum Campus
Location: Grass parking lot at the corner of Townsend Road & Route 54A, Branchport, NY 14418
Hours: Open daily from Dawn to Dusk
