UUpstate New York offers year-round opportunities for hiking & biking, cross-country skiing, and observation of a wide variety of wildlife in their natural habitats. Take the opportunity to experience the heartbeat of nature and explore spectacular scenery.
The Regions offer a mixed terrain of mountains & valleys, forests & grasslands, lakes & rivers, marshes and more - where you can observe as many as 800 varieties of plants and over 200 species of birds - including Snowy Owls, Hawks, American Eagles, Egrets, Green Herons, and colorful migrators. So grab your camera, bring along a nature book & binocs, and get ready for adventure ! 
Enjoy Hiking & Birding along the Nature Trails of Upstate NY
Observe & Photograph Snowy Owls, American Eagles, Green Herons, and Migratory Birds in their Natural Habitat
Use the Black Menu Bar (above) to find Nature Trails by Region
Adirondack State Park
The Adirondacks
The amazing Adirondacks offer the highest peaks in New York State, thousands of miles of hiking trails and canoe routes, numerous scenic highways and byways and unending recreational fun.
Allegany State Park
Chautauqua-Allegany
This park is divided into two sections and offers 18 hiking trails, three of which have been developed as self-guided nature trails, as well as paved biking trails and more...
Andes Rail Trail
The Catskills
The Andes Rail Trail is an easily accessible hiking trail in an idyllic setting, suitable for individuals and families of all ages.
Bahar Preserve and Carpenter Falls
Finger Lakes
Near Skaneateles Lake, Bahar Preserve's dramatic forest and gorge landscape offers hikers a dramatic view of the 100-foot deep Bear Swamp Creek Ravine.
Beaver Island State Park
Niagara-Western NY
This 950-acre park has a half-mile sandy beach for swimming, an adjacent 80- slip marina, an 18-hole championship golf course and more...
Beaver Lake Nature Center
Finger Lakes
The more than nine miles of maintained walking trails provides a rich mix of habitats with the possibility of seeing more than 200 species of birds and more than 800 varieties of plants.
Betty & Wilber Davis State Park
Central New York
Perched atop a hill, this 229-acre state park provides spectacular views and is bedecked with a forest of hardwoods, areas of conifer plantation, gently rolling meadowlands and two ponds.
Black River Trail
Thousand Islands - Seaway
Black River Trail follows part of an abandoned segment corridor of the NY Central Railroad and is a 5-mile lightly trafficked out and back trail located near Great Bend, NY.
Bowman Lake State Park
Central New York
Bowman Lake features a sandy beach and shady campsites for both tents and trailers, rustic cabins, a nature center and more...
Buttercup Farms Audubon Sanctuary
The Catskills
Open dawn until dusk, this 641-acre sanctuary offers six miles of trails and the opportunity to experience diverse habitats and witness a wide variety of wildlife.
Camillus Erie Canal Park Trail/Jordan Canal Park Trail
Finger Lakes
Camillus Erie Canal Park is nestled between Nine Mile Creek and a wooded hillside near Camillus.
Cascadilla Gorge Trail
Finger Lakes
The Cascadilla Gorge Trail system is a popular gorge trail connecting Cornell University to downtown and its creek has carved its way through bedrock exposing rocks deposited 400 million years ago.
