Trail Alerts // Hunting seasons have opened in parts of Tompkins County.
Wear blaze orange in areas where hunting is allowed. Check for the latest trail alerts before you go. See All Trail Alerts
Binoculars Brown

Cornell Lab of Ornithology – Sapsucker Woods

The Cornell Lab of Ornithology (locally known as the ‘lab of O.’) offers a wide array of outdoor experiences for bird lovers. Start at the Visitor Center and Wild Birds Unlimited store. The facility features a variety of exhibits about the science of birds and admission is free. Check the official website for current exhibits and hours.

Outside you will find an expansive network of trails through Sapsucker Woods. These trails wind around ponds and through wetlands and offer many opportunities for watching birds and other wildlife. Benches and pavilions offer patient observers places to rest.

In addition, the woods are home to a unique outdoor art installation by Andy Goldsworthy called the Sapsucker Carin.

 

 

Calm pond reflecting orange and yellow autumn trees, partly cloudy sky, tall grasses, and bare tree trunks along the shore.
0.71
Miles

Sapsucker Woods – Stadlen Trail

Difficulty
Easy
Features
Lakes visible
Calm pond reflecting colorful autumn trees, grasses at the edge, and bare trunks in the background under a partly cloudy sky.
0.52
Miles

Sapsucker Woods – Hoyt-Pileated Trail

Difficulty
Easy
Features
Unique wildlife viewing, Bus Stop Nearby
Calm pond reflecting bare trees and tall grasses, with autumn forest and partly cloudy sky in the background.
0.44
Miles

Sapsucker Woods – Les and Vail Severingus Trail

Difficulty
Easy
Features
Unique wildlife viewing, Bus Stop Nearby
Calm pond reflecting autumn trees with red, orange, and yellow leaves; tall grasses and bare branches in the foreground; partly cloudy sky above.
0.42
Miles

Sapsucker Woods – Alice Kase trail

Difficulty
Easy
Features
Unique wildlife viewing, Bus Stop Nearby
Calm pond reflecting clouds and blue sky, bordered by autumn trees with orange and yellow leaves; tall grasses in the foreground and several bare tree trunks scattered throughout.
0.95
Miles

Sapsucker Woods – Wilson Trail

Difficulty
Easy
Features
Lakes visible, Unique wildlife viewing, Bus Stop Nearby

Current Trail Alerts

Roy H. Park Preserve

  • The north entrance to the Roy H. Park Preserve and the boardwalk will be closed to the public from Monday, July 7, through September 2025 as work is underway to install an ADA-accessible path. The south entrance will remain open during this time. Thank you for your patience.

Fall Creek Gorge Natural Area

  • The section of trail in Fall Creek Gorge west of the suspension bridge to Chi Psi is unstable and closed until further notice.

Cascadilla Gorge Natural Area

  • A portion of the Cascadilla Gorge Trail between Stewart Avenue and College Avenue is closed for construction and will reopen in spring, 2026. The trail between Linn Street (Treman Triangle) up to the Stewart Avenue Bridge is now open.

Beebe Lake Natural Area

  • Hemlock Gorge trail upstream of Sackett Bridge is closed.