Stevenson Forest Preserve

Difficulty // Moderate

Activities // Hiking, Snowshoeing, Running

Distance // 1.2 miles

Features // Scenic vistas

Route Type // Out and Back

Estimated hiking time // 24 mins

Open year-round.

Hunting allowed, use caution.

Surface types // Earth

Trail markers // white blaze, blue blaze, red blaze

The history of the Stevenson Preserve, owned by the Finger Lakes Land Trust, is visible not only as paragraphs of a deed, but also in the grandeur of its trees. The original 25-acre parcel is a patch of undisturbed forest that is quickly becoming a rarity. A number of the trees that create a dense canopy had their start at least 150 years ago. Unlike their counterparts in most regions of the northeast, these trees have only a faint memory of the mass felling that occurred in the rush to turn forest to farmland. The preserve has several vernal ponds that support a variety of aquatic life. In early spring, it may be possible to witness the migration of spotted salamanders from their winter hideaways to the shallow water.

Twenty-five acres of the Stevenson Forest Preserve had been owned by the Stevenson family of Enfield since after the Revolutionary War. In 1995, this fine old forest became the first parcel of the preserve that would eventually grow to 83 acres. Today, visitors can enjoy a 1.2-mile hiking trail that ends in an impressive view of the Enfield Valley. Trail visitors will notice the white-blazed Finger Lakes Trail/North Country National Scenic Trail along the way.

Portions of this trail system are also included in the Finger Lakes Trail system.