County: Tompkins

Acreage: 11 acres

Trail Distance: 0.25 miles

Directions:
From Ithaca, follow Rt. 13 north to junction with Rt. 366. Follow Rt. 366 north for 1/2 mile. Preserve is located on both sides of road, next to cemetery. Park on left side.

Trail Map

Etna Nature Preserve

The Etna Preserve, a few miles northeast of Ithaca, was donated to the Finger Lakes Land Trust in February of 1991 by Walter and Sally Spofford. They had lived there for many years and were avid birders. The Land Trust has maintained the existing trails on the land, and has also made new ones, including a bridge over one of the streams that runs through the preserve, using abandoned railroad rails.

Natural History

The Etna Preserve consists of approximately 11 acres of woods, wetlands, streams, and floodplains. Trails are located in places that complement the landscape and facilitate bird watching. Except for one short hill, trails are flat and easy, and go through a variety of habitat types. Hiking, jogging, and bird watching are popular at the preserve.

Approximately one acre of the preserve is on the west side of Route 366, and is mainly a floodplain for Fall Creek. The preserve is bordered on the west by Fall Creek and on the east by an old railroad bed.