Take a walk on the east side of Keuka Lake’s scenic Bluff Point, where steep forested hillsides provide a delightful escape from the bustle of everyday life.
Natural History
Once farmed, Waldershare Acres is now blanketed by maturing hardwood forests, which play a vital role in helping to prevent erosion and minimize nutrient runoff into Keuka Lake. These woods are home to sugar maples, red oaks, hickories, and shadbush, which host a diversity of migratory and resident songbirds.
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- Photo: FLLT
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- Photo: Karinna Browning
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- Photo: Karinna Browning
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- Photo: Bill Hecht
Two short intersecting loop trails totaling 0.6 miles guide visitors through a landscape carved by seasonal tributaries flowing to the lake. These ravines have dramatically increased in size in recent years due to intense rainstorms and development upstream. Footbridges, hand-built by Land Trust staff and volunteers, cross these sculpted landforms, which highlight the importance of protecting water quality.
Recent History
Evidence of the Bluff’s agricultural past can be seen in the remnants of a former vineyard on the property, where terraced mounds in the earth endure to this day. To ensure the future of these scenic woodlands and the health of Keuka Lake against the threat of encroaching development, the Land Trust launched a fundraising campaign in 2024 to purchase Waldershare Acres and a second parcel located further south on Bluff Point.
The Land Trust is grateful to everyone who helped make this preserve possible for all to enjoy. Leadership gifts were contributed by Dave and Brenda Rickey, Karen Meriwether and Thomas Snow, and two anonymous donors.
Waldershare Acres was acquired from local resident Joan Winters. This land was named by her parents, Margaret A. Winters and Robert A. Winters, in a nod to her grandfather, who was a historian and language classicist. Waldershare in Old English roughly translates to “district of the forest dwellers.”
Land Acknowledgment
The Finger Lakes Land Trust recognizes that our nature preserves exist on the homeland of the Haudenosaunee. We hope to honor indigenous peoples’ ongoing relationship with the land by conserving wild places forever.
Public Use
Please see our public use policies for recreational activities on nature preserves.
SEE MORE PRESERVES ON GOFINGERLAKES.ORG
Go Finger Lakes is the free web site created by the Finger Lakes Land Trust to promote recreation and conservation. Use the interactive map of 50+ hiking, biking, paddling, skiing, and outdoor adventure destinations across the region!
