The Finger Lakes Land Trust (FLLT) has formally opened the 30-acre Waldershare Acres Nature Preserve on Keuka Lake’s Bluff Point in the town of Jerusalem, Yates County. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on Wednesday, October 1, 2025, to celebrate the opening of the new preserve for public access.

Waldershare Acres features two short intersecting loop trails totaling 0.6 miles, which guide visitors through a mature hardwood forest that hosts a diversity of migratory and resident songbirds. These woodlands play a vital role in helping to prevent erosion and minimize nutrient loading into Keuka Lake.

Photo: FLLT

To ensure the future of these scenic woodlands and the health of the lake, the FLLT launched a fundraising campaign in 2024 to purchase Waldershare Acres and a second parcel located further south on Bluff Point. The preserve can now be accessed from a parking area on East Bluff Drive in the town of Jerusalem and is open year-round from dawn to dusk for low-impact recreational activities such as walking, hiking, and nature observation. More information, including a map and directions, can be found here.

The FLLT 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.

“We are grateful for the community support that made Waldershare Acres possible,” said Land Trust President Andrew Zepp. “It is our hope that this project will lead to the protection of additional lands on Bluff Point.”