There is no better way to take in the beauty of Upstate New York than to take a nice leisurely hike. While visiting the Finger Lakes, we decided to soak up some amazing views while getting our heart rate up a bit. We couldn’t have asked for a better place to get outdoors than the Tanglewood Nature Center in Elmira, NY.
Hiking in Tanglewood Preserve
Zoe, our weimaraner decided to sit this hike out in the comforts of our hotel room, so what do we do? We borrow a doggie for the hike of course! Our hiking guide, Elaine had this adorable bundle of fluff named Emma in her office so we decided we would take Emma out to get some fresh air. She decided she also needed a dip in some fresh water.
Hiking buddy
The trails at Tanglewood Nature Center are well marked and easy to follow. There are more than ten miles of hiking trails just waiting to be explored. They range from easy to expert and depending on what kind of weather mother nature decides to throw at you can be quite muddy and fun. Be prepared for a little bit of work because no matter which trail you choose, there will be some uphill climbing. Make sure to bring enough water to stay hydrated and maybe a little snack depending on how long you stay out here in this gorgeous preserve.
The Nature Center also houses injured animals found on and around the trails. This gorgeous creature and several of his feathered friends are taken care of by the Tanglewood Staff. These animals come in injured and if they can’t be re-released into the wild they find home here at the Tanglewood Nature Center.
Sophie the Great Horned owl
Any place where animals are this well taken care of is good in our book. The Tanglewood Preserve has a nature center where kids (and adults) can interact with some of the animals and there are many free family programs every month that are open for participation.
Hank the red-tailed hawk
There’s also the Tanglewood Nature Center Museum that features lots of little exhibits about the local environment and wildlife.
Clearly the trails are dog friendly as long as you keep your well-behaved pet on a leash. The only place where Fido is not allowed is near the nature center where the preserve has a habitat for ground-nesting birds that don’t want to be disturbed.
Hiking the Tanglewood Preserve was a great deal of fun. We will definitely be tackling these trails again on our next visit to the Finger Lakes and hopefully we can drag Zoe along with us next time.
