The 10 Best Nature & Wildlife Areas in Thousand Islands New York, Thousand Islands New York

Crooked Creek Preserve, owned by the Thousand Islands Land Trust (TILT), consists of 1525 acres of class I wetlands, uplands and forest along Crooked Creek in the Towns of Hammond (St. Lawrence County) and Alexandria (Jefferson County). It is one of the most significant wetlands on the St. Lawrence, providing habitat for countless species. Bald eagles regularly fly overhead and the creek meanders for miles of quiet paddling or putting in your outboard. Roughly three miles long, the Macsherry Trail begins at a trail head off of Indian Point Road in Hammond. Passing beaver ponds and meandering through woods, it leads to Crooked Creek itself with a wonderful view of Chippewa Bay at the "Old Boyscout Camp," before circling back to the trailhead.

Zenda was a dairy and beef farm that operated through the 1950s. Now, its agricultural history is preserved by the Thousand Islands Land Trust for future generations to discover, and its pastures and hay meadows are conserved for nesting grassland birds. Zenda is now the home of the annual Community Picnic at the beginning of the summer season, as well as numerous TILTreks, KidsTreks and often, TILTKids Camp. The MacFarlane Trail is open year-round to the public, dawn to dusk, and is dog friendly. TILT's management plan for the future of Zenda Farms is to establish the Preserve as a model for land conservation through community involvement and learning within its ecologically diverse and culturally historic farm setting."

The Thousand Islands Land Trust (TILT)'s Otter Creek Preserve opened to the public in the fall of 2015 and is TILT’s newest preserve. Located in the Town of Alexandria, this Preserve offers 1.9 miles of trail for walking, hiking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, it also offers dramatic views of both Otter Creek and Lynch Creek. A portion of the trail is ADA-accessible, including a wildlife observation tower that overlooks the Golden-winged Warbler Demonstration Area, highlighting TILT’s shrubland bird management. A cable suspension bridge connects the trail system and provides the experience of being in deep woods.