Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge

Driving along the NY State Thruway, you will see signs for the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. Its a wildlife preserve operated by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Located between Syracuse and Rochester (like the Waterloo Outlets), its mostly in Seneca County.

Its a marshland. You will see water. And grasses. And birds if you are lucky. Its one of their stops on the migration routes.

From wiki:
"In 1937 the Bureau of Biological Survey, which later became the US Fish and Wildlife Service, purchased 6,432 acres (26.03 km2) of the former marsh. The Civilian Conservation Corps began work on a series of low dikes which would hold water and restore part of the marsh habitat that had once existed.[3]

The refuge was opened in 1938 as the Montezuma Migratory Bird Refuge. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed Executive Order 7971 which established the Bird Refuge on September 12, 1938.[4] The refuge provides a stopping point for waterfowl and other migratory birds. The refuge restored marsh land lost to drainage from the construction of the Cayuga and Seneca Canal that linked the Finger Lakes to the Erie Canal."

The refuge also has an area where Bald Eagles have been nesting in recent years.[2]"

Take a side trip off the Thruway and come visit this very interesting and cool place. See some birds. Take some pictures. Learn a little about conservation.

(First to review 275)

This is such a great birding spot. I have to stop by any time I drive past it. Be sure to stop in the visitors center first to see get an idea of the different types of animals you might see, then check out the adjoining deck because some of the best views are right there. The drive is great. Just take your time, go slowly.

This swamp is for the birds, man





Seriously turn off your radio, keep the dogs in the car, pack it in, pack it out

Don't forget your bug spray

That's it that's the whole review

I don't know how many times I've driven past this place on my way back from Rochester, NY. The view from the thruway doesn't give it justice. I finally took the opportunity to check it out one weekend when I was exploring the finger lakes region. It is absolutely amazing and huge! I spent a few hours driving in the car. It was drizzling rain, so mostly water fowl were out. There is so much to explore and you can spend an entire day or more there just soaking in nature and seeing almost every type of bird. I plan to dedicate a day to the place next time to see more of it and the wildlife there. If you are in the area, make sure and take even just a few hours.

We are all so lucky to have Montezuma right in the middle of the thruway-adjacent regions. It's an easy drive from Buffalo, Rochester, FLX, Syracuse, and even points east. I'm actually a little surprised it took me this long to visit, but I'm glad I did.

You've probably driven by Montezuma more times than you can count, but never stopped to take in the sights. It's worth getting off at the Waterloo or Auburn exits, depending on which direction you're driving in, and taking some time. It's easy to find, as the preserve is well marked. As it is technically federal land, rules and regulations at the federal level will usually apply. It's a good idea to go online before you visit and make sure you are following guidelines. Additionally, this will also prove helpful in finding out which bathrooms are unlocked for the season, something I found out as the day went on.

There are hiking trails and even a trail we drove down. I suggest you do both. If it's a nice day, there is a small observation tower you can scale and get a view all the way out to the thruway, which is farther away than you think. It was a good day for birds when I was there, and you could tell there had been deer nearby. And this can't be said enough, bug spray. Just that, bug spray. Trust me, it's for the best.

My favorite part of the hike was when the trail takes you right up to the Cayuga-Seneca Canal. It's easy to forget that the night Erie Canal isn't the only one out there, and this one looks much more naturally occurring at times. There was a small floating dock with a bench on it and a good spot for seeing the herons attempting to wade down the other side of the water. It can get a bit muddy here, as you'd expect. This is another place where bug spray is crucial, for obvious reasons.

The last trail we experienced was via car. It can get dusty, but it takes you right up to the thruway side, where the little observation station is. Here's another good spot for bird watching. Now that you're closer to thruway traffic, it gets a little louder, but you don't even notice after awhile. From here, the car path takes you out of the preserve and back into regular roads, but it's east to get back into the preserve lands if you're not done sightseeing.

Everyone should visit Montezuma at least once. I know I'll want to go back again when I'm able to. It's nice to be able to drive past something and think to yourself, "I finally stopped to look around and I'm thrilled that I did".

This place is a gem. We stop by often as a break from the 90 while on trips. Birds are plentiful and you usually see some other wildlife like deer, fox, etc.. If you you go slow, I'd say the drive takes about 20 - 30 minutes to get through the park. There are also some short hiking trails that you can take on if interested, they were nice too.

If you're in the area stop by to take the 3 mile drive (at 15 mph) through the refuge. Even though we saw more geese than anything else while we were there, it is an IBA (important bird area), said you're into that bring your binoculars abs camera.

There's also a nice visitor center that gives the low down on the refuge and great for kids too (lots of skulls, furs, footprints etc that can be touched). There's also a small gift shop.

Along the 3 mile drive there's a few stops where you can stop and get out of the car. There's also a bike path that's open seasonally.

While our visit was limited, upon completely a one mile walking trail and the drive to see the beautiful eagle sculpture it is easy to see how amazing this place is. Cannot wait to return to check out other trails! The drive was beautiful, very relaxing. Could have stayed all day just enjoying the sites, but you really just have to take my word for it and experience it for yourself!

In early April, there's not much to see here. Some blue herons, Canada geese, gulls, the usual. Most of the park-and-walk places are closed at this point in the season, so it's mostly just a drive-and-look set up.

By the giant eagle statue, we saw a bunch of dead fish, perhaps due to winter's thaw along the marsh? However, the wildlife refuge was free, so it's a fine way to spend an hour or two of an afternoon.

We visited the Montezuma nature reserve and even saw a bald eagle nest for the first time! We did not see much on the nature drive but did see swamp lands and a blue heron! The hike was not as nice as we anticipated and I would skip it next time.

However, we came at the wrong time of year (spring) and had already missed the migration.