Winter officially kicks in on Dec. 21, but we’ll likely see the winter weather central New York is known for long before that. Check out these nature centers in the Syracuse area to best enjoy the snowy scenery this season. 

 

Beaver Lake Nature Center 

8477 East Mud Lake Road, Baldwinsville 

Beaver Lake Nature Center features 9 miles of trails, which are home to more than 200 species of birds and 800 types of plants. The center also offers more than 400 learning and exploration programs each year, including several that are seasonal, according to its website. 

The center hosts a variety of events in the winter, including winter trails, snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, according to the website. The center also offers a program for visitors to learn about animals’ tracks and the territorial signs they leave behind. 

Beaver Lake also offers guided snowshoe hikes for beginners on weekends. Participants can rent snowshoes for $5 at the nature center. Rentals are available from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and snowshoes must be returned by 4 p.m. 

Visitors can also participate in guided walks on the weekend every Saturday and Sunday at 2 p.m. A “Night Tree” event will be held this weekend, where a special story will be read before the hike. 

The nature center also offers guided moonlight snowshoeing for visitors to enjoy nature at night. In January and February, there are events like midnight skiing and snowshoeing, and also “The Shimmering Winter Sky” event. This event offers stargazing for people who want to learn more about constellations and major stars. 

Beaver Lake Nature Center is open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The visitor center opens at 8 a.m. 

 

Baltimore Woods Nature Center 

4007 Bishop Hill Road, Marcellus 

Baltimore Woods Nature Center is located on 182 acres of land in Marcellus and has been part of the community since 1966. Visitors can go for hikes on the trails and participate in on-site nature day camps, public programs and fundraising events. 

The center offers winter activities including caroling in the woods, hiking, snowshoeing and fire building. The center’s trails are open every day of the year, and there are no admission or parking fees, said Stacy Drake, the center’s marketer. 

The center will host a “Star Party” on Thursday so visitors can watch the Geminid meteor shower. The meteors are caused by asteroid Phaethon 3200, and the display starts much earlier than other showers, according to the center’s website. The all-ages event costs $6 for members of the nature center and $9 for nonmembers. 

Baltimore Woods will host a Solstice Hike on Dec. 21 from 7-8:30 p.m., during which visitors can take a lantern-lit hike through the woods to experience the longest night of the year. The event is for ages 8 and up, but children must be accompanied by an adult. The activity costs $6 for members and $9 for nonmembers. 

In January, Baltimore Woods will offer an art exhibit in its Interpretive Center and an “Under the Owl Moon” event, where people look for owls at night and then come inside afterward for hot chocolate, Drake said. When there’s snow on the ground, visitors can go snowshoeing — rentals are $5 — and partake in the fire-building program. 

“We have a really nice diversity of landscape at the Woods,” Drake said. “We’re part of the Central New York Land Trust and have lots of hills, valleys, switchbacks, deep forests and a brook that runs through it all.” 

In addition to on-site programming, Baltimore Woods hosts a “Nature in the City” program that provides a hands-on science education to 19 elementary schools in the Syracuse City School District, according to the center’s website. The program is in its 16th year. 

Baltimore Woods Nature Center’s Interpretive Center is open from 9 a.m to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. The center is closed on Sunday.

 

Whiskey Hollow Nature Preserve 

Whiskey Hollow Road, Memphis 

Whiskey Hollow, a part of the Central New York Land Trust, is home to 43 acres of trails. The woods provide nesting sites for many bird species, and the National Audubon Society has named the hollow an “Important Bird Area,” according to the land trust’s website. 

The hollow provides signs to help visitors navigate the area. To locate the trails, look for a log cabin house on your right just before Whiskey Hollow Road.  

Whiskey Hollow Nature Preserve is open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Sunday. 

 

Green Lakes State Park 

7900 Green Lakes Road, Fayetteville

Located 20 minutes from Syracuse, Green Lakes State Park features two glacial lakes and forest areas. Activities and amenities offered include cabins, campsites and nature trails.  

Snowshoeing is offered at the lake for $2 per hour, or $10 per day. The park will host a First Day Hike — a 2.1 mile walk around the lake — on New Year’s Day. 

Green Lakes State Park is open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day of the week. 

 

Onondaga Lake Park 

106 Lake Drive, Liverpool 

Described as the “Central Park of Central New York,” Onondaga Lake Park has 7.5 miles worth of trails. 

The park has four trails — East Shore Recreational, Shoreline Walking Trail, West Shore and Lakeland Nature — as well as a playground, according to its website. The park also features The Salt Museum, which gives visitors an opportunity to experience Syracuse history. 

Snowshoeing is allowed on the trails at the lake park, but personal equipment is required, as rentals are not available. 

Onondaga Lake Park is open from 6 a.m. to sunset every day from November to March. 

Published on December 14, 2017 at 1:04 pm

Contact Brooke: bnkato@syr.edu