Nature preserve covering 793 acres with 7 miles of trails. At the Steege Hill Nature Preserve, there are miles of trails to walk and abundant wildlife to observe.
NATURAL HISTORY
Hundreds of millions of years ago, this land was part of the Great Catskill Delta Plain. More recently, glaciers gouged their way over the flat landscape. Rushing water over the past 10,000 years has further changed the landscape, carving numerous glens and ravines on its way to the Chemung River. Visitors should be aware of the presence of timber rattlesnakes on the preserve, an endangered species in New York.
HISTORY
Here you can witness what happens when conservationists and the community band together to conserve natural lands. Much of Steege Hill had been damaged by such extensive logging that the town of Big Flats shut down the operation and passed New York State’s first local ordinance to regulate logging. Slowly, the forest is healing for generations to enjoy.