Baltimore Woods Nature Center opens first new trail after its expansion

MARCELLUS, N.Y. — Baltimore Woods Nature Center in Marcellus says a new trail is the first to connect the public to the 90 additional acres that the preserve the nonprofit acquired in April.

Baltimore Woods opened the Harrison Trail to the public Aug. 27, the organization said in a Sept. 6 announcement. It expands the existing trail system, which now has 12 trails open to the public.

Baltimore Woods, which has grown to 272 acres and more than six miles of trails, hosted an inaugural hike and ribbon-cutting ceremony to thank the donors and volunteers who “helped to make this addition possible.”

“Having the first trail that unites the new 90 acres with the existing preserve be named after the Harrison family is truly a celebration of the past, present, and future of our organization,” Whitney-Lash Marshall, executive director of Baltimore Woods Nature Center, said. “Neighbors for over 50 years, it is an honor to make sure that this land continues to serve our community as a publicly accessible nature preserve for generations to come.”

Announced back in April, the addition of 90 acres to the preserve completed the first phase of the Expanding Boundaries Campaign at Baltimore Woods, a campaign that launched in 2019.

The nonprofit purchased the additional land from Bishop Hill Ventures in a deal that closed March 30, Baltimore Woods Nature Center told CNYBJ in an email at the time. The organization declined to disclose how much it paid for the additional land.

The project’s next phase includes expansion and renovation of the John A. Weeks Interpretive Center, along with the establishment of an endowment for the stewardship of the property that will support staffing, trail creation, and building other amenities for visitors.

Baltimore Woods Nature Center is open to the community year-round from dawn until dusk every day.

Those interested in getting involved in the ongoing stewardship and restoration of the land and trails at Baltimore Woods can visit baltimorewoods.org for updates and opportunities, the organization said.