Weekend Backpacker: Buffalo

Exploring at Iroquois

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Birders' alert: Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge's 266 species are calling you. Hikers with birding or other enthusiasms for marshy areas (wildflowers are terrific) can make a great day of it here and on neighboring sanctuary wetlands. These will be slow, short lowland hikes (little up or down), with time for frequent stops to observe wildlife. The major attraction at Iroquois Refuge is the bald eagle, nesting in large trees, scavenging for fish over vast expanses of water. The wetlands attract thousands of waterfowl, a rare and beautiful tern, and the small, golden prothonotary warbler.

Iroquois Refuge (about 11,000 acres) can be roamed freely, and there are short marked trails. Refuge dikes and dams contain water year-round, in four impoundments, improving wildlife habitat. Two state-owned wildlife sanctuaries (Tonawanda and Oak Orchard State Wildlife Management Areas) border the refuge, adding 9,000 more acres to explore in what is collectively referred to as the Alabama Swamp Complex.

Recommended Trips

Naturalist-author Ed Ricciuti advises:"Choose from Onondaga Trail (1.2 miles round-trip), Swallow Hollow Trail (a 1-mile loop with a boardwalk), or Kanyoo Trail (1.3 miles round-trip). Walking is also permitted on the 3-mile Feeder Road that runs atop the dike separating the four main impoundments at the refuge. Walking the roads along the edge of the refuge is also an extremely productive way to see wildlife. The vistas, in many cases, are grander than those on interior trails."

Prothonotary warblers nest along Oak Orchard Creek, which is accessible by the Swallow Hollow Trail and the Onondaga Trail. Cayuga Pool (an impoundment along Rte. 77) provides views of thousands of marshland acres where black terns, Canada geese, and ducks abound.

Getting There

From NYS Thruway (I-90) take Exit 48A, Pembroke; follow NY Rte. 77 north for about 3 miles to the junction with NY 63; continue to Alabama. Stay on NY 63 north for another 0.75 mile, turn left on Casey Rd., and go 1 mile to refuge headquarters, about 30 miles northeast of Buffalo.

Practical Advice

Expect soggy conditions.

Permit Information

Hiking permits not required (no fees); open sunrise to sunset (Visitor Center, 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., weekdays and some weekends). Public roads (with several overlooks) encircle the refuge, exposing most habitats. From March 1 to July 14 (nesting season), hiking is restricted; otherwise the entire refuge is open to foot travel. The refuge maintains three short designated trails and offers other options for walkers, including roads and dikes.

Map

Pick up a trails map at the Visitor Center when you enter the Iroquois Refuge.

Guidebook

National Audubon Society Guide to National Wildlife Refuges: Mid-Atlantic, by Ed Ricciuti (St. Martin's Press, $19.95), describes Iroquois NWR in detail, with color photos and a map. Fifty Hikes in Western New York outlines trails at this refuge and on neighboring sanctuaries, and Wilderness Weekends in Western New York gives brief trail descriptions.