Author: Cecilia

Great Smoky Mountains National Park

Great Smoky Mountains National Park
“Ridge upon ridge of forest straddles the border between North Carolina and Tennessee in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. World renowned for its diversity of plant and animal life, the beauty of its ancient mountains, and the quality of its remnants of Southern Appalachian mountain culture, this is America’s most visited national park.”
Here is the Park website.    Phone 865-436-1200    Maps  
Trails accessibility information
  Hiking In The Smokies.com – difficulty has a trail list with difficulty ratings.  You can see that the rugged Great Smokies offer little in accessibility.  You might try Randy Johnson’s Best Easy Day Hikes guide.

NORTH CAROLINA
HikerwithcaneDeep Creek Trail to Tom Branch Falls   “The trail begins as a wide path as it traces Deep Creek upstream. The 80-foot Toms Branch Falls is located only three-tenths of a mile from the trailhead. The park service has provided several benches for visitors to admire these beautiful falls, which spill down into the creek from the opposite bank.”

TENNESEE
Wheelchair AccessibleSugarlands Valley Nature trail is 0.5 mile round trip.  Reviewed on AllTrails.com    It is located on Newfound Gap Road, just south of Sugarlands Visitor Center.
HikerwithcaneSpruce Fir Trail is 0.35 miles with an elevation gain of just 25′ according to the author of Hiking In The Smokies.com.
HikerwithcaneLaurel Falls 2.6 miles  Map   EveryTrail.com says the trail is paved and is suitable for strollers, but considered ‘moderate” in difficulty.  “wideopencountry.com” warns that the first half is uphill.
HikerwithcaneMetcalf Bottoms Trail  1.4 miles.  A short nature hike through the woods to Greenbrier School. Map from EveryTrail
HikerwithcaneMiddle Prong Trail   Trip Advisor   hikingproject.com   maliasmiles   4 miles.  The trial is a 12′ wide graveled railroad grade for the first two miles.  Descriptions vary for the difficulty after that.  Video by The Smoky Mountain Hiking Blog

Pfeiffer Nature Center

Pfeiffer Nature Center
Pfeiffer Nature Center is over 676 acres in rural, southwestern New York State.  The Nature Center has two properties. The Lillibridge Property includes 20 acres of rare, old-growth forest and has six miles of marked foot-trails pass through a variety of forest ecotypes, such as coniferous and mixed deciduous forests.  Here is a brochure with map of the Lillibridge Property.
Their other property is the Eshelman Property.  Here is a map.
Here is the Pfeiffer enter website.
Wheelchair AccessibleGriffin’s Way 0.18 mile one way An easy wooded trail leads you through some of the oldest trees here, primarily eastern hemlock and white pine.
Wendy’sTrail  0.2 mile one way from the kiosk to deep in the woods.

Emery 0.43 mile one way  ” This path starts down at our beautiful timber frame pavilion in the meadow & takes you deep into the woods…”
Bullhead Run  0.26 mile round trip through the meadow and by a pond.

Hawthorn Lane 0.14 mile one way “…a great place to see plants and animals that like transitional scrub areas.”

Jamestown Audubon Nature Center

Jamestown Audubon Nature Center
Jamestown’s Audubon Community Nature Center is a “600-acre wetland preserve that includes over five miles of trails, a native tree arboretum, picnic areas, a natural play space, and educational gardens…”
Here is the Center’s website.   Trail map and information.  Phone 716-569-2345
In response to my inquiry on trails, the Center wrote, “We have a paved trail that goes to an overlook that is pretty accessible. The other trails are flat, though grassy or wood-chipped and may or may not be totally level.  Inside the building, we have an elevator, and a chair lift that gives access to all of our exhibits.
Wheelchair AccessibleOverlook Trail 0.6 mile, paved.

Spatterdock Trail about 1 mile.

Big Pond Trail about 2 miles.

Beaver Meadow Audubon Center

Beaver Meadow Audubon Center
“Beaver Meadow is a 324-acre nature preserve in North Java, NY. The preserve features its namesake beaver meadow with its associated ponds, glacial kettle ponds, wetlands with a boardwalk trail, wooded uplands, meadows, a hawk watch, an arboretum, and eight miles of marked and groomed trails.”
Here is the Center website.  Trail map.   Phone 585-457-3228   Here is the facebook page for Buffalo Audubon Society.
There are a lot of short and long trails here, but difficulty is not given other than the boardwalk.  Some of these trails look easy, but call or check with the Visitor Center first.
Wheelchair AccessibleJenny Glen Boardwalk – short but length is not on the map.

Hudson Highlands Gateway Park

Hudson Highlands Gateway Park –
Located in Cortlandt, Westchester County, this 352 acre site has a network of 4 trails, totaling more than 4.9 miles, rambling through woodlands, meadows and around ponds and offers several options for scenic loop hikes including a one-mile loop that is partly handicap accessible.
Here is the Park Brochure with Trail Map.    Map with History.
Wheelchair AccessibleAnnsville Creek Trail approx. 1 hr. “This trail starts at Doris Lee Dr. and is universally accessible to the Pond Overlook. It travels by Annsville Creek, which contains breeding trout populations. Fishing is allowed. A sensitive wetland area surrounds the creek.”

Harrier Hill Park

Harrier Hill Park
Harrier Hill Park is in the City of Hudson, Columbia County.
Named for the Harrier hawks, which can often be seen here, this small park has sweeping views of the Catskill Mountains and the Hudson River. ” The surrounding fields, also protected by Scenic Hudson, support a wide variety of birds…”
Here is the Park website.   Trail Map
Wheelchair AccessibleA short, universally accessible trail leads from the parking area past a farm pond to the pavilion.
?   The first half-mile or so of the 2 mile Stockport-Greenport trail is on a flat contour and looks as though it might be easy.  Try calling Scenic Hudson in Poughkeepsie for more information 845-473-4440.

Tifft Nature Preserve

Tifft Nature Preserve
Tifft Nature Preserve, associated with the Buffalo Museum of Science, is on the Outer Harbor.  There are 264 acres of restored habitat with five miles of trails and boardwalks.
Here is their website.   Phone  716-825-6397   Map
Other sources have described the trails as easy and they are all short.  They do look easy from the photographs, but you should call first to be sure since there is no rating on the website.

-New York Dept. of Environmental Conservation

New York Department of Environmental Conservation describes Nature Centers organized by four zones.  These pdf’s give information and maps of trails in state parks, forests and other state lands. Most area descriptions have phone numbers listed so you can call to see if some of the many short trails might be suitable for you.
Introduction

Northern Zone This includes information about DEC Regions 4, 5, 6 and portions of Region 3 and the Saratoga-Capital District, Thousand Islands and Adirondack Park Regions of OPRHP.
Saratoga Spa State Park.  Page 14   Phone 518-584-2535  “The gentle terrain offers picnic areas, shady streamside trails, suitable for the nature-lover or the casual walker…”  Call to inquire about possible obstacles.
Wellesley Island State Park  Page 17  Phone 315-482-2722
Wheelchair AccessibleFriendship Trail 0.125 mile

Southern Zone This includes information about DEC Regions 1, 2, 3 and portions of Region 4 and the Long Island, New York City, Taconic, Palisades and Catskill Park Regions of OPRHP.

Central Zone This includes information about and OPRHP’s Central and Finger Lakes Regions.
Selkirk Shores State Park Page 58   Phone 315-298-5737  “The cross-country ski trails follow generally flat and gently rolling terrain, providing easy skiing for the novice and easy walking for the day hiker.”

Western Zone This includes information about DEC’s
Region 8, all of Region 9 and OPRHP’s Genesee, Niagara Frontier and Allegany Regions.

Other Trail information  This includes information on long distance trails and canal trails.