During our winter visit to Birdseye Hollow Park, we were amazed by its beauty even with the bare trees and dead grass. We knew right away that we had to return when the weather warmed up to take our kayak out on the water. When we came back in the fall, we were greeted by the stunning and vibrant colors of autumn starting to adorn the landscape.
This park sits in the heart of a splendid New York State Forest, and it is an amazing place to get out and explore nature.
Hiking at Birdseye Hollow Park
If you enjoy hiking, you will not be disappointed. There are several trails here, including the Finger Lakes Trail. We hiked the Blue Trail, which runs along the length of Birdseye Pond. From the map, it looks like you might be able to see the shoreline, but unfortunately you can’t. Nonetheless, this is a great hike. While the trail is well-marked, it’s very rustic with lots of downed trees across the trail and is quite narrow in spots.
We also explored the boardwalk and the stretch of pond connected to that. There is a fishing pier with benches that jets out into the water, where you sit and enjoy watching the wildlife in and around the water.
Kayaking & Fishing at Birdseye Hollow
Elevation: 1,085 feet
Area: 68.4 acres
Shoreline Length: 1.9 miles
Birdseye Hollow Pond its really lovely and an excellent place to paddle. This was a really picturesque pond with several small islands. You can easily launch a canoe or kayak here and the paddling is great!
The pond is also great for fishing with species like: Banded killifish, black crappie, bluegill, brown bullhead, chain pickerel, common shiner, golden shiner, largemouth bass, pumpkinseed, yellow perch
Out and About with Nova
Nova had so much fun at Birdseye Hollow Park…Maybe a little too much fun. There were tiny field mice running around in the high grass, and she had a blast trying to catch them. She loved the trails too, however, I should probably mention that thanks to the exceptionally narrow trails she ended up being more burdock than dog by the end of our hike. The hazards of a long-haired dog.
All kidding aside, this is a very dog-friendly destination. Please be sure to keep your pet on a leash and always pick up after them. (And it is implied that by picking up after them, you also cart it away.)
Other Park Facilities
This park also has other facilities such as a playground, picnic pavilion, picnic area, fishing pier, and boat launch.
Getting to Birdseye Hollow Park
Address: 7603 Birdseye Hollow Rd, Bradford