Black Pond Wildlife Management Area – Henderson, NY

New York State has so many amazing natural places where visitors can immerse themselves in nature and observe wildlife. Black Pond Wildlife Management Area is made up of wetlands, barrier beaches, dunes, marsh, wooded/shrub swamps, and the pond itself.

Hiking to Black Pond

The drive back to the parking area at Black Pond is long and dusty. There is a decent size parking lot and the entrance to the preserve is very clear. Black Pond WMA is 90% boardwalk through scenic woods and wetlands, making for an easy, flat hike. We visited in late spring and didn’t find this area to be particularly buggy.

The boardwalk branches off in two different directions at one point. A short walk to the right will lead to Black Pond. The other leads to the Lake Ontario Shoreline. The section of the boardwalk that leads out to Lake Ontario (and El Dorado Beach Preserve) is closed annually from late May through Labor Day to protect nesting shorebirds.

Wildlife at Black Pond

The first thing you will notice on your visit, after the peaceful scenery, is the wildlife. In this protected area, visitors can see so much wildlife. This WMA was designated as a Bird Conservation Area by the state as part of the Eastern Lake Ontario Marshes BCA. This area, especially out by the lakeshore dunes, is nesting grounds for shorebirds.

Visitors to Black Pond have the opportunity to see turtles, frogs, red-shouldered hawks, muskrats, ducks, geese raccoons, beavers, coyotes, and whitetail deer.

Fishing

Black Pond WMA is a great place to bring young children to fish. There is an enclosed platform on the edge of the pond, where little kids can safely fish.

Backside of El Dorado Beach Preserve

The boardwalk to Lake Ontario isn’t always open due to shorebirds nesting. However, when the Lake Ontario section of the boardwalk is open, the boardwalk will take visitors to the backside of El Dorado Beach Preserve, and directly onto the beach. This is a beautiful stretch of pristine sand beach. Sand beaches along Lake Ontario are rare. If you haven’t visited El Dorado, you definitely need to add this destination to your list of must-visit places.

Please stay on the boardwalk until you reach the beach. DO NOT CLIMB ON THE DUNES. This area is part of a fragile system of sand dunes that is part of a larger coastal barrier. The sand dunes at Black Pond are the tallest sand dune in the Eastern United States outside of Cape Cod.

Getting to Black Pond WMA

Google Map Link

Have you visited Black Pond Wildlife Management Area? What did you think of it? Did we forget anything? We would love to hear you from you. Please leave us a comment below.