Thousand Acre Swamp -Penfield, NY

The Thousand Acre Swamp is a beautiful natural preserve of wetlands owned by The Nature Conservancy. We love to hike here when we want to take a short hike that only lasts a few hours. It also does not require a lot of stamina. The terrain is flat, and the trails are relatively short. It is a great hike for when you want to get out in nature but isn’t up for an all-out trek.

Exploring the Thousand Acre Swamp

Most of the trails are very well-groomed, and there are wooden boardwalks over areas that are usually wet. We recently revisited, and trails like the Trillium Trail were quite muddy. The trails aren’t always in this state, but it is better to be safe than sorry and wear shoes that you aren’t concerned about getting dirty.

I would, however, not recommend using a stroller here. I would use a frame pack, or if you must use a stroller, the big-wheeled all-terrain jogging stroller would probably be your best shot.

There are a few small trails that lead off the main trail, Founders Way. The longest trail, the Hermit Walk, leads directly to Way Pond Trail, which takes you to a large pond that frequently has large turtles sunning themselves. If you have small and curious children, watch them carefully here as there is nothing to keep them from jumping into the pond.

Wildlife At The Swamp

This is a great hike for little ones who can walk on their own. It is a wonderful way to introduce them to a new habitat and wildlife. This swamp is teeming with wildlife, and we see something new on every trip.

The Thousand Acre Swamp is very popular with bird watchers because there are so many varieties of birds living in and around the swamp. The animal life here is abundant. The swamp is home to foxes, weasels, whitetail deer, and coyotes, as well as an abundance of reptile and amphibian life. Wildflower enthusiast also finds this park particularly fascinating due to the large array of flower and plant life.

My kids love the Thousand Acre Swamp because they always see tons of animals. On this particular trip, a herd of deer ran right past us. It was a magnificent sight. My son enjoys looking for snakes and critters of that nature, which there are a lot of. There are rumors of Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnakes living in the swamp. Have no fear; I have never seen one and don’t know of anyone else who has either.

If you look carefully as you walk through the swamp, you can see many unique and interesting plant life.

Know Before You Go

Make sure you bring bug spray. It is a swamp, so there are certain times when bug spray is essential. We went in late spring, and the bugs weren’t bad at all. But I have visited when the bugs were out of control, and I couldn’t walk 5 feet without being bitten. During those times, the afternoon is the best time to visit. Once the sun starts to set, the bugs come out in mass.

Overall, this is a great day hike that is incredibly beautiful. Keep your eyes peeled; you never know what you might see! Just remember that bug spray and wear shoes that you don’t mind getting dirty.

Getting To The Thousand Acre Swamp

Address: 1587 Jackson Rd., Penfield, NY 14526

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