If you pay close attention to the numerous land trust in our state, you will see that they are constantly adding new destinations, like this wildlife sanctuary in Ontario, NY. This is a great place to take a creek hike on a hot day or just catch a glimpse of some wildlife.
Hiking
The Mcguire Family Wildlife Sanctuary is a very wooded destination. The woods are filled with old trees and the trail runs alongside Bear Creek for a little way. This walk is very shaded with lots of brush along the trail. I recommend wearing repellent to keep both the ticks and the mosquitos at bay.
This isn’t a long walk and it is fairly flat for the most part. This is a good walk for young children, as long as you keep an eye on them along the creek. There is a spot in the creek that you will need to cross to stay on the trail. We were able to cross on the rocks but if the creek level is high, you might get a little wet.
Bear Creek
All I could think of when we hiked here was how great of a creek hike this would be on a hot day. The water level is mostly low, and the creek is very wide. It looks like a great place to cool off. The is a bench that sits on the side of the creek, perfect for visitors to sit and enjoy the water.
Wildlife
We walked up on a great blue heron fishing in the creek. We didn’t see any large mammals but we saw all sorts of tiny frogs hopping along the trail. We hiked during the middle of the day, I have always here that if you want to see lots of wildlife, early morning or near sunset is the best time.
Getting to the Mcguire Family Wildlife Sanctuary
Approximate Address of Parking: 7299 Thompson Drive, Ontario, NY 14519