This awesome lake shore preserve was another surprise that we accidentally stumbled upon while driving around Otisco Lake. This preserve offers visitors a chance to enjoy the shore of Otisco Lake as they walk the trails, relax on a beach, or fish. This lovely preserve is an easy, flat hike where you can escape into the tranquility of nature.
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Trails to the Lake
The trail from the small parking area travels through a meadow but doesn’t head right to the Lake. It twists and turns and breaks off into small trails as you approach the water. This is not an endurance hike. The trails are all relatively flat, and even. Though keep in mind that it is a grass-covered trail, so the trail conditions can change depending on weather and wear.
The first trail took us to a portion of the beach that was extremely muddy. The Lake level was quite low, so the shoreline on this area of the beach was mucky. We were only able to walk a short ways out before our shoes started sinking into the mud. What was neat about this area is we could also see the footprints of all sorts of different animals.
We visited Otisco Shores Conservation Area in the Autumn and it was absolutely gorgeous. Every tree, bush, and plant in the preserve was bursting with fall colors. However, nothing compared to the colors coming from all the trees across the Lake. This is a fantastic place to enjoy the fall foliage.
If you hike a little further into the preserve, there is another narrow trail that leads down to the Lake. This will take you to a truly nice stretch of beach, where you can relax and enjoy the beauty of the Lake. One of the best parts about this preserve is that we had it all to ourselves.
Out and About with Nova
Nova, as usual, loved her visit here. She loves any destination that involves water. Here the water is crystal clear and very clean, so I didn’t have to worry about Algae or her smelling like a hazardous waste site. She could play in the water til her heart’s content.
The only drawback from our walk at this preserve was the massive amounts of burdocks we had to brush out of Nova when we got home. She was absolutely loaded, with a shocking variety of burrs, in all shapes and sizes.
Getting to Otisco Shores Conservation Area
There isn’t much of a parking area at Otisco Shores Conservation Area. It is a narrow strip of land just off the road.
Address: Otisco Valley Road, Otisco