We love stumbling upon places that, from the outside, don’t look like much, but once you start exploring, you quickly realize just how incredible it actually is. The Richard A. Noyes Bird Sanctuary is one of these places. From the road and parking area, you wouldn’t expect that waiting for you is a gorgeous hike through woods and wetlands to a splendid view of Lake Ontario from carved cliffsides and a rocky beach. We positively loved our visit here! The Noyes Sanctuary is truly a hidden gem.
Beautiful Scenery
While the entire sanctuary is absolutely gorgeous, the cliffs and beach really put the icing on the cake. We hiked along the green trail purposely so we would be walking along the shoreline. I recommend taking the bluff trail from east to west. The trail travels through the woods alongside the rocky beach and breaks in spots; you can walk out on the beach. You can enjoy sitting on the beach with your feet in the cool water. However, the most impressive part is the way the trail opens up, giving you a spectacular view of the bluffs.
As you continue up the trail, you will notice a very small incline but nothing substantial. This is where you will find the cliffs chiseled artistically by Lake Ontario’s waters. This is a stunning spot, but be careful; no fence or barrier prevents you from falling over the cliff. This spot is nice and open and a beautiful place to linger and take in the beauty of the lake.
Bird Watching & Nature
This preserve is an amazing destination for bird watchers and nature lovers. If you are an owl lover, you will want to make sure you visit in the Spring. This area is a popular owl nesting area. Other birds migrate in and out of Noyes Sanctuary throughout the spring. The position of the sanctuary on Lake Ontario makes it a place to see not only common woodland birds but waterfowl as well.
There is no denying that the wooded scenery here is lovely, but this preserve is also home to a lot of wildlife. As we were hiking, we heard deer and other animals walking and scurrying ahead of us through the woods. If you love nature, this preserve is a fantastic destination that will allow you to engage all of your senses with a heightened awareness of your surroundings.
Hiking the Sanctuary
The 90-acre Noyes Sanctuary was donated by Richard A. Noyes in 1975. This place is truly enchanting, and we loved our hike here. We found it incredibly peaceful since we had the place to ourselves, but also because these are old untouched woodlands.
There are four trails that interconnect throughout the preserve. I recommend taking the time to explore all of them. While the Bluff Trail is, without a doubt, the most stunning, the other trails offer their own unique scenic beauty. The red trail and the green trail (on the east side) travel around a wooded swamp area, which is really lovely.
Know Before You Go:
There are a few things you should know before you visit.
NO PETS ALLOWED
Bugs – This preserve is very wooded with wetland areas, so the bugs here were a little intense in places. Don’t let that deter you from visiting; I would recommend wearing bug repellent.
Poison Ivy – There is a great deal of poison ivy here. Stay on the trail. I would also recommend wearing long pants to protect yourself from the poison ivy on the sides of the trail. (I wore shorts and frantically washed my legs off with water when we returned to our vehicle.)
Mud – There is mud on some spots in the trails, and it was quite slippery. I would recommend wearing hiking boots or sneakers. (On the positive side – we were able to spot animal footprints in the mud.)
Lost trails – The trails aren’t marked very well in places, and a few times, we lost the trail (especially along the green trail). Honestly, I think this is due to how few people hike here.
Interestingly, we discovered what we believe to be Richard Noyes’s grave marker near the cliff area. I have not been able to verify it, but it definitely appears to be a gravestone or a memorial.
Getting to the Sanctuary
Address: 362-426 9 Mile Point Rd, Oswego