Stevenson Forest Preserve

Discover

Stevenson Forest Preserve in Enfield, near Ithaca, protects woodland with several different histories. Its original older-forest parcel sits within later additions that include younger growth and land affected by farming and logging. Managed by the Finger Lakes Land Trust, the preserve invites a visit focused on those contrasts rather than a blanket description of untouched nature. Use the current map to choose a route and look for the relationships between canopy, ground conditions, and the story of how the property was protected.

Elizabeth Stevenson Bennett inherited the family's original parcel in 1977. When approached about conserving it, she chose to donate the land, and it became the first part of the preserve in 1995. Later gifts and acquisitions expanded the protected area. That sequence connects family attachment with a continuing public conservation purpose. A name on a sign can therefore introduce more than ownership: it can explain why an older woodland survived and how surrounding land came to share its protection.

The original forest contains trees that began growing well before the current preserve existed. Look at their structure and the light beneath the canopy, while keeping published age estimates distinct from exact measurements. A mature tree is interesting through form and setting even when its age is not known. The operator's account also describes hemlock stumps with continuing growth at their edges, a subject to observe through interpretation rather than test by touching or removing material.

Seasonal pools add another dimension. The land trust identifies vernal ponds used by amphibians, including wood frogs and spotted salamanders. These are habitat relationships, not promised sightings. Avoid entering pools, lifting cover objects, or approaching breeding animals to obtain a photograph. A change in moisture or a shallow depression can invite a question without requiring a wildlife encounter. Staying on the route allows observation while reducing the disturbance that would undermine the reason the habitat is protected.

Later additions include a long-fallow field, young woodland, and a forest area logged in the 1990s. Comparing them with the original parcel can make change visible across a manageable walk. The preserve is not one uniform stage of forest development, and that variety is part of its character. Ask what the current map or interpretation establishes about the areas you pass, rather than assigning a historical explanation to every opening or fallen tree based on appearance alone.

Longer-distance hiking accounts also place Stevenson within the wider Finger Lakes Trail landscape. A September 2015 original Farming Daughter account describes a group walk that linked the preserve with other woods and Robert H. Treman State Park, including some steeper sections and demanding heat. That was a particular multi-site outing, not a measure of a short preserve visit's difficulty. Check current connections and plan additional distance separately instead of adopting an old route or detour as today's itinerary.

Hunting-season access requires current confirmation. Some periods allow hiking only on the marked trail, while designated later seasons close the preserve to public entry. Follow current notices, prepare for the weather and footing, and leave plants, wood, and records of past use undisturbed. For social content, pair an approved forest view with one documented conservation detail. Stevenson offers a thoughtful walk through older trees, temporary water, and newer woodland, where the most useful story is how different histories continue to occupy the same protected place.

Fun facts

1. The original preserve parcel entered protection in 1995.
2. Later gifts and acquisitions expanded it.
3. Vernal pools support amphibian habitat.

Read the official sources →

Capture

1. Frame canopy and ground conditions from the trail. Do not lift logs, enter pools or approach breeding amphibians for close photographs.

Social

Stevenson Forest Preserve brings several woodland histories together near Ithaca.

Elizabeth Stevenson Bennett’s donation created the first parcel in 1995.

Later additions protected younger growth and former working land.

Compare canopy and light across the different settings.

Vernal pools are habitat, not a guaranteed wildlife show.

Longer Finger Lakes Trail outings need separate planning.

Check the current hunting-season access rules.

What can contrasting forest ages reveal during one walk?

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Sources & visitor information

• Visitor information — www.fllt.org
• OpenStreetMap — destination identity