A Stroll through Campbell Meadow in Dryden, NY

If you find yourself in the Dryden area, Campbell Meadow is a great place for a stroll.

The mowed path through a former agricultural field is nice throughout the seasons and takes you past Fall Creek.

It’s not the kind of place you’d plan a day trip around, but it’s lovely for locals or anyone visiting nearby.

And it has enough features to be interesting for kids, too.

wading in Fall Creek — Wading in Fall Creek

What to do at Campbell Meadow

The main attraction at the park is an easy, 0.9 mile loop walk that takes you around the meadow. You can access it from the small parking lot or from a couple of access paths off Lower Creek Road.

mowed path Campbell Meadow — Mowed path through wildflowers

From the parking lot, it’ll be obvious where the path starts right behind a wooden fence towards Fall Creek. It goes to the left and where the large trees are on your right, you’ll cross a small trickle of a stream that connects a pond to Fall Creek.

willow trees Campbell Meadow — These willows make great climbing trees!

As you keep walking parallel to the creek, you’ll see more large willows in front of a grassy area by the water. This is a fantastic spot for a picnic or to just hang out in the shade and climb the trees. The last time I visited I noticed a couple of wooden benches that looked very inviting. Access to the water is also easy from here.

boy climbing tree — Max climbing a willow

Towards the back part of the property you walk by a fire training site. As you loop back, you can either turn left at the center of the field and be taken to the lawn by the water, or you continue on to connect to the beginning of the path.

With a few stops here and there, it generally only takes 15 minutes or so to walk around.

If you’re here for the exercise (whether on foot or on cross-country skis), you can just keep looping around.

Water levels and temperatures allowing, you could also wander through the creek instead — extremely refreshing in the summer! Our kids loved finding shells and watching crayfish and little fish scurry around their ankles.

Or you could just hang out by Fall Creek at the picnic tables (there’s even a grill!) below the parking lot.

Whatever you choose to do, you’ll likely see loads of birds — red-winged blackbirds and Canada geese are especially happy here — and you can watch different wildflowers and other plants pop up through the seasons.

One thing to note: In wet weather, some bits may be muddy or soggy, so wear appropriate shoes. And keep an eye out for goose poop.

bench under willow tree — The willows look quite different in early spring

More about Campbell Meadow

We can thank Beth and Gorden Campbell for donating the land that the Town of Dryden then turned into the eponymous Beth and Gorden Campbell Natural Area. (And that’s the extent of what I know about this family. If you know more, feel free to share in the comments.)

According to a sign, the park is conserved with the assistance of the Finger Lakes Land Trust.

picnic area at Fall Creek — Picnic area below the parking lot

How to get to Campbell Meadow

You’ll find this Dryden Town park at the corner of Pinckney and Lower Creek roads. If you’re driving in on nearby Route 13, just turn onto Pinckney Road next to Brewer’s Cafe and Taproom.

GPS: 42.47739436951512, -76.40542621597952

There’s a small parking area on the Lower Creek Road side.

Campbell Meadow sign — Look for this sign for Campbell Meadow

Things to check out nearby

Another easy loop hike you may enjoy is at the Roy H. Park Preserve (from the south parking lot), also in Dryden. Or check out the boardwalk at the same preserve’s north parking lot.

The short loop hike at Ringwood Ponds is a little more challenging.

PIN THIS POST FOR LATER: