Hiking, Art, and Birds at Lime Hollow Nature Center in Cortland, NY

This post contains affiliate links, which means that I may receive a commission if you make a purchase using these links, at no additional cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Please see the affiliate disclosure for details.

Lime Hollow Nature Center recently earned a special place in my heart because it was part of a lovely day with Miki.

She unexpectedly didn’t have daycare, and on a whim we got into the car to check out this great Cortland hiking spot near us.

It was a warm spring day, so we took our lunch to a small observation deck over Gracie Pond, as recommended by a staff member at the Lime Hollow visitor center. In the 20 minutes or so that we sat there for our picnic, we probably saw a dozen species of birds flit about and listened to their singing and chirping. A busy chipmunk was rustling nearby.

I will never forget the sight of four-year-old Miki in her flowery spring outfit, sitting with her legs dangling off the wooden bench, warming her face in the sun and sighing: “Aaaaah. This is the life.”

After that, we walked a bit among the sculptures of the Eric Kroot Art Trail and for another mile or two through the forest, past kids of the Lime Hollow Forest Preschool sitting on tree stumps and listening to a story, and by ponds with noisy frogs. (At that point, Miki admittedly had had enough of nature and sun and walking and was quite vocal about it.)

Ice cream at Toad’s in Freeville was a sweet ending to a lovely mother-daughter day.

What is the Lime Hollow Nature Center?

The Lime Hollow Nature Center is a nonprofit and was officially founded in 1993.

Through gifts and purchases the preserve has grown to 594 acres and 13 miles of trails through varied terrain, including rolling hills, meadows, ponds, and pools. (You can read more details here.) Its Chicago Bog is one of only a few remaining peat bogs in the Finger Lakes.

The nature center is open year-round and popular, with some 30,000 visitors a year, but it’s possible to find quiet times and trails. During our weekday morning visit on a warm spring day, we only came across a handful of walkers and birdwatchers.

I love that Lime Hollow isn’t just a great place to move outdoors, but it’s also a wonderful (and free!) community resource. It offers a whole list of programs, including camps, a forest preschool, and other environmental education and recreation programs.

The visitor center off McLean Road opened in 2007 and encompasses a small gift shop, a bird education room, outdoor bird feeders, and some nature exhibits, such as an interesting display of deer jaws at different ages. It’s open 10 AM to 5 PM on weekdays.

The newest offering since 2022 is the free Red Oak Music Series from April through September.

Hiking trails at Lime Hollow Nature Center

Lime Hollow Nature Center offers nearly 13 miles of lovely Cortland hiking trails, starting at several different trail heads. 

You’ll wander through forest, meadows, between ponds and wetlands, over small hills and valleys. There are lots of wildflowers, birds, and other wildlife.

To explore your options, grab a printed map from the kiosk at the visitor center or download a digital version via Avenza Maps (I haven’t yet tried this myself). 

They include a wheelchair accessible trail, the quarter-mile Trail for All (see more about accessibility towards the end).

The nice thing — especially with kids in tow — is that you can design your own loop from the various trails on the map. You can even change your mind midway, depending on how things are going with the little ones.

I found that trails were generally well marked.

Note that in the winter, walkers share the trails with snowshoers, skiers, and snowmobiles, so keep an eye out for each other.

Activities at Lime Hollow

The trails are suitable for hiking, running, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and even snowmobiling.

I especially enjoyed birdwatching. During my walk with Miki, we came across an avid birder who told us about the push of warm air that was bringing in tons of migrating birds. He especially recommended part of the Osbeck wilderness area. Also keep an eye out for organized bird walks and intro to birding events.

Kids may enjoy the Forest Preschool area and use their swings, as long as the program isn’t in session. And they may like climbing onto the sculptures of the short Eric Kroot Art Trail.

(See farther down for programs run by Lime Hollow.)

What’s in a name?: Lime Hollow’s geology

Lime Hollow has some unique features worth keeping in mind during your walk. The preserve’s name holds some clues.

But think soil, not citrus.

As this helpful Finger Lakes Land Trust site explains in more detail, Lime Hollow is named after the calcium carbonate (lime) deposits in the soil. More specifically, there are several marl ponds in the area. “Marl” is a mix of clay and lime that used to be employed as fertilizer before the advent of industrial alternatives.

In fact, Cortland is one of only three counties in the state (the others are Livingston and Seneca) with rare marl pond shores. These shores with marl deposits may change in size as water levels go up and down with the seasons — and according to the New York Natural Heritage Program, Lime Hollow is one of the best places to see them.

Marl ponds frequently accumulate in kettles, which formed as indentations when chunks of ice fell from melting glaciers. 

This term, “kettle,” may sound familiar to regular readers, because we encountered this kind of glacially produced, rolling hill-and-valley topography at another lovely spot recently, Ringwood Ponds in Ithaca. (Head to that post for more information on kame-and-kettle topograhy.)

More info about visiting Lime Hollow Nature Center

• Accessibility: A quarter-mile section of trail, the Trail for All, can be used with a wheelchair. It consists of crushed stone substrate and has gentle slopes. The Eric Kroot Art Trail and Lehigh Valley Trail are also wheelchair accessible for part of the year. A trail-ready wheelchair can be borrowed at the visitor center. The visitor center’s accessible bathroom has a ramp.
• Dogs: not allowed, except leashed dogs on the Lehigh Valley Railway Bed heading east
• Ticks:  They’re here, as many signs will warn you. So do your tick checks and be prepared with tick removers and insect repellent (we like this and love this sunscreen).
• Equipment rental: Skis and snowshoes are available for rent at the center in the winter months.

Programs at Lime Hollow Nature Center

• Lime Hollow Forest Preschool: The year-round forest preschool for 3 to 5-year-olds is state licensed. It looked like so much fun when we walked by! (It’s also the first forest preschool in the state that was certified by the Office of Child and Family Services as a daycare provider, according to the website.)
• Lime Hollow Summer Camp: Lime Hollow offers summer and school break camps for all ages, including those all-to-rare offers for 3 to 5-year-olds. Some of our friends have done these regularly and love them.
• Naturalist Series: Workshops led by staff and local experts on the last Saturday of the month for a low fee. Cover topics from birding basics to tree identification. (Looks like a winter/spring program.)
• Red Oak Music Series: Free concerts from April through September. 
• Volunteering: You can help maintain trails on certain days.
• Membership: You can become a member to support Lime Hollow Nature Center. This gets you a discount on certain programs (and the satisfaction of making this great place possible)

Looking for more great things to do outdoors? You may also enjoy:

• The Cornell Lab of Ornithology, another great nature center not too far away, specializing in birds.
• A bit farther afield, visit the Cumming Nature Center in Naples or the lovely Holden Arboretum in Kirtland, OH.
• Also, did you know these fun facts about Cortland county?