Central & Western: El Dorado Beach Preserve

Clickable map

Why You Should Visit
El Dorado's beautiful, undeveloped shoreline was shaped by dramatic forces of nature. Retreating glaciers carved the rugged shoreline tens of thousands of years ago, and strong westerly winds piled up sand to form the dunes along the beach.

This undisturbed freshwater dune barrier system along Lake Ontario is one of the Conservancy's first conservation areas in central New York, acquired in 1969. From July through September every year, a large and diverse concentration of migratory shorebirds stops at El Dorado on its journey between James Bay in Canada and the southern wintering grounds.

Location
Ellisburg, in Jefferson County, on Lake Ontario

Size
360 acres

What to Expect
The preserve is open from early May until early fall. Please help us protect the incredible plant and wildlife at El Dorado by observing the following:

Stay off the fragile sand dunes.
Motor vehicles, bicycles, fishing, trapping and swimming are not allowed. Deer hunting is allowed by permit only.
Make your visit low-impact: please don't collect or disturb plants, birds or wildlife.

El Dorado Nature Preserve
© The Nature Conservancy

Directions
From Syracuse

Take I-81 north to exit 40
Then NY-193 west to NY-3
Turn right (north) on NY-3 and drive 4 miles
Turn left (west) on Stony Creek Road and watch for the first left, Grandjean Road
Continue for about 0.7 miles
After the last cottage on the left, take the left fork at the "El Dorado Beach Preserve" sign

From Watertown:

Take NY-3 south for approximately 15 miles to Danley Road
Drive southwest on Danley until it ends
Turn left on Stony Creek Road and watch for the first left, Grandjean Road
Continue for about 0.7 miles
After the last cottage on the left, take the left fork at the "El Dorado Beach Preserve" sign

Trail
There is a 1.4-mile trail that is wet and slippery in spots. Use sturdy footwear and watch your step.

What to See: Birds
Excellent viewing of the rugged shore is available at the bird blind, which can be reached from the trail. It provides a great vantage point for viewing ducks, terns, and in the fall, shorebirds. Please refrain from walking directly along the shore, to avoid disturbing the birds.

In the interior wetland areas, you will find water birds, waterfowl and passerines. Impressive concentrations of migrating flycatchers, warblers, vireos and sparrows are here from early August through early October.

What to See: Animals
The rich blooms of algae in the shallow shoals offshore support dense populations of crustaceans, insects and other invertebrates. These small animals provide the food base that attracts so many birds. On land, keep an eye out for monarch butterflies, reptiles, amphibians and deer.

Why the Conservancy Selected This Site
El Dorado's favorable location, protection from disturbance, and abundant food supply make it a critical habitat for gulls, terns, and dabbling and diving ducks. This preserve also serves as a shelter and staging area for various species of shorebirds migrating south in the fall.

Do you want to be a dune steward?

Are you a student at Cornell, SUNY Oswego, SUNY ESF, or SUNY Cobleskill and want to be a dune steward?

Check with Mary Penney at New York Sea Grant for information about applying for the program. Mary can be reached at mp357@cornell.edu.

What the Conservancy Has Done/Is Doing
Since 2002, The Nature Conservancy has teamed up with the NY State Department of Environmental Conservation, NY State Office of Parks, and New York Sea Grant to institute a six-person dune steward program that shows visitors to Lake Ontario's eastern shore how to enjoy the dunes and beaches without impacting fragile ecosystems, sensitive birds and other wildlife. The dune steward program operates from El Dorado at the north end of the 17-mile-long eastern Lake Ontario beach system all the way to Deer Creek Marsh Wildlife Management Area at the south.

Erosion caused by unauthorized foot traffic and motorized vehicle use on the dunes is one of the principal threats to the integrity of eastern Lake Ontario's dune system. The Conservancy has restored several hundred feet of eroded sand dunes at El Dorado by planting them with native beachgrass, which quickly establishes a root system that prevents the sand—and the dune—from blowing away.