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Central & Western: Montezuma Wetlands Complex

Montezuma is one of the Northeast's most important wetland complexes and staging areas for migratory birds. Its marshes, swamps, streams, ponds, floodplains and forests provide a critical resting place for waterfowl and other waterbirds on their journeys to and from Canada.

This vast complex contains Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge, which was set aside by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the 1930s. Historically, marshes have not been recognized for their ecological value. Montezuma Marsh is no exception-it was dammed and its surrounding rivers altered for the construction of the New York State Barge Canal until 1937, when restoration of the marsh began.

Ecological Importance: Montezuma provides a critical habitat for all kinds of birds, including bald eagles, trumpeter swans, cerulean warblers, shorebirds like the short-billed dowitcher and ruddy turnstone, and ducks and geese. Every season brings a unique birdwatching opportunity.

  • Fall (August to November): Watch for dowitchers, sandpipers, and ducks in the early morning and late afternoon. Killdeer and yellowlegs inhabit mudflats, while herons and egrets wade in shallow waters.
  • Winter: Resident birds include blue jays, woodpeckers, nuthatches and black-capped chickadees.
  • Spring migration (late February to May): Snow geese present both color phases. Warblers can be seen from dawn until mid-morning in May. 
  • Summer: If you're lucky you may see a sandhill crane.

Partners: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NY State Department of Environmental Conservation, Ducks Unlimited, Congressman Jim Walsh, Friends of the Montezuma Wetlands Complex
 

Conservation Action: The Nature Conservancy partners with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NY State Department of Environmental Conservation, other conservation organizations, and private landowners to restore Montezuma's wetlands, protect them from development and invasive species, and implement responsible recreational use of the area. In 2003, The Nature Conservancy teamed up with Ducks Unlimited to acquire two important properties at Montezuma totaling nearly 300 acres. These properties will eventually be donated to the State of New York. In 2000, we helped secure $2.5 million from Congress to expand Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. 
 

Montezuma wetlands
Sandhill cranes
© Terry Sohl


Clickable map

Montezuma Wetlands Complex Facts

  • Location: Seneca and Wayne Counties
  • Size: 36,050 acres
  • Plant Species: Many wildflowers at Montezuma peak between May and June. Look for violets, trillium, mayapples, vetches and mustards. Iris, mallow, and white water lily put on their best shows in late July.
  • Animal Species: Migratory birds of all shapes and sizes, muskrats, white-tailed deer, and fox

How to Visit
Public and some private lands are managed to provide habitat for wildlife as well as recreation and education for people. On public lands, opportunities abound for bird watching, hiking, canoeing, wildlife observation, cross-country skiing, hunting, fishing and trapping.

Directions:
For visitors traveling on the New York State

  • Thruway (from Syracuse or Rochester):
    Take exit 41.
  • Turn right (south) onto Route 414 and follow for approximately 200 yards (183 meters) to the traffic light.
  • Turn left (east) at the light onto Route 318 and follow for approximately 5 miles (8 km) to the end of Route 318 where it meets Routes 5 & 20.
  • Turn left (east) onto Routes 5 & 20 and follow for 1.25 miles (2 km), turn left into the refuge entrance.

For visitors from the Ithaca Area:

  • Travel north on Route 89 or Route 90 to Routes 5 & 20.
  • From Route 90, turn left (west) onto Routes 5 & 20; refuge entrance is on the right just past the Menard Memorial Bridge.
  • From Route 89, turn right (east) onto Routes 5 & 20 and follow for 1 mile (1.6 km); refuge entrance is on the left.

From Areas to the north:

  • Take one of several highways (Route 89, Route 414, Route 38, Route 34) south to Routes 5 & 20.
  • Travel east or west depending on where you meet Routes 5 & 20.

What to Expect:
There is an extensive trail system at Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge. The trails are mostly hard-packed dirt with some grass. Most are flat, and none are in steep or difficult areas. Motorized vehicles, including all-terrain vehicles and snowmobiles, are not permitted on the trails. Handicapped-accessible restrooms and picnic facilities are available at the Refuge Headquarters area on Routes 5/20 East. Trails do not have restrooms, so please plan accordingly.

Trails:

  • Turtle Pond Trail (1 mile)
  • Malone's Creekside Trail (1.25 miles)
  • Esker Brook Trail (2 miles)
  • Marten's Tract Trail (3 miles)
  • Helmer's Marsh Trail (1 mile)
  • Howland Island Trails (lengths of trails vary; 15 miles total)

Alver Barrens & Grasslands Chaumont Barrens Preserve El Dorado Beach Preserve Eastern Lake Ontario Dunes & Wetlands Tug Hill Rome Sand Plains Thousand Acre Swamp Montezuma Wetlands Complex O.D. von Engeln Preserve at Malloryville Western Finger Lakes Zoar Valley / Cattaraugus Creek French Creek Watershed