Explore our beautiful natural areas right on Cornell’s campus, some of which surround our beautiful 150-acre arboretum and specialty gardens around the Nevin Welcome Center.

Featured

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Natural Area
Native Lawn Demonstration Area

Designed to replace conventional lawn with native low-growing grasses, which only require mowing once or twice per year.

Fall Creek
Fall Creek Valley

This natural area consists of young and old forests on the north and south sides of Fall Creek.

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Fall Creek Gorge

Nearly 200 feet deep, Fall Creek’s Gorge is among the most impressive gorges in the Finger Lakes Region.

Hikers above waterfall.
Cascadilla Gorge

The iconic Cascadilla Gorge Trail passes through one of the most picturesque gorges in the Finger Lakes Region.

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Beebe Lake and Woods

Beebe Lake is a sanctuary of water, woods, and wetlands in the heart of the Cornell Campus.

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Fall Creek Gorge

Nearly 200 feet deep, Fall Creek’s Gorge is among the most impressive gorges in the Finger Lakes Region.

Mundy Wildflower Garden

Here you will find a remarkable variety of plants native to the Cayuga Lake Basin.

Park Park

A variety of plant communities including forest, shrub thicket, wetland, meadow and prairie near Fall Creek.

Fall Creek
Fall Creek Valley

This natural area consists of young and old forests on the north and south sides of Fall Creek.

Slim Jim Woods

This beautiful old forest is very biodiverse and many of the trees are truly majestic.

Bluegrass Lane and Bull Pasture Ponds

This natural area includes a regionally uncommon swamp forest, a marsh, and meadow.

Palmer Woods

More than half of this remarkable area is undisturbed old-growth forest dominated by large oaks.

Upper Cascadilla

Enjoy a walk along Cascadilla Creek and buffering woods via the East Hill Recreation Way.

Mitchell Street Hawthorn Thicket

More than 100 species of birds have been observed at this site.

More to Explore

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Explore Our Plants

We offer online tools for locating and learning about plants in our gardens and natural areas.

Interactive Map
Garden Map

Use this interactive map to locate our gardens, natural areas, waterfalls, parking, outdoor art, and more.

 
Off-Campus Natural Areas

We manage nearly 3,600 acres of natural areas across 44 sites, which represent the full range of ecological habitats in the Finger Lakes Region.