3. Seneca Trail

Welcome to the Seneca Trail!

In just a short walk, you will also be able to access a viewing tower and the Summertime Bike & Hike Trail. The Summertime Bike & Hike Trail is open during the summer months only; dates are posted on the trailhead sign.

Here on the Seneca Trail, you will follow a one-mile loop surrounding the refuge’s headquarters area; the trail is open daily from ½ hour before sunrise to ½ hour after sunset, unless otherwise posted. You are welcome to walk your dog on this trail and around the headquarters/visitor center area; please keep your dog on a leash no longer than 6 feet.

Along your way, you will pass by the refuge’s first official Monarch Waystation, a viewing tower, and the Cayuga-Seneca Barge Canal. This trail is closed during the osprey nesting season, but you can watch a different osprey nest online or via a live camera in the visitor center.

In the spring, listen for the cerulean warbler

Beautifully blue, but elusive, these tiny songbirds are being considered for the Endangered Species List, but they have found the refuge and neighboring state lands prime real estate for nesting! May through June is the best time for hearing cerulean. You’re more likely to hear them than to see one. Note that cerulean stop singing to attract mates in July, once they begin to nest.

Buzzy notes ending in a higher pitched trill, "zee zee zee zizizizi eeet."