ULTIMATE NY STAYCATION SUMMER 2021
Walking the trails of Niagara
EXPLORE THE RIVER: Spectacular views available away from the Falls in three short walks. BY JOE GENCO
A butterfly draws nectar and helps pollinate a native bee balm plant at Stella Niagara. Beth Genco
A meadow filed with native wildflowers is a great place for meditation at Stella Niagara. Beth Genco
28
Sometimes the best places to visit are the quiet ones, off the beaten path, away from the crowded spaces. Here are three short, easy Niagara County hikes. STELLA NIAGARA This is a short, easy walk Stella Niagara Nature Preserve is located at 4214 Lower River Road, in Lewiston. The Western New York Land Conservancy purchased the 29-acre preserve which was once part of a religious retreat owned by the Sisters of St. Francis. It remains a spiritual place. The property has a wide range of fun habitat to explore. Park at the community center across the street and walk downhill on the winding paths. At the top, just to the south, is a butterfly garden filled with native plants and pollinators in their natural environments. The meadow winds down to the river through space filled with shrubs like ninebark and spicebush. Along the north side of the property are vernal pools with cattails and turtles and, on a lucky day, wood ducks. On a summer day, damsel and dragonflies will flit about. You might see yellow warblers, a phoebe or a blue green flycatchers. Down by the water is an area protected from the current as a spawning zone for smallmouth bass, yellow perch and rockbass. It’s a great place for a picnic. Be careful to the left under the willow trees because there maybe be some poison ivy. Keep an eye on the sky as well because that might be your best chance to see a bald eagle. DEVILS HOLE TO WHIRLPOOL This is a longer, tougher walk with lots of stairs, not for the weak of heart. A short drive south along the Niagara River leads to
