Braddock Bay Wildlife Management Area

Braddock Bay sits along the southern shore of Lake Ontario, just west of Rochester, where wetlands, open water, and managed conservation land converge. The bay is a shallow embayment of the lake, bordered by marshes, ponds, and trails, making it one of the region’s most important wildlife areas.

This area is best known for birding. Braddock Bay Wildlife Management Area lies along the Atlantic Flyway, and during spring and fall migrations, the skies and shoreline come alive with raptors, waterfowl, and songbirds. The annual Braddock Bay Raptor Research Hawk Watch has made this spot nationally renowned among birders, but you don’t need specialized knowledge to appreciate what’s happening here.

Even outside peak migration, Braddock Bay is a place to slow down. Flat trails, boardwalks, and overlooks make it easy to explore at your own pace, whether you’re walking the marina trail, watching the water change with the light, or simply taking in the wide-open feel that’s harder to find elsewhere along the lake.

Braddock Bay isn’t about a single highlight. It’s a place you return to in different seasons, noticing something new each time you visit.

The Braddock Bay Complex

If you’re planning a few walks around the area, pick up a “Hit the Trail Passport” at a Wegmans in Greece, the Greece Town Hall, or view the PDF. Many of the walking trails mentioned below are in the booklet. Handy!

Braddock Bay Park

The Town of Greece and the Department of Environmental Conservation partner to maintain the site, recognized as an Important Bird Area by the National Audubon Society. Begin your three-mile (one-way) trek along the Cranberry Pond Nature Trail here.

As the sign above informs, “One of the largest springtime concentrations of migrating birds of prey occurs in the skies above Braddock Bay. During the months of February through June, upwards of 140,000 hawks, eagles, falcons, and vultures can be observed working their way to their breeding grounds in Canada. Each Spring this migration is monitored, as it is a vital barometer of the Environment.”

Learn more about the park at greeceny.gov.

The Marina Trail

The Braddock Bay Marina Trail is my favorite trail in Monroe County. Strong words, I know, but I measure “favorite” based on places I’m drawn back to time and again.

Depending on the time of year, you’ll find duck hunters, wildlife photographers, or families educating their children about conservation or the types of birds they observe. It’s quite different than your typical park or woodland trail.

It’s roughly one mile out and back.

Surround Areas

• Beatty Point
• Bennett Road
• Billis Point
• Braddock Bay Bird Observatory
• Braddock Bay Raptor Research
• Buck Pond
• Buttonwood Creek, North Greece Road
• Cranberry Pond
• Hogan Point Road
• Island Cottage Woods Preserve
• Kaiser-Manitou Beach Banding Station
• Long Pond
• Manitou Beach Preserve
• Northrup Creek
• Owl Woods (Pear Orchard)
• Rose Marsh
• Salmon Creek

The New York State Department of Conservation website describes the WMA as a “shallow water bay-marsh complex existing in five units along the Lake Ontario shoreline, ranging from two to six miles west of Rochester.”

Where is your favorite spot in the Braddock Bay Wildlife Management Area?

I’d love to hear from you—please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.