The Braddock Bay Wildlife Management Area (WMA) includes Braddock Bay Park and many surrounding wetlands and bird migration paths. If you are driving along Edgemere Drive near the ponds or the parkway between Island Cottage and Bennett Road, dining at the Braddock Bay Tavern & Grill, or fishing in Salmon Creek, you are enjoying the beauty of the Braddock Bay WMA.
Visitors can explore different locations within the WMA, such as Owl Woods/Rose Marsh, Braddock Bay Marina, and Beatty Point.
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.”
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Where is your favorite spot in the Braddock Bay Wildlife Management Area?
Your insights and experiences are valuable. Please share them in the comments.
People often ask me if I get free access to places while exploring. The answer is no unless I’m invited to previews or granted behind-the-scenes access as part of my media role. Generally, I don’t mention my project, Day Trips Around Rochester, NY, because I want the same experience you would have. I create and share content simply because it brings me joy. I would appreciate your support—a cup of coffee or two to help fuel future field trips—if you have found valuable information here that has helped you explore the Rochester area.
