New York State

Natural History, May, 2003

The 454-mile Seaway Trail--the state's only National Scenic Byway--parallels the St. Lawrence River, Lake Ontario, the Niagara River, and Lake Erie, carrying visitors through an eclectic array of large towns, quaint villages, picturesque bays, and rolling farmland. Harbors, lighthouses, fishing, wildlife, and history all contribute to the trail. Plan on at least four days to drive along the entire route, and take along bicycles: the Seaway includes many miles of excellent bike trails.

Start your exploration at the Seaway Trail Discovery Center in Sackets Harbor. Housed in the Federal-style Union Hotel, dating from 1817, this one-of-a-kind museum offers three floors of interactive exhibits featuring the trail's many attractions. Sackets Harbor itself has many historic homes. As you drive along Lake Ontario's eastern shore, stop to explore protected harbors and historic beaches, where you may sail, fish, or rent a boat. In the Sandy Pond area, you'll enjoy the beauty of fragile barrier beaches, dunes, lagoons, and freshwater marshes. In Henderson Harbor, birdwatchers should seek out the secluded Lake Ontario Islands Wildlife Management Area, which includes Little Galloo Island. Little Galloo is home to a populous shorebird rookery: some 60,000 pairs of birds are found here. It has the largest ring-billed gull colony in North America, New York's only Caspian tern colony, and scores of cormorants, herring gulls, great black-backed gulls, and black-crowned night herons.

The Seaway Trail's most well-known attractions include the phenomenal Niagara Falls, the Thousand Islands, and historic lighthouses. For more information, phone 800-SEAWAY-T, or write to Seaway Trail, Inc., 109 Barracks Drive, Sackets Harbor, New York 13865. History buffs should ask for a copy of the Seaway Trail Guide to the War of 1812, which details its 42 historic war sites.

Past Lake Champlain and beneath the Adirondack Mountains, stretching from the Mohawk River to Quebec, visitors will find the Lakes to Locks Passage, a designated All-American Road. This byway parallels the lake and its canal, with plenty of history, scenic views, and state parks abundant with hiking trails, lakeside beaches, and wildlife. Bring along bicycles, because the road's bikeways are known as some of the best cycling trails in the country. Lake Champlain is especially delightful for sailing and boating but will also appeal to lovers of history. Long the home of the Huron, Algonquin, and Iroquois, the strategically located lake was the site of many battles throughout the French and Indian War, the War for Independence, and the War of 1812.

For more information about both of these Scenic Byways in New York State, visit http://www.byways.org.