Singer Castle Blog & More

The Edward & Marlene Schmeer Preserve

It’s been a while since we’ve added any trails to our hiking blog. We recently visited the brand new Edward & Marlene Schmeer Preserve in Cape Vincent and had to include it on our list. While the current trail is only about 800 feet long, it is the first of what the Thousand Islands Land Trust (TILT) plans to include on this beautiful property. For now, it is a clean gravel trail through a newly restored grassland, jam packed with birds, butterflies and other wildlife, that takes you to a beautiful also brand-new observation deck with a view of Lake Ontario, the Preserve’s restored grasslands, a Lake Ontario barrier wetland, Wilson Bay, and the historic Tibbetts Point Lighthouse.

Acquired by TILT in 2023, the Schmeer Preserve was once a soybean field. Today, the Edward & Marlene Schmeer Signature Preserve in Cape Vincent is one of the newest conservation achievements in the Thousand Islands. The preserve is located at 787 Schmeer Rd in Cape Vincent and is now open daily from dawn to dusk! There is also a parking area at the entrance of the preserve. TILT describes it this way:

“Once intensively farmed with row crops, this land is now coming back to life. Native grasses and wildflowers have been planted to restore the ecosystem, and selective hedgerow removal has connected fragmented fields into continuous open meadows habitat. The project is part of a 360 acre conservation complex. The Schmeer portion is a 215-acre preserve featuring restored grasslands that support a diversity of species, providing food and shelter for grassland birds and other wildlife.”

But they also made it into a destination for those of us who love to hike and explore the great outdoors. It now includes a short scenic trail (with more trails planned in the future), and the observation tower overlooking Lake Ontario and the restored grasslands. The preserve provides an outstanding birding destination, with species such as the Bobolink, Short-eared Owl, Eastern Meadowlark, Snowy Owl, Osprey, and other rare grassland birds and native pollinators calling the area home. Located at the intersection of the Atlantic Flyway, the site is also a designated wintering raptor congregation area and an ecological hotspot.