Cumming Nature Center
Cumming Nature Center Trails & Exhibits
The nature center’s landscape is constantly changing. Day by day, season by season, the cycles of nature play out in vernal pools, quiet glades, and deep snowbanks. And the best part is, you can experience all of it! During spring, summer, and fall, visitors can explore fifteen miles of hiking trails through wetlands, meadows, and upland forests. In winter, we offer 12 miles of groomed cross-country ski trails and 3 miles of snowshoe trails.



Trail Information
The nature center’s landscape is constantly changing. Day by day, season by season, the cycles of nature play out in vernal pools, quiet glades, and deep snowbanks. And the best part is, you can experience all of it! During spring, summer, and fall, visitors can explore fifteen miles of hiking trails through wetlands, meadows, and upland forests. In winter, we offer 12 miles of groomed cross-country ski trails and 3 miles of snowshoe trails.
Note: Professional photographers looking to host a photo shoot can find permit and scheduling information here: Photography Policy & Permit Information.
Overview of Interpretive Trails
During warmer months, CNC offers five interpretive trails, each with a different theme:
- The Beaver Trail introduces you to the important cycles of nature. You’ll see forest, stream, marsh, and meadow habitats rich with plant and animal life on your way to an observation tower overlooking a 35-acre beaver pond. See first-hand one of the most stunning examples of an animal’s interaction with its environment.
- The Helen Gordon Trail is an outdoor art gallery with paintings by artists Jerry Czech and Helen Edinger that will acquaint you with the birds and other animals of the area.
- The Haudenosaunee Trail paintings by Seneca artist Ernest Smith introduce the fascinating culture and tradition of the Haudenosaunee and evoke images of a time long past.
- The Pioneer Trail features a reconstructed 18th-century homestead and interpretive signs that tell of the lives of early settlers.
- The Conservation Trail communicates our forest conservation and management practices. Trail signs identify tree species and explain their uses to both wildlife and humans. These signs, along with a working sawmill and a replica of a fire tower, show how informed management practices can result in a sustainable, mature forest.
Exhibit Information
CNC offers a variety of permanent and rotating exhibits throughout the year. Be sure to check out the Hurst Gallery during your visit to see what’s on display in this rotating gallery space.
Take A Tour of the Visitor Center
Take a virtual tour of the visitor center before you visit to become familiar with the space!
FROST TOWN: HISTORY & ECOLOGY OF A GHOST TOWN
Explore the story of the 19th-century town once located at the nature center.
Leapfrog Pond
Enjoy this permanent play space designed especially for preschoolers. Over-sized frogs, turtles, tadpoles, lily pads, and mushrooms fill a make-believe pond.
Nature Play Room
Unlatch animal boxes, tinker at the touch table, hide animals within their habitiat, and more!
Camouflage & Habitat
Try to spot what plants and animals are hiding in highly detailed murals. Explore what it means to share a “habitat” and a “community with living and non-living things.
Is It Local?
View wildlife up close and explore each animal’s relationship to the local landscape.
Seneca Clans: Family, Unity, Shared Responsibility
Learn more about the culture and history of the Seneca people and their relationship to the local landscape.
Discover three floors filled with over 200 interactive science and history theme exhibits and science demonstrations.
Take a trip across the universe in our 65ft domed Star theater. Explore Star shows, laser shows, and featured giant screen films.