Binghamton University Nature Preserve, Vestal

About Binghamton University Nature Preserve

Binghamton University Nature Preserve encompasses 190 acres in Vestal, including a 20-acre wetland where visitors hike nearly 11 miles of maintained trails and cross a wooden footbridge. The preserve shelters deer, beaver, fox, mink, muskrat, and porcupines alongside over 200 bird species—the broadest range sighted anywhere in the Southern Tier. Habitats include hemlock forest, oak woodlands, a beaver pond, streams, and shrubbed meadows. Students use the preserve as the largest laboratory on campus for wetland ecology courses, geophysical field studies, and environmental measurements. Families and community members walk the Anthill, Forest Loop, Pond, and Marsh trails during daytime hours. Dogs must remain leashed, and bicycles are not permitted. The preserve closes at dusk and serves students, faculty, staff, and surrounding residents seeking outdoor recreation and nature study.