With over 80 people in attendance, the Finger Lakes Land Trust formally dedicated its 194-acre Houghton Land Preserve in Corning. The preserve is a gift from longtime Corning leaders Jamie and Maisie Houghton, who donated the land in 2016.

Members of the Houghton family, Corning community members, and Land Trust staff gathered under beautiful autumn skies for a ribbon cutting ceremony followed by guided hikes on the preserve.

Photo: Chris Ray

Located just a stone’s throw from downtown Corning, the Houghton Land Preserve features mature hardwood forests, 2 miles of hiking trails, and scenic meadows with sweeping views of the surrounding hills. Much of the woods are dominated by towering red, black, white and chestnut oaks and hickory trees, interspersed with patches of birch, maple, and pine.  The south side of the preserve also features open hillside meadows with abundant blueberry bushes.

By donating their family land to the Land Trust, the Houghtons are continuing their deep commitment to the Corning community. “We’re grateful to the Houghtons for their tremendous gift,” said Land Trust Executive Director Andrew Zepp. “We look forward to building upon this milestone to conserve additional land in this area.”

The Houghton Land Preserve is open during daylight hours for quiet, unobtrusive nature observation and low impact recreational activities such as walking, hiking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing.  Please stay on marked trails, where they exist, to minimize disturbance of native plants and wildlife, and to avoid hazards.

Photo: Chris Ray

From November 18-December 19, the preserve will be open for hikers only on Sundays. The entire preserve will be closed to the public Mondays through Saturdays while permit-based deer hunting is occurring near the preserve’s trails.