Exploration for All Abilities

The Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences transformed an existing three-quarter-mile trail loop at Tifft into a trail that is wheelchair, walker, and stroller friendly. The trail begins at the Herb and Jane Darling Environmental Education center and leads visitors through woods and around the Preserve’s Heritage Boardwalk to enjoy Tifft’s cattail marsh.

The accessible trail project was driven by visitor request. One of the most frequently received questions from prospective and new visitors is whether the Preserve is wheelchair, walker, and stroller-friendly.

The improvements include concrete walkways leading to the entrance and emergency exits of the Education Center, a welcome kiosk at the trailhead, a compacted stone dust trail surface, simplified trail intersections, and a complete rebuild of the Heritage Boardwalk to make it wider with helical pile support.

The BSNS has received financial support for the accessible trail from Erie County, New York State, Buffalo & Erie County Greenway Fund, NYS Assemblymember Jon D. Rivera, The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Funds at the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, and the Montgomery Family Foundation.

The Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Legacy Funds at the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo also provided the funds necessary to perform the feasibility study, and develop the initial trail design with the architectural firm Stantec. 

Please note: We are actively working towards paving our parking lots and driveway to increase accessibility. Until then, we encourage guests requiring accessible parking to park next to the Education Center during its Wednesday to Sunday operating hours to be closer to the entrance to the accessible trail. When staffing allows, the gate to the Education Center will be open on Mondays and Tuesdays to provide access to accessible parking.

A wheelchair may be borrowed during the Education Center’s operating hours, pending availability.