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Gorge Nature Trail

Plants, animals and people have had to adapt to the conditions set by this rocky gorge. Follow the Stony Brook Nature Trails to see how this has occurred.

The nature trail follows the gorge trail beginning near the bathhouse at lower park. The numbered wooden posts correspond to numbered paragraphs in this brochure. The final stop is at the parking lot by the upper bathhouse.

A second section of nature trail follows the West Rim Trail. The First stop is at the top of the hill above where it splits from the gorge trail near the upper park. Instead of having numbered stops, it uses letters, from A to G, proceeding downhill from the upper to the lower end.

The Gorge Trail is 3/4 mile long and ascends about 250 stone or wooden steps. It passes three major waterfalls. The West Rim Trail follows the edge of the gorge and is also 3/4 mile long. There are neither drinking water nor restrooms except at the ends.

The East Rim Trail is accessible by foot bridges across the gorge at the lower and upper ends. It is one mile long.

Stay On The Trails. There have been serious accidents when patrons have left park trails. Every attempt has been made to serve you safely. Please cooperate by staying on designated trails, obeying signs and park policies. Please report all accidents to a park employee. Uniformed park staff patrol the trails to assist you and to enforce park regulations. Swimming in the stream, littering and picking wildflowers are not permitted. Do not throw stones into the gorge as people may be on trails below.

1. Stony Brook emerges from the gorge in the hillside to your right and flows into the Canaseraga Creek in the main valley. Its waters eventually reach the Genesee River and Lake Ontario. When Stony Brook was young, ten to twelve thousand years ago, there was no gorge. The stream cascaded down the hillside in front of an enormous glacier which was gradually melting away towards the north. The receding glacier left behind great piles of earth called "moraine", which can be seen from the highways near the park.

Over the thousands of years since the end of the Ice Age, Stony Brook has slowly eroded its rugged chasm in the ancient rocks of the hillside. If you move a few steps to the left of the trail sign, you can see where the rock wall of the gorge ends. To the left, the stream has cut through the large moraine deposits from the glacier, leaving the "Great Sand Bank" which experiences frequent minor landslides.

Primitive nomadic hunters may have discovered Stony Brook Glen in its early stages. Seneca Indians hunted and fished here before whites moved in over 150 years ago and built farms and a sawmill. For more than a century Stony Brook's scenic appeal has drawn people seeking the balm of beautiful landscape.

2. Park Construction - Stony Brook state Park was established in 1928, just before the Great Depression. Many of the park's original developments were built by laborers in federal programs to put the jobless back to work. This beautiful bridge was constructed by men at the "Transient Camp" in the park (across the highway) employed by the Works Progress Administration. Civilian Conservation Corps and Temporary Emergency Relief Administration laborers also worked on park improvements, including swimming areas, shelters, stairways and trails. During World War II Italian prisoners of war were housed in the Transient Camp and worked on a variety of park projects.

3. Gorge Woodland Community - The erosion of the gorge has created a varied environment for living things. Plants here must be able to survive on steep slopes in a shady, cool location. Notice how the roots of trees in front of you spread and cling to the hillside, permitting growth on a steep site. The tree on the right with the yellowish metallic-looking bark is a yellow birch. The two rough-barked evergreens to its left are hemlock trees. The low evergreen shrub on the bank behind is yew. As it looks a lot like young hemlock, it is sometimes called ground hemlock. All three of these plants are typical of the gorge environment. You will see them repeatedly in the glen. The woods within the gorge are very different from those on the gorge rims.

4. Rock Layers - Notice that the rocks of the gorge wall are in layers. They are called sedimentary rocks. They are formed from layers of sediments, such as sand and mud, slowly lain down one upon another in an ancient sea 350 to 400 million years ago (long before the dinosaurs). The lip of the small waterfall here is made of a thin layer of sandstone, once a layer of fine-grained sand on the sea bottom, and now solid rock. It is tougher and resists wear more effectively that the thick layer of "shale" that has crumbled away beneath it.

All the crumbly-looking layers in the gorge wall are shale. It was once se-bottom mud or clay. It is weak and easily destroyed by the action of water, freezing and other forces. As shale crumbles it often undermines a tougher layer above, leaving an overhanging ledge. In this way waterfalls commonly undermine themselves and gradually recede upstream.

5. Cliffs and Groves - Why is there a grove on this side of the brook while the opposite side is a rugged, bare cliff?

Streams naturally attempt to assume a snake-like course called meandering. Erosion of the bank is greater on the outside of a curve or meander. The cliff opposite is being undercut by the stream during high water and stones that fall from above are swept away.

The grove on this side is within the inside of the meander. Floods rarely touch it. Rocks and soil that have fallen from above have accumulated and trees have been able to grow. Cliffs and groves alternate between the two sides of the glen as the stream snakes its way down the hillside.

Here, once again, are many hemlock trees and yew shrubs thriving in the cool, shady confines of the glen. Just up the trail past the woods, however, the rugged gorge wall above offers a radically different habitat for plants. Here only hardy, evergreen red cedar trees, grasses and certain wildflowers can live on the dry, barren cliff face. Notice a lone cedar, with its distorted J-shaped trunk, clutching the cliff where little else can survive.

6. Ancient Sea Bottom - Notice the ripples in the rock at your feet and all around this location. These were ripples in sand on an ancient sea bottom hundreds of millions of years ago. Layers of sand and mud accumulated and eventually turned to stone, under the enormous weight of sediments over millions of years. When conditions were just right, fossils of sea animals were sometimes preserved. Fossils, however, are not common in the glen.

7. "Hourglass Falls" - Notice the straight cracks in the rocks around this waterfall. The ledge on this side of the stream just below the falls lines up diagonally with the ledge on the opposite side above the pre-existing cracks called "joints" by geologists.

The entire region is criss-crossed by joints. They formed violently millions of years ago when mountain building forces to the southeast raised western New York as a plateau. Joints often become sites for erosion. Floods can pry out slabs along joints. Quarries often take advantage of natural jointing. Look for joints elsewhere in the gorge.

8. Past Glory - The large concrete footings here look like stepping stones for a giant to cross the glen. They once supported a high railroad trestle which brought thousands of tourists to Stony Brook.

In the late 1800's, the Glen was a popular resort or "Summer Garden". Both entrances were developed. The resort featured a large dance hall, well-kept paths, stairs and rustic bridges, tables and seats for hundreds, swings, gardens and an outdoor theater for performances of "The Legend of Red Wing". Tradition has it that Red Wing was an Indian maiden who leapt to her death in the Glen following a fatal struggle there between two rival suitors.

The prosperity of Stony Brook declined and the resort fell into disuse by the 1920's. In 1928, New York rescued the Glen by creating the state park. The old iron railroad trestle was removed for scrap metal during World War II.

9. Yellow Birch - This is a good spot for a breather. This handsome tree with the shredding silver-yellow bark is a yellow birch. Its supportive roots allow it to grow on the steep slope.

Birches all have horizontal marks on their tight-fitting bark. These, called lenticels, allow air to reach the inner growing layer. As birches grow, their bark gets tighter, stretches and then peals off. Yellow birch bark peels in strips. The bark of white birch peels off in sheets.

Yellow birch is found all over upstate New York. It prefers rich, moist sites and is frequently found with hemlock, sugar maple and beech. It is one of our most important and largest timber trees, producing heavy, strong, close-grained wood valuable for furniture, woodenware, flooring, interior finish, airplanes and veneer.

Deer, red squirrels, ruffed grouse, rabbits and small birds find its seed, buds or twigs valuable winter food.

10. Primitive Plants - Hundreds of millions years ago ferns and similar plants grew to tree size and made up the world's forests. Now they must grow here and there in spots not dominated by the more successful seed-producing plants, like trees, wildflowers and grasses. Here on the rocky bank above the trail are a number of primitive plants, which thrive in the cool, shady, moist, rocky environment.

Bulblet ferns produce small bulblets under their leaves that drop off in late summer, helping to spread the plant. Carpet-like moss clings to minimal soil and holds moisture in its mass of tiny green stems. Strange, flat "liverworts", with no true leaves or stems, hug the rock in moist locations. But only the light green lichen, a combination of an alga and fungus, can get nutrition directly from the bare stone. All of these plants reproduce from spores, tiny dust-like particles that can float on the wind and must have optimal conditions to succeed. They have found a home here on this shady cliff. Can you locate these plants?(Please do not pick them).

Just ahead the West Rim Trail leaves to your right. The gorge nature trail continues for three more stops to the parking lot. The West Rim Trail has seven more stops on the way back to the lower park.

11. Glacial Erratics - Go feel these boulders. They are of quite different stone than the layered rocks of the gorge walls. They are hard and rounded and are found scattered about the landscape.

Boulders such as these were clues that led to the theory of the Ice Age. Called "erratics" they were brought here from the north by the great continental glaciers that once bulldozed this landscape. As the glaciers melted, they left behind great masses of debris made up of clay, silt, sand, gravel, cobbles and boulders. This debris, called "till", forms the basis for our soils. These boulders are somewhat rounded because they may have been rolled along in rivers of glacial melt water.

12. Transition Woodland - Conditions on the rim of the gorge and the bottom are quite different. The rim is sunny, dry and warm compared to the depths of the Glen, which are cool, shady and moist. Slopes behind the rims are gentle, usually. The trees that grow in each location are generally different.

The slopes here are moderate and the soils are fairly deep. Sugar maples, beech, basswood, hemlock, yellow birch and oak are thriving. Higher on the rim, it is sunnier and drier, where oaks and pines are dominant. Down in the glen, hemlock and yellow birch seem to be in control. This woodland might be considered an intermediate environment between the two extremes.

13. Oaks and Pines - Here at the southern end of the trail are several pine and oak trees. These are typical trees found along the West Rim Trail, and are unusual down in the gorge. Different communities of plants thrive in different locations, depending on soil, slope, exposure, temperature, moisture and other factors. The dramatically varied landscape of the gorge provides dramatic variation among plant communities.

West Rim Nature Trail

Several different habitats for trees can be seen from here on the opposite wall of the gorge, as indicated by the evergreens growing there(see drawing). On the rim are tall white pines with light green foliage. There it is sunny, level and dry. Below them to the right on the gorge wall is a thick growth of dark green hemlock trees. They cling to the thin soils of the steep slope that is frequently shaded. To their left on the cliff face are scattered smaller, olive-green colored cedar trees, surviving in the most severe conditions with minimal soil and moisture. A few white pines have become established in rock debris further down the slope.

It's easy to see that changes in the landscape favor the growth of different kinds of trees. Each tree has its preferred habitat.

B. Woodpecker Holes - The white pine on the other side of the fence has suffered from the sizable borings of a large, crow-sized woodpecker with a red, pointed crest, called the pileated woodpecker. The woodpecker was, however, merely going after the original damagers of the tree - large, black carpenter ants. The ants excavated galleries in the heartwood where they could hibernate, until they became a spicy winter lunch for the hungry bird. (The smaller holes may have been made by the pileated too, but also possibly by a smaller bird, such as a flicker or a hairy woodpecker).

C. Oaks - The rim of the gorge is dry, sunny and exposed and usually has poor, rain-washed soils. Oaks grow well in this location. This large specimen is a white oak, which produces sweet acorns that are a favored wildlife food (and also were eaten by Indians and early white settlers). Acorns are an important food source for deer, foxes, raccoons, squirrels, mice and other mammals, as well as birds including ruffed grouse and wild turkeys. The large oaks common along the gorge rims were spared the woodsman's ax when farmers' fields once came right near the edge. White oaks produce the most valuable of oak woods, which is highly prized for furniture, flooring, implements and general construction where strength is needed.

Red, black and chestnut oaks are also common along the gorge rims.

D. White Pines - Only the white pine has needles in bundles of five (occasionally four). One of our most valuable timer trees, it is frequently found on dry ridges and the edges of glens. Before it was so extensively cut for its uniform, straight-grained, easily worked wood, white pine was known to have reached heights of over two hundred feet. Less towering yet nonetheless handsome specimens can be seen on the opposite rim. The red pine, with reddish bark and two long needles per bundle is also common along the rim trails.

E. Scouring Rushes - The thin, dark green, leafless stems here are a kind of equisetum or horsetail plant know as "scouring rush". Like ferns and mosses they reproduce by spores, released from the cone-like structures at the tips of the stalks. Three hundred million years ago, ancient horsetails grew to tree size and made up much of what eventually became our coal deposits. The walls of the hollow stems of scouring rushes contain particles of silica (the mineral that makes sand) and were once used to remove grease and dirt and as a fine sandpaper. Please do not pick these or other plants in the park.

F. Cedar Overlook - On the driest, most exposed locations of the gorge rim we find the most drought-resistant plants living on the poorest soils. Here the evergreen red cedar has colonized the top of the cliff. Surrounding the path are low huckleberry shrubs. Behind you is a single pitch pine with its platelike bark and three needles to a bundle. All three of these plants indicate a dry, barren location. Sometimes pink azalea appears in such spots.

Red cedar produces a soft, light, fragrant wood used for pencils, cedar chests, cabinet work and as postwood. Pitch pine has been used for firewood, charcoal and coarse construction.. Everybody loves huckleberries.

If you look into the glen, you can see how the brook has assumed a snake-like course, which is known as "stream meandering".

G. Hemlocks - This is an old woodland where slowgrowing hemlock trees have been able to take over. These evergreens have short flat needles which are whitish underneath. The cones are small. Hemlock grows particularly well in gorges and on north facing slopes, such as this one, being tolerant of deep shade and cool temperatures. They are able to survive on steep slopes with thin soils. Notice that little else grows under the hemlocks. They have cut out much of the light from above, and may also control other species with chemical excretions.

The brittle wood of the hemlock has been used for coarse construction, wood pulp and railroad ties. In the nineteenth century, hemlock bark was heavily exploited for use in tanning leather. Indians and pioneers made tea from its needles. Songbirds and squirrels eat the seeds, and deer, rabbits and red squirrels browse on the twigs.

This is the final stop on the West Rim Trail.

As the gorge clearly demonstrates, landforms have a profound impact on living things. The erosion of Stony Brook Glen over thousands of years has created an environment that is as dramatically varied in its plant life as it is in its topography.

Animal life is affected as well. The oaks on the rims provide acorns that feed most woodland mammals and some birds. Much of the interior of the gorge is rugged and barren, providing little food for wildlife. Fish, insects and other creatures live in the brook.. Waterthrushes and other birds search for food along the stream. Juncos and phoebes nest in the cliffs. The gorge is a local barrier to the easy movement of most nonflying animals.

Stony Brook Glen has determined human use of the landscape as well. Too rugged for agriculture, it provided water power to early mills. For over a century it has drawn people seeking natural beauty and an escape from the pressures of civilization.

The end of the trail is only a few hundred feet ahead. Thank you, and enjoy the rest of your day.

This page is adapted from the trail guide published by New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, written by Tony Ingraham of Recreation Services of the Finger Lakes State Parks Region.

State of New York
George Pataki, Governor
Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
Bernadette Castro, Commissioner