Waterman Interpretive Center

Quick Bits

Main Activities - Hike,  Museum
Distance - 3.5 miles of trails, 95 acres
Quiet - relatively quiet
Surface - a mixture of boardwalk, mowed areas, and dirt and roots and mud
Elevation - relatively flat with a couple moderately steep sections
Pets - pets are not permitted
Address - 403 Hilton Road, Apalachin, NY 13732

In a Nutshell

The main site for the Waterman Conservation Education Center includes an Interpretive Center, Museum, Shop, and of course the Preserve. The trails vary in terrain and vegetation growth. The Center is also home to many programs and events throughout the year.

Location and Parking

More details

This location is the most varied and busiest of the Waterman locations. The building was a church at one time and now houses a gift shop, museum/interpretive center, auditorium, and offices. Outside of the building is outdoor classroom space where many of the activities take place year-round. Additionally, there are over 90 acres to explore with a mixture of trails. The elevation changes are relatively small except for trail to the waterfall and the trails to the start of the West Loop (one of the Yellow trails). There is also a fair amount of mud except when the ground is frozen or the peak of summer. 

There is about 3.5 miles of trails spread across several trails with over 15 junctions, so you want to pay attention. I often do a combination of the Red Loop with a side trip to the water falls and then also a side trip up one of the connector trails to the West Loop (Yellow). 

Historically, we go back to the 1960s and 1970s when a group formed to help preserve the local environmental resources. One of the committee members, Lolita C. Waterman, donated 92 acres, a portion of the family farm on June 7, 1976. She asked that it be named for husband Fred L. Waterman.  Less than two years later, January 24, 1978, the adjacent 4 acres and church building that housed the Faith Lutheran Church was sold to Waterman, for one-dollar.  Many improvements and expansions have occurred over the years since, including the Lolita Waterman WIldlife Gardens.

The Interpretive Center is also home to Ted, the Sulcata Tortoise. Ted likes to eat pumpkins. Stop in and see him and join Team Ted.

I never met Fred or Lolita Waterman, but from everything I have heard and read, they were fascinating people. As mentioned, she enjoyed nature and an activist for the environment. Fred was a New York State Trooper, in fact, one of the last to have spent his entire time patrolling on horseback. His fame is tied to involvement in the 1957 Apalachin Meeting of Crime Bosses.

Links of Interest

• Waterman Website Page

• Alltrails App - Outer Loop Route

Wander & Ponder Videos Recorded Here