Spring Wildflowers at Chimney Bluffs

Bruce Gilman, Botanist and Retired Professor, Finger Lakes Community College

Sunday, May 26th | 1 pm – 5pm

Join us as we will explore the cobbly lake shore, the colonizing successional vegetation of the unstable, stony, subglacial till ravines, and the forest plants on top of the drumlin. The spring flora is diverse and includes numerous violets, trilliums, trout lilies, toothworts, baneberries, bellworts, spring beauties, leeks and meadowrues.

Years ago I had the good fortune to accompany a local pilot and fly over Chimney Bluffs State Park, Town of Huron, Wayne County. This 597 acre site is known for its truncated drumlin along the modern Lake Ontario shoreline. Rising water levels since the Admiralty Phase of the Lake ( i.e., a proglacial lake 20 meters lower than the modern lake and dating back to the time when the St. Lawrence drainage channel was first free of continental ice sheet blockage) created wave erosion that has successfully worn away much of the drumlin “snout” over thousands of years as the lake basin rebounded from the loss of ice sheet mass. Ongoing wind erosion off the lake and water erosion down the exposed face contribute to the cathedral spires, chimneys and summits revealed at water’s edge. The continuously eroding landscape creates a “badlands” topography. This natural community, Great Lakes Bluff, is classified S1 by the New York State Natural Heritage Program with three documented occurrences! See the Great Lakes Bluff Conservation Guide to learn more.

Overall distance is short, but there will be a steep hill and some moderate drop-offs.

If you have any questions about the trip before registering,  please email chimneybluffs@nyflora.org.

All NYFA field trips are free and open to all.

NYFA relies on the generous support of its members to offer free Field Trips and Learn 10 workshops. If you are able, please consider a donation to help support these efforts.

Suggested Donation is $10.