IC Natural Lands (East)

The eastern section of the natural lands is located on the southern half of the main Ithaca College Campus and can be entered from trail heads behind East and West Tower, the Terraces, and besides Boothroyd Hall. Natural area east is home to many features including the observatory, the Raponi Wetlands, the Coddington Water Tower, the surgard bush, and five hiking trails. The trails in this section include East Trail marked in orange, Gold Trail marked in yellow, Blue Trail marked in blue, Nature Trail marked in green, and the Boothroyd Woods Trail marked in purple. East trail is the longest trail in this section, reaching all the way to the borders of the natural lands. Out of all the trails the Boothroyd Woods Trials, located behind Boothroyd Hall, is the shortest and most accessible. It is a straight path through the woods on a gravel path and is the ideal place for a relaxing walk under the trees.

The natural lands are protected wooded areas owned by Ithaca College that are managed by students and staff. Like most of Ithaca, the trails through the natural lands are hilly, but they are well cleared and accessible to hikers of all experiences. There are a total of six trails to explore in the natural lands and 27 green posts to find QR codes on them. When the QR codes are scanned with a phone they will provide you with information about the ecology of history of the area you are in. Some sections of the natural lands are managed to preserve biological diversity, ecological functions, or ecosystem services while others, like the surgard bush, are managed as working lands. Regardless, all areas of the natural lands are open to students from dawn to dusk. The natural lands are divided into two sections, east and west, by the Ithaca College campus and Route 96B.