List of National Natural Landmarks in New York facts for kids
The National Natural Landmarks in New York are 28 amazing places in New York that are part of a bigger list of almost 600 National Natural Landmarks (NNLs) across the United States. Most of these 28 landmarks are completely inside New York. However, two of them cross state lines: the Palisades of the Hudson goes into New Jersey, and the Chazy Fossil Reef includes islands in Lake Champlain that are in both New York and Vermont.
New York's NNLs show off many cool natural features. You can find unique landforms shaped by melting glaciers, a rare lake where water layers don't mix, old fossil sites, and the biggest open fault system in the United States. New York had the very first NNLs ever named in the country, Bergen-Byron Swamp and Mianus River Gorge, both chosen in 1964. The newest NNL in New York is the Albany Pine Bush, added in 2014. These special places are owned by different groups, like private people, nature organizations, and government agencies. Just because a place is an NNL doesn't mean you can always visit it, as some are on private land.
The National Natural Landmarks Program is run by the National Park Service, which is part of the U.S. government. NNLs are chosen to highlight important plants, animals, or geological features. They are great examples of special natural sites. The National Park Service suggests places for NNL status. Then, the Secretary of the Interior decides if they should be accepted after a review.
Being an NNL helps protect these places in some ways, like through tax benefits or grants. However, this special title doesn't stop someone from changing or damaging the property. The National Park Service can also remove the NNL title if a place is badly changed or damaged. Owners can also ask for the title to be removed.
New York's Natural Wonders
| Name | Image | Date Added | Location | County | Who Owns It | What Makes It Special | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Albany Pine Bush |
 |
July 2014 | Albany | Mixed – state, county, city | This area protects a unique forest of pine trees and scrub. It sits on sand dunes left behind by ancient glaciers. | |
| 2 | Bear Swamp Preserve |
.jpg) |
May 1973 | Westerlo 42°28′27″N 74°03′34″W / 42.4742°N 74.0594°W | Albany | Private | This preserve is about 310-acre (1.3 km2) and includes a pond, swamp, and woods. It's known for its many great laurel trees. |
| 3 | Bergen-Byron Swamp | March 1964 | Bergen 43°05′29″N 78°01′36″W / 43.091456°N 78.026533°W | Genesee | Private | This 2,000-acre (8.1 km2) swamp was the very first National Natural Landmark ever chosen! A local society helps manage it. | |
| 4 | Big Reed Pond | May 1973 | Montauk 41°04′40″N 71°54′38″W / 41.077701°N 71.910539°W | Suffolk | County | This is a natural freshwater lake. The Montaukett tribe lived here long ago. It is connected to a county park. | |
| 5 | Chazy Fossil Reef |  |
May 2009 | Clinton (New York), Grand Isle (Vermont) | Mixed – Federal, state, private | This is the oldest known fossil reef on Earth! It has many fossils from the Ordovician period, showing how life changed over time. | |
| 6 | Deer Lick Nature Sanctuary | November 1967 | Gowanda 42°25′16″N 78°54′20″W / 42.421045°N 78.905675°W | Cattaraugus | Private | This 398-acre (1.61 km2) preserve has 80 acres (0.32 km2) of very old forest. It's known for its wildlife and deep gorges. | |
| 7 | Dexter Marsh | May 1973 | Dexter 43°59′04″N 76°04′07″W / 43.98454°N 76.068478°W | Jefferson | State | This 1,350-acre (5.5 km2) marsh is at the eastern end of Lake Ontario. It's a popular spot for fishing and for birds migrating. | |
| 8 | Ellenville Fault-Ice Caves | November 1967 | Ellenville 41°40′19″N 74°20′51″W / 41.671822°N 74.347486°W | Ulster | State | This is the largest open fault system in the United States. It creates "ice caves" that stay cool all year, allowing northern plants to grow here. It's now part of Sam's Point Preserve. | |
| 9 | Fall Brook Gorge | January 1970 | Geneseo 42°46′32″N 77°49′43″W / 42.775456°N 77.82864°W | Livingston | Private | This gorge shows excellent examples of rock layers from the Devonian period. | |
| 10 | Fossil Coral Reef | November 1967 | Le Roy | Genesee | Private | This used to be a limestone quarry. It holds a very well-preserved coral reef from the Middle Devonian period, with many types of ancient corals and sea creatures. | |
| 11 | Hart's Woods | June 1972 | Perinton 43°05′52″N 77°24′43″W / 43.097693°N 77.4119°W | Monroe | City | This forest has a perfect stand of beech and maple trees. This type of forest once covered most of the Northeastern United States. | |
| 12 | Hook Mountain and Nyack Beach State Park |  |
April 1980 | Upper Nyack 41°07′26″N 73°54′43″W / 41.124°N 73.912°W | Rockland | State | This area includes a part of the Palisades Sill (a large rock formation) near the Hudson River. It's located within two state parks. |
| 13 | Iona Island Marsh |  |
May 1974 | Stony Point 41°18′14″N 73°58′38″W / 41.304°N 73.9773°W | Rockland | State | This island and marsh in the Hudson River is a bird sanctuary. It's part of Bear Mountain State Park. |
| 14 | Ironsides Island | April 1967 | Alexandria Bay 44°23′46″N 75°51′02″W / 44.396111°N 75.850556°W | Jefferson & St. Lawrence | Private | This rocky island in the Saint Lawrence River is a nesting place for great blue herons. A nature group helps manage it. | |
| 15 | Lakeview Marsh and Barrier Beach |  |
May 1973 | Ellisburg 43°46′08″N 76°12′14″W / 43.769°N 76.204°W | Jefferson | State | This 3,461-acre (14.01 km2) marsh is next to Southwick Beach State Park. A barrier beach protects it from Lake Ontario. |
| 16 | Long Beach, Orient State Park |  |
April 1980 | Southold 41°07′46″N 72°15′59″W / 41.12937°N 72.2664°W | Suffolk | State | This 2.5-mile (4.0 km) sand spit beach is at the very end of Long Island. It shows how plants grow and change from a salty marsh to a forest. |
| 17 | McLean Bogs | May 1983 | Dryden | Tompkins | Private | This small, acidic bog is managed by Cornell University. Scientists use it to study lichens and how they produce methane gas. | |
| 18 | Mendon Ponds Park |  |
November 1967 | Mendon 43°02′00″N 77°34′00″W / 43.033333°N 77.566667°W | Monroe | County | This 2,500-acre (10 km2) park is great for birdwatching. It has unusual landforms left by glaciers, like kettle holes, eskers, and a floating peat bog called the Devil's Bathtub. |
| 19 | Mianus River Gorge |  |
March 1964 | Bedford 41°11′09″N 73°37′17″W / 41.185951°N 73.621394°W | Westchester | Private | This preserve is known for its very old hemlock forest and the Mianus River. It was the first piece of land ever bought by The Nature Conservancy. |
| 20 | Montezuma Marshes | May 1973 | Seneca Falls 42°58′N 76°44′W / 42.97°N 76.74°W | Seneca | Federal | This 7,000-acre (28 km2) wildlife refuge has one of the best untouched swamp woodlands in New York. It's a major resting spot for birds during their migration. | |
| 21 | Moss Island | .jpg) |
May 1976 | Little Falls 43°02′23″N 74°50′54″W / 43.039771°N 74.848244°W | Herkimer | State | This island in the Erie Canal was formed when locks were built to help boats avoid a 40 ft (12 m) waterfall. It's famous for its huge glacial potholes, which are holes in the rock made by melting glaciers. |
| 22 | Moss Lake Bogs | May 1973 | Houghton 42°23′55″N 78°11′05″W / 42.398599°N 78.184687°W | Allegany | Private | This 83-acre (340,000 m2) lake was formed by a glacier. Over time, sphagnum moss has grown over the water, turning it into an acidic bog. A nature group manages it. | |
| 23 | Oak Orchard Creek Marsh | May 1973 | Medina 43°08′06″N 78°22′15″W / 43.135003°N 78.370886°W | Genesee & Orleans | Mixed – Federal, state | This marsh includes a state wildlife area and a national wildlife refuge. Both are important resting spots for migrating birds. It was formed by glacial deposits and a rock formation called the Lockport formation. | |
| 24 | Palisades of the Hudson |  |
November 1984 | Hudson River 40°57′52″N 73°54′31″W / 40.964507°N 73.908591°W | Rockland | State | These are dramatic 350-foot (110 m) cliffs along the west side of the lower Hudson River. They are part of the Palisades Sill rock formation. |
| 25 | Petrified Gardens |  |
April 1967 | Saratoga Springs 43°04′59″N 73°50′40″W / 43.083047°N 73.844489°W | Saratoga | Private | This private park (now closed) preserved an area of ancient stromatolites. These are layered rock formations made by tiny living things in an ancient reef from the Cambrian period. |
| 26 | Round Lake | _-_Fayetteville_NY.jpg) |
May 1973 | Fayetteville 43°02′56″N 75°58′23″W / 43.049°N 75.973°W | Onondaga | State | This lake is part of Green Lakes State Park. It's a rare type of lake where the water layers don't mix. It's surrounded by a well-preserved forest. |
| 27 | Thompson Pond |  |
May 1973 | Pine Plains 41°57′40″N 73°40′43″W / 41.961118°N 73.678737°W | Dutchess | Private | This 75-acre (300,000 m2) pond was formed by a glacier. It's part of a 507-acre (2.05 km2) nature preserve managed by The Nature Conservancy. It's known for its special type of bogs. |
| 28 | Zurich Bog |  |
May 1973 | Arcadia 43°08′41″N 77°03′02″W / 43.144648°N 77.050467°W | Wayne | Private | This is a sphagnum bog managed by the Bergen Swamp Preservation Society. |
Former National Natural Landmark
Gardiner's Island in Suffolk County used to be a National Natural Landmark. It was chosen in April 1967. However, in July 2006, the owners asked for it to be removed from the list, and the government agreed. It was once known as a place where osprey birds nested and was important for other wildlife like waterfowl and shore birds.
