Southold, NY
Wolf Preserve
- Project Type
- Acreage
- 23
- Things To Do
- Hiking, Birdwatching, Photography, Nature Study
- Address
11613-12455 Main Bayview Rd
Southold NY, 11971
About
In April 2003, Mrs. Leonor D. Wolf left an incredible legacy for the community through a testamentary gift to the Trust in her will: 20 acres of woodlands along Main Bayview Road in Southold.
Mrs. Wolf's love of nature and wildlife inspired her to make this gift so that "people would have a place to breathe and renew their connection to the land." The Wolf Preserve includes habitat for a wide variety of fauna with vibrant wetlands, meadows, and woodlands. You can view colorful illustrations and descriptions of some of the plant and animal species found at the preserve here.
The Wolf Preserve was opened to the public in 2006.
We are taking Leonor’s vision further and providing trails with accessibility features. The Trust acknowledges that people with mobility restrictions have a hard time enjoying the outdoors and are working to remove some of the access barriers that exist at the Preserve.
Thanks to community raised funds and grant money we’ve been able to start updating the trails. In 2020, the Eastern Trail Loop was renovated to include accessibility features. The half mile trail was widened to 6 feet to accommodate wheelchairs and leveled to maintain an approximate grade of 0-3%. The eco-friendly updates used in the Eastern Trail Loop were used again when the Western Trail Loop and the Meadow Loop were renovated in the Fall of 2021.
With the guidance of the North Fork Audubon Society, bird boxes were added in 2023. We placed five blue bird boxes with predator shields in the meadow and wood duck boxes to the Western Trail Loop.
Future trail enhancements include a boardwalk across the wetlands, a bridge to connect the Eastern and Western Trail Loops, and an expanded parking lot. The trail system has also been extended into the Trust’s adjacent Reese Preserve.
We are working to provide bilingual (English | Spanish) access to our preserves and website. A Spanish version of the trail and species information can be found here. (Una Versión en Español).
Interested in learning more and to get involved? Please contact Matt Swain, Vice President, to learn more about the trails being developed. To make a donation, click here.
Born at the turn of the last century in rural Italy, Mrs. Wolf moved to New York City at the age of nine with her family in 1921. At a young age, Mrs. Wolf learned to use her abilities to help her through the tough years of the Great Depression and World War II. Her grasp of many languages enabled her to be assigned as a translator for the US military and the Allies during WWII.
She was introduced to the North Fork of Long Island through friends of her first husband who lived in Orient and Greenport. She eventually moved to the area with her second husband, Ferdinand. They found the quiet, open spaces in Southold a welcome retreat from the hectic pace of New York City and moved to Southold when Mrs. Wolf retired in the mid-1970s.
Realizing that her land was “one of the last few areas left for breathing space,” she made a testamentary gift for all of us who value the increasingly precious open space on the North Fork.
Prior to her passing, Mrs. Wolf made arrangements with the Trust for a testamentary gift that would leave her home to her heirs and the remainder of her land to the Trust so that it will be forever protected from development.
Through her generosity, Mrs. Wolf has protected this habitat in perpetuity.
All of us at the Trust are proud to have enabled Leonor to fulfill her wish to make the Wolf Preserve an enduring natural asset for all to enjoy.
Visitor Info
The Wolf Preserve can be accessed from a small parking area off of Main Bayview Road.
Enjoy this walk through the Wolf Preserve Trails with John Turner and Kathy Kennedy.
Video loading...Eastern Trail Loop
Surface Type: Hardened surface
Length: 1/2 mile
Typical Width: 6 feet
Typical Slope: 0-3% grade
Meadow Loop
Surface Type: Hardened surface
Length: 900 feet
Typical Width: 6 feet
Typical Slope: 0-3% grade
Western Trail Loop
Surface Type: Hardened surface
Length: 2300 feet (little less than 1/2 mile)
Typical Width: 6 feet
Typical Slope: 0-3% grade
Things To Do
Hiking
Birdwatching
Photography
Nature Study
Get Involved
Interested in honoring a loved one or commemorating a milestone? Support our Memorials at Preservesprogram and deepen your connection to this special place.