Adirondack Birding:
Cemetery Road Wetlands

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The Cemetery Road Wetlands site between Keene and Keene Valley in Essex County is primarily a birding destination. It offers an iconic vista of the Adirondack Mountains and convenient access to a wide variety of birds, both those associated with wetland areas and other birds which can be found along the edges of the wetter terrain.

The location lacks many of the attributes associated with an ideal spot to appreciate nature. Located at the intersection of two major roads through the Adirondacks (Routes 73 and 9N), this site lacks walking trails and interpretive signs.  The intrusive road noise from the two heavily-traveled highways obliterates the site's wilderness feel and drowns out the natural sounds of the birds, insects, wind, and moving water. The variety of birds found here makes up for these drawbacks.

The rustic red barn so beloved by photographers was torn down in 2016. Red Barn at the intersection of Routes 73 and 9N near Keene, New York (27 June 2011).

The western part of the site sits right at the intersection of the two highways, with a paved parking area and small viewing platform for the many photographers who stop here to take photos of the High Peaks. 

• The land, once part of a farm, was sold to New York State in 1966. At one time, the landscape included a photogenic red barn, much loved by photographers because of its rustic charm and location in the foreground of the vista. 
• In December 2016, the aging barn was removed by New York State's Department of Environmental Conservation, because it was seen as a safety hazard.  The parking area was paved and a wooden viewing platform was added.
• In 2018, the Fuguet family (which owned the land at the western end of the meadow, backing up to the East Branch of the Ausable River) donated their part of the property to the Adirondack Land Trust to protect the vista.
• Look for Red-winged Blackbirds on the meadow and Indigo Buntings on the edges of the open area. The edges of the meadow also attract several species of butterflies in the summer and early fall months.

The eastern part of the site is accessed by crossing busy Route 73 and driving or walking up the hill on Route 9N to Cemetery Road on your left.  There is a small parking area at the veterans' memorial site on the meadow adjacent to the brook.

• Wetland birds can be seen in the marsh around Norton Brook (identified as Spruce Hill Brook on Google Maps).  Look for American Bitterns, Great Blue Herons, Belted Kingfishers, Swamp Sparrows, and Alder Flycatchers on the marsh, as well as Wood Ducks and Common Mergansers on Norton Brook.  There is another small wetland area and seasonal pond located in the northern end of the adjacent meadow, where Red-winged Blackbirds and American Bittern may be found.
• A wide variety of warblers are found on the site, including Common Yellowthroats and Yellow Warblers on the marsh, and Black-and-white Warblers, Nashville Warblers, and Yellow-rumped Warblers on the higher ground. 
• Also found on the higher ground above the marsh and on the margins of the adjacent meadow are Indigo Buntings, Eastern Phoebes, and Cedar Waxwings.
• The wildflowers in the meadow and marsh edges also host several species of butterflies, including Monarchs, sulphurs, and whites. 

A list of birds reported at the Cemetery Road Wetlands is available as a printable eBird checklist.

Directions to the Cemetery Road Wetlands

The bird list was generated from photographs of birds taken from 2018 to 2022 and eBird checklists submitted by several expert birders, including John and Pat Thaxton, who own and operate Adirondack Birding Tours.