Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve & Environmental Education Center

Reinstein Woods Environmental Education Center is located at the Dr. Victor Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve - a unique 292-acre complex of forests, ponds, and wetlands surrounded by suburban development. Reinstein Woods offers a variety of opportunities to explore and learn about nature for families and people of all ages. In addition to free guided tours of the woods, DEC offers a variety of special programs each month, including snowshoe and ski adventures, walks on seasonal topics, and a fall nature festival. DEC invites you to visit this fascinating area!

• Education Center: open Monday-Friday from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM and Saturday from 1:00 to 4:30 PM (closed on State Holidays)
• Public restrooms: open during daylight
• Trails: open daily from sunrise to sunset
• Fee: Free
• Contact Information:
  • 716-683-5959 (Phone) or 716-686-0210 (Fax) or [email protected]
• Location: 93 Honorine Drive, Depew, Erie County
• Map: Reinstein Woods Trail Map (PDF) || Google Earth || DECinfo Locator

Education Programs

Reinstein Woods offers a wide variety of regularly scheduled public programs and events. Upcoming programs can be found at Reinstein Woods Public Programs and Events. Programs are free of charge unless otherwise noted. Dress for the weather! Organized groups (e.g. scouts, schools, hiking groups) wishing to participate in any of these programs must call to schedule a separate program for your group.

Services that we offer include:

• School, youth and adult group tours and outreach programs
• Day in the Life of the Niagara River/Lake Erie Watershed
• Teacher workshops and a summer teacher institute
• Snowshoeing and cross-country ski rentals
• Access to programs and facilities for people with disabilities
• Volunteer program and group stewardship projects
• Environmental Education Intern Program - a training internship available to those seeking professional experience in environmental education

Friends of Reinstein Woods is a volunteer-led, nonprofit organization that supports the environmental education programs offered by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation at Reinstein Woods. They provide vital financial and volunteer support for programs aimed at school children, teachers, youth from underserved neighborhoods and the general public. They also support stewardship projects designed to protect and restore the natural habitats at Reinstein Woods. They also run the Kids in the Woods summer day camp.

You can visit our public schedule to see programs we are offering. If you would like to contact us, call 716-683-5959 or email [email protected].

Reminder: No pets (including animals on or off leashes, or horses) allowed on the property or trails, except trained service dogs and miniature horses helping their companion.

New York and federal law require service dogs to be allowed in public places, but this does not include emotional support animals. A service dog is trained to do tasks for a person with a disability and the tasks must be directly related to the person's disability. Emotional support animals provide comfort, companionship, and a sense of safety for their owners, but are not trained to perform specific tasks for their owners and are not considered service animals. Under the Americans with Disabilities Act and New York State law, public places are not required to allow emotional support animals. DEC regulations concerning the use of environmental education centers prohibit pets on center grounds except by written permission.

Featured Activities

Environmental Education Intern Program

The Environmental Education Intern Program is a training internship available to those seeking professional experience in environmental education. Each inter will receive training in the mission and role of the DEC environmental education bureau, a wide variety of center programs, the operations and activities of a center, principles of environmental interpretation, and natural history of New York.

SCA AmeriCorps Position

Reinstein Woods annually seeks an enthusiastic person to serve in a 10-month AmeriCorps position through the Student Conservation Association’s (SCA) New York State Parks Corps. In addition to the skills and experience you will gain serving at Reinstein Woods, the AmeriCorps member will receive a variety of training opportunities from the Parks Corps during their service. Members receive a living stipend, free housing, and an educational award at the end of their service.

Applications are accepted in the fall, and the position starts in mid-January. Find information and apply with the SCA. 

Accessible Features

From the Main Parking Area on Honorine Drive, wheelchair accessible features include the:  

• Visitor center with interpretive exhibits, classrooms, and restrooms;
• Restroom building;
• Picnic pavilion; and
• Boardwalk

An electric scooter is available for visitors on a first come, first serve basis, from spring to fall when the Center is open. Audio tours are available for the Lily Pond and History trails.

See Maps, Directions, and Featured Activities sections on this page for more details on these features. Visit the DEC Accessible Recreation Destinations web page for additional accessible recreation opportunities.

Directions

Reinstein Woods Environmental Education Center is located in Depew, NY at 93 Honorine Drive, Depew, NY 14043. See Google Maps and enter your address for step by step directions of Reinstein Woods.

Rules, Regulations and Outdoor Safety

Practice Leave No Trace Principles when recreating on state land to enjoy the outdoors responsibly; minimize impact on the natural resources and avoid conflicts with other users.

All users of Reinstein Woods Environmental Education Center should follow all Outdoor Safety Practices for the safety of the user and protection of the resource.

Drone Use on DEC Managed Lands

Pursuant to 6 NYCRR Part 623, both hobbyist and commercial use of drones is prohibited at DEC's four education centers except for research or training as permitted under an approved temporary revocable permit (TRP). Environmental education centers have their own TRP process. To inquire whether a TRP can be obtained, contact DEC's Bureau of Environmental Education at (518) 402-8043. For more information about DEC drone policies, visit Drone Use on DEC Managed Lands.

Reinstein Woods is within a 5- mile radius of the Buffalo Niagara International Airport. Therefore, please leave drones at home.

Special Regulations

Visitors to DEC's environmental education centers should become familiar with the regulations governing the use of the centers as found in the New York State Register and Official Compilation of Codes, Rules and Regulations of the State of New York (NYCRR). Go to the Use of Environmental Education Centers page to see the regulations concerning the education centers.

Please remember that the following are prohibited without express written permission from DEC:

• Pets and horses, including therapy/comfort animals (trained service dogs and miniature horses are permitted)
• Feeding wildlife
• Taking or releasing plants or animals
• Bikes, skateboards and motorized vehicles on the trails
• Hunting, trapping and fishing
• Firearms
• Boating, canoeing and kayaking
• Alcoholic beverages and glass containers
• Camping and campfires

Please stay on designated trails to protect the environment and dispose of trash and recyclables in appropriate containers.

Planning and Management

DEC operates Reinstein Woods in partnership with the non-profit Friends of Reinstein Woods. DEC use the Reinstein Woods Unit Management Plan (UMP) (PDF) to guide its management of Reinstein Woods.

There are several appendices to the unit management plan (PDF), as well as figures and maps (PDF).