The trail at Bahar Nature Preserve follows Bear Swamp Creek down through layered shale to Carpenter Falls, a 90-foot plunge waterfall dropping into a clear pool. The gorge walls above the falls rival the better-known formations at Ithaca and Watkins Glen. The trail back up is moderate. Free and open year-round; the preserve includes 65 feet of direct Skaneateles Lake shoreline at the north end. No entry fee, no organized tourism apparatus. The Charlie Major Nature Trail from the Skaneateles village runs 4.4 miles south along the lakeshore to Mottville, flat, free, year-round. Don't miss the lake shoreline at the preserve's north end after the falls: it's one of the few places to sit at the water's edge in the eastern lakes without a boat.















