"Buffalo offers the best of both worlds in the sense that there’s plenty of action in the heart of the city, but in no time at all you can also find yourself surrounded by nature. Just a seven-minute drive from Niagara Square, the 264-acre Tifft Nature Preserve in South Buffalo offers ponds, marshes, woodlands, and five miles of walking trails, plus wildlife like turtles, frogs, raccoons, deer, and a wide variety of birds. Visitors can stroll the three boardwalks for views of the cattail marsh, look for birds in the designated National Audubon Society “Important Bird Area,” fish at Lake Kirsty, or even snowshoe and cross-country ski in the winter. Best of all, admission is free, though a small donation is suggested."