Day Trips Around Rochester, NY

On a hot day, you can sit under a waterfall, swim in a lake, or jump in a creek at one of these refreshing natural swimming areas.

August is blueberry month! Here are a few places around Rochester you can pick your own blueberries.

When you walk into one of these old country stores, you feel like you are stepping back in time with aisles of old fashioned toys, knickknacks and candies.

Ice cream, gelato, Italian ice, frozen yogurt, and custard—we love these shops for their outstanding atmosphere, taste, variety, and innovation.

We drive past some of Rochester’s most unique features every day, completely unaware that these hidden places are just minutes away from where we live.

Gorge trails call out to us from their deep, dark, and cool caverns. If you haven’t already, check these five spectacular trails off your list!

Venture into one of these New York State Parks within a two hour drive of Rochester and discover what makes them each unique!

Here are a few less populated, rustic, or unusual trails around Rochester that will inspire you to take a hike. A diverse collection of rail-trails, waterside trails, and inland trails.

Impressive waterfalls are not all buried in dark ravines accessible only by difficult trails. And for some, you do not need to get out of your car.

There are U-Pick farms all around the Greater Rochester Area. Often times, picking your own product is as much a family adventure as it is entertainment!

Glen Creek descends 400 feet along its 2-mile course through Watkins Glen State Park. Follow the 806-step Gorge Trail over and under 19 waterfalls.

The term street art means different things to different people. Here, we interpret street art to mean any outdoor, free, public wall art. 

These boardwalks are incorporated into larger trail systems to help people meander through wetlands, or to help preserve wildlife.

Spend a day checking out these unique and unusual roadside attractions, like shoe trees, a skeleton army, and a metal dragon, within 2 hours of Rochester.

Rather than an escape, I prefer to think of these as transcending places that encourage us to transcend space, time, and state of mind.

If you’ve already explored every inch of your backyard, here are a few spots where there’s ample space for finding solitude and solace in nature.

These lighthouses along Lake Ontario in New York are all within a two-hour drive of Rochester. And where there is a lighthouse there is a sweeping view!

Monroe County parks are free, so take advantage of 12,000 acres of natural, zoological, horticultural, historical and geological experiences!

These destinations offer colorful fall foliage and varied landscapes so you can appreciate them each in their own unique way.

Scenic train rides, leaf-peeping, fall bird migrations and ghost walks happen only in autumn in Rochester–take advantage of them while you can!

2019 Christmas lights around Rochester! These neighborhoods go all-out with extreme holiday lights to fill the season with joy. Show them some love!

These ideas for winter walks should motivate you to step outside for some fresh air and, with any luck, sunshine. So bundle up and get out there!