My name is Debi, and I’ve lived in Rochester my whole life (40+ years) with my husband and two daughters. Learn more about me. Day Trips Around Rochester, NY focuses on exploring places that are within two hours of Rochester.
Plan your day trip around the season
Many destinations are great in any season, while some activities, like skiing, are limited.
There is no better way to usher in springtime in Rochester than with maple syrup, bird migrations, April showers, and May flowers!
Summer produce, fresh water, and 13,500+ square miles to explore. Enjoy everything summertime in Rochester has to offer.
Scenic train rides, leaf-peeping, bird migrations and ghost walks happen only in autumn in Rochester–take advantage of them while you can!
It’s cold, it’s snowy, it’s dark. It’s wintertime in Rochester! Here are a few suggestions to help embrace our winter season.
Get Into the Holiday Spirit – 2021 Edition
Rochester has plenty of ways to help you connect with your inner holiday spirit! Enjoy the stories, traditions, and experiences this season has to offer.
Filter Your Search
Looking for something within a specific distance or direction from Rochester?
Filter by drive time from city center
- In the City
- Less than 30 minute drive
- 30-60 minute drive
- 60-90 minute drive
- 90-120 minute drive
- 120-150 minute drive
Filter by direction from Rochester
Find inspiration in our guides
We have guides to inspire your next day trip around Rochester, NY! Some of our most popular include:
132 Things to Do Around Rochester
We’ve pulled together a list of fun and unique things to do around Rochester, NY within two hours of home—perfect for quick getaways.
21 Hidden Places Around Rochester
Explore some of our hidden gems this week! There’s no time like the present to start checking some off these extraordinary places your list.
10 Spots to Seek Solitude Around Rochester
It’s critical to spend time outside. Here are a few spots that I can recommend where there’s ample space for finding solitude and solace.
30 Winter Walks Around Rochester
These ideas for winter walks should motivate you to step outside for some fresh air and, with any luck, sunshine. Bundle up!
Rather than an escape, I prefer to think of these as transcending places that encourage us to transcend space, time, and state of mind.
73 Hiking Trails Around Rochester
A few rustic trails around Rochester that will inspire you to take a hike. A diverse collection of rail, waterside, and inland trails.
49 New York State Parks Within a 2-hour Drive of Rochester
Venture into one of these New York State Parks within a two hour drive of Rochester and discover what makes them each unique!
42 Quirky Roadside Attractions
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.
7 Spectacular Christmas Lights Around Rochester
2020 Christmas lights around Rochester: these neighborhoods go all out with extreme holiday lights and music to fill the season with joy.
32 Roadside Waterfalls Near Rochester
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.
The Erie Canal spans 100-miles between Lockport and Clyde, with Rochester located right in the middle. Choose 15 miles to explore for a great day trip!
Spend a Day in the Finger Lakes Region
The Finger Lakes Region is one of the most beautiful places on earth, and right in our backyard! It is easy to get out there and explore.
Spend less time traveling and more time exploring with these fantastic getaways from Rochester. They’re all within a two hour drive from home.
These boardwalks are incorporated into larger trail systems to help people meander through wetlands, or to help preserve wildlife.
Snow Sports: 6 Ways to Stay Active in Winter
Skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, skating, and tubing are great snow sports to shake the winter doldrums with exposure to fresh air and sun.
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!
Monroe County parks are free, so take advantage of 12,000 acres of natural, zoological, horticultural, historical and geological experiences!
26 Incredible Creeks Around Rochester
These beautiful creeks around Rochester impact us in such subtle ways they sometimes disappear into the background of our lives.
Subscribe to our emails
Get ideas for your next day trip delivered right to your inbox, starting with our most popular!
I plan my own day trips by choosing the destination first, then finding out what there is to explore along the way. Back roads around Western, NY and the Finger Lakes Region are worth the drive regardless of the destination! Small towns on Main Streets, village diners and cafes, and roadside waterfalls are all part of the path to discovery so take the slow roads! You really miss so much by taking the Thruway or NY-390.
I’d love to hear your thoughts, ideas, and feedback so we can keep making this a great resource to plan your day trips from Rochester.
Happy trails!
Owner of Day Trips Around Rochester
Our mission is to inspire exploration, appreciation, preservation, and conservation of our natural and human communities. To that end, we seek out destinations within a two hour radius of Rochester, NY that foster a passion for both.