Maplewood Park is a linear park that follows the river from Driving Park Blvd. and the Lower Falls to just north of Route 104, ending at the pedestrian bridge over the Genesee.
Lower Maplewood Park
The parking lot at the Maplewood Rose Garden in Lower Maplewood is your starting point when visiting the Lower Gorge and Falls.
Maplewood Rose Garden
Maplewood showcases 300 rose varieties that bloom between mid-June and late November. The Greater Rochester Rose Society formally dedicated it in 1951 and has lovingly cared for the fragrant flowers ever since.
Tours of the Lower Falls Gorge begin near the parking lot near the historical markers for Kelsey’s Landing and Casconchiagon. Tours are offered periodically and are typically included in Rochester’s Flower City Feeling Good Guided Walks schedule.
Expert guides will share the gorge’s geological and human history. You will definitely learn something new! The tours I’ve been on go under the Driving Park bridge to Lower Falls, and then on to Middle Falls, which is managed by RG&E.
Lower Falls Park
This area, below the YMCA, is where you can observe the Genesee River’s Lower Falls, with walking paths that meander throughout the green space to a fairly unusual art installation.
Middle Falls
Middle Falls can be reached via the Genesee Riverway Trail and is managed by RG&E. It’s more intriguing than spectacular, though not nearly as impressive as Rochester’s Lower and High Falls.
Middle Maplewood Park
Continuing north along the Genesee Riverway Trail takes you through Middle Maplewood, located in the Seneca Parkway area just south of Route 104. The GRT takes you under both the Driving Park and Memorial Bridges.
Fun fact: Frederick Law Olmsted designed Seneca Parkway as a way to connect the residential neighborhood to the Seneca Park system, creating a seamless transition between the neighborhood and the park. You can see his park-system philosophies at work on a larger scale in Buffalo.
Upper Maplewood Park
About 1.5 miles north of the waterfalls, the Upper Maplewood section connects to the Pure Waters Pedestrian Bridge over the Genesee River gorge, linking to Seneca Park.
More information about Maplewood Park
Cost: Free
Located in the City of Rochester (get directions)
More information: cityofrochester.gov/maplewoodpark
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Where is your favorite spot in Maplewood Park?
I’d love to hear from you—please share your thoughts and experiences in the comments below.
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Enjoy the Journey Together!
The portion that we went to across the street from the YMCA was disgustingly dirty and not a place that I would even get out of my car. I would not suggest anyone taking a visit there.
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