These Monroe County town parks offer more than just a typical baseball diamond and playground. Each has a unique offering of woods, wildlife, and water features to explore.
Some parks have even, paved surfaces with very little change in elevation. Others feature a combination of hard-pack dirt, wood chips, gravel and boardwalk.
1. North Ponds Park
Webster. The 1-mile loop trail circumnavigates both ponds. It is perfect for a leisurely stroll, jog, or bike ride with little change in elevation along its route. This makes it a great place for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the winter. There are also eight fitness stops optimized for varied ability and height.
2. Tinker Park
Henrietta. There is a 1-mile perimeter trail that takes you through woodland, meadow, and wetland environments. There are several small trails that connect with the Perimeter trail, including the Labyrinth walking path. The trails themselves are hard-packed gravel and boardwalk. Of all the town parks in Monroe County, Tinker Park is my favorite.
3. Channing H Philbrick Park
Penfield. The Mills Trail is a short loop leading down to the main cascades with an accessible viewing platform. The Irondequoit Creek Trail consists of narrow, dirt paths that are fairly easy to walk. It crosses over several boardwalks and wooden bridges along the way.
4. Corbett’s Glen Nature Park
Brighton. When you visit, you will notice you seem to be walking through people’s back yards, because you are! Corbetts Glen is a hidden green space in a suburban jungle, nestled in between an express way and 2 highly trafficked roads near the Penfield/Brighton Town border.
5. Braddock Bay Park
Greece. This 375-acre town-operated park, leased from New York State, is part of the greater Braddock Bay Fish and Wildlife Management Area. Here you’ll find a hard-pack gravel pathway leading to a viewing platform and wetland boardwalk. There is a fully accessible kayak launch near the marina.
Ready to explore a few more town parks?
There are hundreds of town and village parks spread throughout the county. rochesterparks.org has done a commendable job gathering the parks together, thought many of these are sports parks or picnic-playground parks.
Webster Arboretum at Kent Park
Follow the pathways that meander around Webster Arboretum–40 acres of open spaces, flower & herb gardens, water elements, and a wide variety of trees.
Brighton Town Park is surprisingly serene, despite it being bordered on one side by office buildings and across the pond by a major express way.
Breese Park is located along the Genesee River in the small community of Riverton on the far west side of Henrietta. Set your sights on late-April to early-May to see the native bluebelles, trilliums, and ferns in their full spring glory!
Old Erie Canal Lock 62 is tucked just far enough off the beaten path that many do not realize it’s there, just over the hill behind Pittsford Plaza.
Brickyard Trail at Frankel Nature Park
Sandra L. Frankel Nature Park is a 72-acre linear park connecting the Brighton Town Hall and Library on Elmwood Ave with Buckland Park on Westfall Road. The 0.8-mile Brickyard Trail runs the length of the park.
There are nature paths in Meridian Centre Park & an arboretum in the western part of the park with plantings and wooden arches.