Park trails like Mendon, Letchworth and Webster are excellent, but sometimes you need something less populated, more rustic, or in an unusual surrounding. Here are a few trails around Rochester that will inspire you to not take a walk in the park!
Rail-Trails
Around Rochester
- Erie-Attica Rail Trail
- Genesee Valley Greenway Rail Trail
- Lehigh Valley Rail Trail
- Keuka Outlet Trail and Preservation Area
- Ontario Pathways Rail Trail
- Auburn Rail Trail
- Auburn-Fleming Rail Trail
- Perinton Trolley
- Pittsford Rail Trail Loop
- Cato-Fair Haven Rail Trail
- Rochester, Syracuse and Eastern Rail Trail
- Great Gorge Rail Trail
- Hojack Trail
- El Camino Trail
Rochester Railfans: Trains, Depots, Rail-Trails, Models, & Clubs
Rochester railfans are incredibly lucky that passionate preservationists before us saw the value in retaining structures we can still appreciate today.
5 Places in the City to Enjoy the Genesee River
At Genesee Valley Park, the Genesee River begins her journey through the city, racing over a dam and three waterfalls before emptying into Lake Ontario.
Waterside &
Wetland Trails
- Genesee Riverway Trail
- Beatty Point
- Rob’s Trail Hemlock Lake
- Manchester Gateway
- Seneca Meadows
- Thomas Creek Wetlands Walk
- Braddock Bay Marina
- Tifft Nature Preserve
- Outer Harbor and Greenway
- Sterling Nature Center
- Bergen Swamp
- Huckleberry Swamp
- Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge
- Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge
- Whistlewood
- Wolcott Falls Hiking Trail
- Palmyra Wetland Nature Trail
- Hidden Sidewalk
- Butterfly Nature Trail
Water Trails: 58 Places to Explore Rochester’s Waterways
Water trails are either formally marked routes along a navigable waterway, or simply any waterway suitable for kayaks and small motorized watercraft.
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.
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.
48 Nature Centers, Preserves, Refuges, and Observatories Around Rochester
Our nature centers, wildlife preserves, management areas, etc., all serve to protect and sustain life, while making nature accessible to people to enjoy and learn from.
Genesee Land Trust
Public Trails
- Gosnell Big Woods Preserve
- Manitou Beach Preserve
- Hipp Brook Preserve
- Eva and Harlan Braman Preserve
- Brookdale Preserve
- Island Cottage Woods Preserve
- Christine Sevilla Wetlands Preserve
- Kraai Preserve
- Corwall Preserve
- Ganargua Creek Meadow Preserve
49 New York State Parks Within a 2-hour Drive of Rochester
Venture into one of these New York State Parks within a 2-hour drive of Rochester and discover what makes them each unique!
Monroe County parks are free, so take advantage of 12,000 acres of natural, zoological, horticultural, historical and geological experiences!
Finger Lakes Land Trust
Public Trails
- Wesley Hill Nature Preserve
- Bahar Preserve & Carpenter Falls
- High Vista Nature Preserve
- Grimes Glen
- Great Hill Nature Preserve
- Lindsay-Parsons Biodiversity Preserve
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!
26 Places to Visit After Heavy Rains
Watch raging torrents flow over their banks and brinks after heavy rains for a spectacular, multi-sensory experience. Behold the power of water!
33 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.
Inland Trails
Around Rochester
- Finger Lakes Trail
- Brickyard Trail
- Indian Hill
- Historic Erie Canal Trails
- Whiting Road Nature Preserve
- Mackay Wildlife Preserve
- Indian Fort Nature Preserve
- Great Bear Recreation Area
- Monkey Run
- Domine Trail
- Turtle Pond
- Royal Coach Trails
- Groveland Secondary
- Baltimore Woods
- Trail of Hope
- Town of Lockport Nature Trails
- Alasa Farms
- Sanctuary at Crowfield Farm
Department of Environmental
Conservation Lands
- Sugar Hill State Forest
- Zoar Valley Multiple Use Area
- Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve
- Rock City and McCarty Hill State Forest
- Bare Hill Unique Area
- Rush Oak Openings Unique Area
- Hemlock-Canadice State Forest
- Sonyea State Forest
- High Tor Wildlife Management Area
- Catharine Creek Marsh Wildlife Management Area
Geologic History of the Rochester Area
These day trips into Rochester’s geologic history, filled with drumlins, fossils, house-sized boulders and a meromictic lake, will leave you awe-struck!
Where are your favorite hiking trails around Rochester?
Share with us in the comments. Your insight and experience is invaluable!