Finger Lakes Region
Hikes and Bikes
Letchworth State Park - Castile
Nicknamed the Grand Canyon of the East, Letchworth is a must see for any visitor or hiker in the FLX Region. With over 60 miles of trails and a 550 decent from the ridge to the gorge, there are many different hiking options for all levels of hikers. There are companies that run whitewater rafting and kayaking excursions in the gorge on the Genesee River, as well. The river is one of the few rivers in the country that flows north. It starts in middle Pennsylvania and ends in Rochester where it flows into Lake Ontario. There are also cabins, campsites and RV sites available to rent in the park. It is a good home base to explore other parts of the Finger Lakes from. Also, a local hot air balloon company has a summertime excursion that allows you to ride in a balloon over the park. That is really fun!
Watkins Glen State Park - Watkins Glen
Watkins Glen is known for 2 things - the gorge that descends 400 feet with beautiful views of the creek that carved through it, and the world renowned Car Racing track track nicknamed “The Glen”. There are over 800 steps up the gorge that you hike up Watkins Glen, but the scenery is beautiful and you can hike any of the 3 trails. It also connects into the 800 mile long Finger Lakes Trail. It only takes an hour or two to hike the gorge which leaves you plenty of time to see the other sights in Watkins Glen or to sample wine at any of the 40+ wineries on Seneca Lake.
Erie Canal Trail, Buffalo to Albany
Hiking, biking, boating - they are all options on the 362 mile canal that was originally built in 1825 as a means of transporting goods from Lake Erie to New York City. Nowadays you see an occasional pleasure or dinner cruise boat in the Rochester area, but 95% of the traffic that the canal sees is from people walking, running, and biking on its banks. The Rochester suburbs of Pittsford and Fairport have a lot of restaurants and other sites along the trail that are great for the aforementioned exercise activities. And if you stop and get dinner or ice cream after your trek it will be guilt free due the calories that you just burned off!
Taughannock Falls State Park - Trumansburg
Want to see the highest single drop waterfall east of the Rockies? Don’t go to Niagara Falls for that sight. Instead you have to go about 10 miles north of the town of Ithaca and it’s famous Cornell University to see Taughannock Falls! The park itself only has about 4 miles of trails, but seeing the highest falls in the East makes it worth the time. Ithaca is a great town with plenty of good things to see and do, so the couple hour stop on the way there to see the falls is worth it. There are also a lot of great cideries on the west side of Cayuga Lake that you can go to on your way back up the Lake so that you can intake all of the calories that you burned hiking at the falls.
Mendon Ponds Park, Pittsford
This 2500 acre park just south of Rochester has over 21 miles of trails, canoeing/kayaking, fishing, horseback riding, and picnic options. This multitude of activities makes it a great place to bike, hike, and visit any time of year.
Conklin’s Gully, Naples
With almost a 1200 foot vertical rise, this hike isn’t for everyone, but once you reach the top and see the view in the picture to the left, it is definitely worth it. There is a gorge next to the trail most of the way so you have some beautiful photo ops coupled with a couple of “just stare down at the trail” moments as you see a 200 foot drop a few yards from the trail.
Grimes Glen, Naples
For the faint of heart who don’t want to attempt Conklin’s Gully a mile away, this is a nice one mile hike that ends at the waterfall on the right. It is a refreshing swim near the falls on a hot summer day. It gets pretty crowded on the weekends and the parking isn’t that great, so we advise going during the week or off-peak season if you can.
The Finger Lakes Trail, The Whole Darn State!
At 580 miles long with an additional 412 miles of spur trails, the trail covers most of the state that isn’t the NYC area. There are many places in the Finger Lakes that you can find a trail head and hike as many miles as you choose. If you want to join the prestigious “End-To-Ender Club”, you need to have a couple of months of free time and be in really great shape, but there are over 500 certified End-to-Enders.
Abraham Lincoln Park, Webster
Right off of the very busy retail street, Empire Boulevard in Webster, you can surprisingly find quiet and peaceful hiking trails that give you beautiful views of Irondequoit Bay. After the first 1/4 mile of the hike you look around and say - “what is wrong with this picture? 5 minutes ago I was in retail Hell and now I am in the middle of nowhere! I love it!” We said that exact same thing the first time that we hiked here. At the end of the 3 mile trail north is a beautiful Lodge that can be rented for special occasions, but if you just want a couple of hour getaway from the suburban jungle, this is the place to go.
Dryer Road Park, Victor
Even though you can hike, snowshoe, or cross country ski here, this park is made for Mountain Bikers. With 15 miles and 29 trails specifically made for mountain biking, all levels of riders can feel at home. During my first time here as a novice mountain biker, I met up with a park regular who showed me the ropes on various levels of trails. The 2nd time I went over my handlebars and into the dirt on an advanced trail he looked at me and said, “you are certainly resilient”! Inside he was saying, “the dumb-ass should stick to the novice trails”, but I caught his drift. At any rate and skill level of biking and hiking, it is a great place to check out.
Cumming Nature Trails, Naples
With 6 miles of walking trails, 15 miles of groomed cross-country ski trails, and 3 miles of snowshoe trails on 900 acres, the Cumming Nature Trails has things to do in all 4 seasons. There is also a visitor center in the park that is a quasi-museum providing information about the animals you will see and their habitats as well as the history of the Seneca Tribe which were the first inhabitants of the area. It is a great place to spend a few hours with beautiful views of Canandaigua Lake nearby.
Genesee Valley Greenway - Rochester to Hinsdale
This 90 mile trail through the Finger Lakes Region allows hikers and bikers to experience a wide variety of sights and trails. A majority of the trail is an old railway bed that is a straight, level surface, but the Greenway also passes through woodlands, wetlands, river and stream valleys, and historic villages in sixteen towns. This is a great way to discover the Finger Lakes with a multi-day trip with hiking/biking by day and experiencing the small town charm of Upstate New York at night.