Explore the best rated trails in Rochester, NY. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Hojack Trail and Brickyard Trail. With more than 23 trails covering 560 miles you’re bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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The Pittsford Trail System, also called the Railroad Loop Trail, provides access to the Erie Canal, town of Pittsford, and shopping and business district in the quaint New York village. A short...
The North Branch of the Lehigh Valley Trail connects the campuses of the University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology. The trail’s northern terminus is where the Erie Canal Heritage...
Snaking along the shoreline of Lake Ontario, the Irondequoit Lakeside Multi-Use Trail provides a smooth journey infused with the region’s rich natural and cultural heritage. The nearly 7-mile trail...
The El Camino: Butterhole-Seneca Park Trail (often more simply called the El Camino Trail) runs diagonally through a neighborhood and industrial properties in northeast Rochester on an abandoned CSX...
By the early 1800s, Rochester had earned the nickname of Flour City because of its numerous mills that allowed the young town to rapidly become the largest flour producer in the United States. The...
The Ellicott Trail is a crushed stone rail-trail in Batavia, Genesee County. The trail provides the best of both worlds, winding through the heart of downtown while also providing an immersive journey...
The Keuka Outlet Trail offers a sinuous route of nearly 7 miles between Penn Yan and Dresden in New York’s Finger Lakes region. The rail-trail follows a railroad corridor that traced a former canal...
When complete, the Erie Canalway Trail will run for 360 miles in upstate New York—from Buffalo in the west to Albany in the east—linking many other communities along the way, including Rochester,...
The Erie Attica Trail lies in the Finger Lakes region of New York along the former railroad for which it's named. A glimpse of this past can be seen in the beautiful truss bridge that spans 220 feet...
The Cayuga-Seneca Canalway Trail is a 5-mile pathway beginning in Waterloo, New York and terminating at Seneca Lake State Park. The roadbed it uses was constructed by the Seneca County Railway...
The Manchester Gateway Trail is a scenic route used by walkers and cyclers that follows the Canandaigua Outlet through Manchester. It has also been used for skiing during winter months. The trailhead...
Travelers on the Lake Ontario State Parkway Trail will enjoy scenic views of wooded areas, surrounding bodies of water and wetlands. The trail parallels the north side of the Parkway, which runs along...
The I-390 Bike Path is a 5-mile paved trail starting in Greece and ending at the Island Cottage Woods Preserves just south of Lake Ontario. The trail starts just after crossing Route 104 using the...
Brickyard Trail offers a pleasant north-south route through the Town of Brighton, which sits on the southeastern outskirts of Rochester. Its name is a nod to the town's brickmaking industry dating...
Two former rival railroad corridors that crossed in Buffalo’s eastern suburbs now form a nearly 18-mile paved trail system called Clarence Pathways in Clarence, Newstead, and Akron. Five trails...
The Cato-Fair Haven Trail (a.k.a. Cayuga County Trail) travels a little more than 14 miles through forest, wetland and tree farm.
Brickyard Trail offers a pleasant north-south route through the Town of Brighton, which sits on the southeastern outskirts of Rochester. Its name is a nod to the town's brickmaking industry dating...
Snaking along the shoreline of Lake Ontario, the Irondequoit Lakeside Multi-Use Trail provides a smooth journey infused with the region’s rich natural and cultural heritage. The nearly 7-mile trail...
The Pittsford Trail System, also called the Railroad Loop Trail, provides access to the Erie Canal, town of Pittsford, and shopping and business district in the quaint New York village. A short...
The Erie Attica Trail lies in the Finger Lakes region of New York along the former railroad for which it's named. A glimpse of this past can be seen in the beautiful truss bridge that spans 220 feet...
The Cayuga-Seneca Canalway Trail is a 5-mile pathway beginning in Waterloo, New York and terminating at Seneca Lake State Park. The roadbed it uses was constructed by the Seneca County Railway...
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The Groveland Secondary Trail follows a portion of abandoned right-of-way of the old Groveland Branch of the Erie Lackawanna between York and Alexander. The York terminus begins just east of Main...
The North Branch of the Lehigh Valley Trail connects the campuses of the University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology. The trail’s northern terminus is where the Erie Canal Heritage...
By the early 1800s, Rochester had earned the nickname of Flour City because of its numerous mills that allowed the young town to rapidly become the largest flour producer in the United States. The...
The Genesee Valley Greenway rolls through towns and countless landscapes from Rochester south to Cuba, New York. The greenway is a work in progress, but there is a long, continuous segment (37 miles)...
Located in the majestic Finger Lakes region, the Lehigh Valley Trail is a well-used gem with a sparkling future. Wandering 16.4 miles through beautiful landscapes and rich greenery, the trail connects...
The Ellicott Trail is a crushed stone rail-trail in Batavia, Genesee County. The trail provides the best of both worlds, winding through the heart of downtown while also providing an immersive journey...
The Keuka Outlet Trail offers a sinuous route of nearly 7 miles between Penn Yan and Dresden in New York’s Finger Lakes region. The rail-trail follows a railroad corridor that traced a former canal...
Two former rival railroad corridors that crossed in Buffalo’s eastern suburbs now form a nearly 18-mile paved trail system called Clarence Pathways in Clarence, Newstead, and Akron. Five trails...
This pleasant community trail connects suburban residences close to the shore of Lake Ontario with a school, a church and a commercial area in Webster, New York. Near the trail's northwest end, it...
Travelers on the Lake Ontario State Parkway Trail will enjoy scenic views of wooded areas, surrounding bodies of water and wetlands. The trail parallels the north side of the Parkway, which runs along...
There are so many reminders from the heyday of the railroad age on the nearly 10-mile Auburn Trail that visitors might imagine they’re chugging through villages and countryside at the throttle of a...
The I-390 Bike Path is a 5-mile paved trail starting in Greece and ending at the Island Cottage Woods Preserves just south of Lake Ontario. The trail starts just after crossing Route 104 using the...
The Ontario Pathways Rail Trail is the crown jewel of the trail system managed by the organization for whom it is named in Ontario County, New York. Comprising two disconnected segments, including a...
The El Camino: Butterhole-Seneca Park Trail (often more simply called the El Camino Trail) runs diagonally through a neighborhood and industrial properties in northeast Rochester on an abandoned CSX...
By the early 1800s, Rochester had earned the nickname of Flour City because of its numerous mills that allowed the young town to rapidly become the largest flour producer in the United States. The...
The Cayuga-Seneca Canalway Trail is a 5-mile pathway beginning in Waterloo, New York and terminating at Seneca Lake State Park. The roadbed it uses was constructed by the Seneca County Railway...
The Ontario Pathways Rail Trail is the crown jewel of the trail system managed by the organization for whom it is named in Ontario County, New York. Comprising two disconnected segments, including a...
This pleasant community trail connects suburban residences close to the shore of Lake Ontario with a school, a church and a commercial area in Webster, New York. Near the trail's northwest end, it...
The Ellicott Trail is a crushed stone rail-trail in Batavia, Genesee County. The trail provides the best of both worlds, winding through the heart of downtown while also providing an immersive journey...
The El Camino: Butterhole-Seneca Park Trail (often more simply called the El Camino Trail) runs diagonally through a neighborhood and industrial properties in northeast Rochester on an abandoned CSX...
The North Branch of the Lehigh Valley Trail connects the campuses of the University of Rochester and Rochester Institute of Technology. The trail’s northern terminus is where the Erie Canal Heritage...
Brickyard Trail offers a pleasant north-south route through the Town of Brighton, which sits on the southeastern outskirts of Rochester. Its name is a nod to the town's brickmaking industry dating...
The Groveland Secondary Trail follows a portion of abandoned right-of-way of the old Groveland Branch of the Erie Lackawanna between York and Alexander. The York terminus begins just east of Main...
Snaking along the shoreline of Lake Ontario, the Irondequoit Lakeside Multi-Use Trail provides a smooth journey infused with the region’s rich natural and cultural heritage. The nearly 7-mile trail...
The Erie Attica Trail lies in the Finger Lakes region of New York along the former railroad for which it's named. A glimpse of this past can be seen in the beautiful truss bridge that spans 220 feet...
The Manchester Gateway Trail is a scenic route used by walkers and cyclers that follows the Canandaigua Outlet through Manchester. It has also been used for skiing during winter months. The trailhead...
Two former rival railroad corridors that crossed in Buffalo’s eastern suburbs now form a nearly 18-mile paved trail system called Clarence Pathways in Clarence, Newstead, and Akron. Five trails...
Located in the majestic Finger Lakes region, the Lehigh Valley Trail is a well-used gem with a sparkling future. Wandering 16.4 miles through beautiful landscapes and rich greenery, the trail connects...
The Cato-Fair Haven Trail (a.k.a. Cayuga County Trail) travels a little more than 14 miles through forest, wetland and tree farm.
The Genesee Valley Greenway rolls through towns and countless landscapes from Rochester south to Cuba, New York. The greenway is a work in progress, but there is a long, continuous segment (37 miles)...
When complete, the Erie Canalway Trail will run for 360 miles in upstate New York—from Buffalo in the west to Albany in the east—linking many other communities along the way, including Rochester,...
The I-390 Bike Path is a 5-mile paved trail starting in Greece and ending at the Island Cottage Woods Preserves just south of Lake Ontario. The trail starts just after crossing Route 104 using the...
The Keuka Outlet Trail offers a sinuous route of nearly 7 miles between Penn Yan and Dresden in New York’s Finger Lakes region. The rail-trail follows a railroad corridor that traced a former canal...
The town of Perinton, New York, has been hard at work improving the Rochester, Syracuse and Eastern Trail, and it shows. Since 1996, when the American Hiking Society designated Perinton as a Trail...
Very nice trail. Open and clear with nice views of foliage and water. We will return.
As you come into Utica, there is a construction area that would benefit from some temporary signs. You ride down a small hill into a wide open area. Once you do this, you will find that there is no sign that should direct riders to go left. Going left will take you across railroad tracks, and to one of the locks. You cross the lock and rejoin the trail. If you make the mistake and take a right instead of going left, you will be forced to ride into Utica on a busy road. Other than needing a sign at this location in Utica, the trail is amazing. We road from Syracuse to Albany.
I almost skipped this great trail due to the bad reviews, but it was quite nice. Beautiful forest, wetlands and a few peeks of farmland. Make no mistake, it's nothing like zooming down the Erie towpath on perfectly smooth stone dust, but it would be manageable for anyone with a little mountain bike experience. There were too many mud puddles to count (some trail-wide) on my ride. You could either blast through them like a ten year old and come back looking like a Tide commercial or practice your bike handling around the edges. Like any mtn. bike trail, you'll need to keep your eyes on the trail and be ready for occasional half-buried rocks. Try to go when it's dry and expect a slower pace with lots of maneuvering and it's a good ride. *** The first 1/2 mile or so starting at the Fair Haven Fire Dept. is awful. You can skip it by road riding on Fair Haven Rd (94) between the fire dept. and Simmons Rd at the sawmill (trail is 100 ft. from Fair Haven Rd. at this point). It's only a mile and not busy at all.
In mid September, when my husband and I were walking the trail, we found the mosquito population from Dresden to the parking lot for Seneca Mills Falls to be horrible. I would never hike in that area at that time of year again. Even mosquito repellent hardly helped. However, hiking from the Seneca Mills Falls parking lot to Seneca falls is lovely and the falls is lovely too.
I posted a review of a segment of the trail which I believe is unsafe. At the same time I contacted the agency that has responsibility for maintaining the segment. They immediately responded and have since, according to them, addressed the problems of surface degradation.
Wife and I took this gem and it is awesome. Beautiful scenery and not too travelled. My wife’s hybrid bike did fine. Very well kept, my only wish is that it went to the lake. Overall very satisfied. Drop in at North Pond Park that’s a nice ride as well.
On August 20, 2021 I rode the trail between Fishell Rd and W River Rd, a 3.2 mile segment. It is dangerous, the erosion has caused the surface to be uneven and very loose. This segment needs immediate maintenance. I am an experienced cyclist and was riding a "gravel" bike.
2021: Biked the Erie Canal trail from Buffalo to Cohoes. Well worth the time. And mostly a very pleasant experience, with just a few caveats. Trail improvements are ongoing and signage along the trail is not always up to date, so check your route carefully, especially where it is on-road. The initial section from downtown Buffalo is grungy city streets, but that improves with a great, mostly off-road trail all the way to Lyons. Lockport to Spencerport is fairly exposed, but from there on to Lyons is generally pleasantly green and shaded. From Clyde to Port Byron and through Syracuse were onroad and not always clearly signed and were the least pleasant. From the east side of Syracuse all the way to Cohoes was a delightful and beautiful ride, with the exception of finding one's way onroad and with poor signage through Rome. All in all (despite my caveats) a good, local, human-powered bucket-list endeavor, with thanks to all the communities along the way and everyone maintaining and improving and filling the gaps in the trail.
Park in Lehigh Crossing Park. Head west on the gravel road and make your first right up the gravel road, before the pond. At the top of the hill you will enter the Lehigh Valley railroad bed that has been graded and rolled with stone dust. Continue all the way to the Genesee River and the Greenway Trail. Enjoy your ride.
9/1/2021: Just rode the Auburn trail (as part of the Rochester Gravel Bike Loop) the short distance from the Lehigh Valley trail to Maple Avenue, going east. The trail has a good surface and is a pleasant ride. Just note that (as of today) the TrailLink map is slightly wrong: the trail goes directly to Maple Ave along the railroad right-of-way; it does not go to Dryer road.
9/1/2021: Biked this trail from west (at the Genesee Greenway trail) to east (connection with the Auburn trail) as part of the Rochester Gravel Bike Loop. As a rail-trail, it was flat, level and straight, with a combination of overpasses, underpasses and grade crossings at surface streets, with just one short awkward road segment (Fishell Road) to cross under I-390. The weather had been hot and dry so there were no muddy sections. The trail corridor is mostly wide, tree-lined and pleasant, usually with either woods or fields beyond, sometimes Honeoye creek. Aside from a soft 1/4 mile at the west end, the surface was in great condition, packed stone dust, sometimes with a grass "median". There were also pleasant town parks as stopping points along the way. Mid-day on a weekday -- light traffic - met perhaps 10 other bicyclists in the 15 miles.
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