What a magical place to visit. All ages can enjoy the many trails seeing wildlife. Fairy land is a…read moretreat for the kids I love it too! Feed chickadees and titmouse from your hand it's amazing. Fun outdoor area kids can climb through the logs and check out Wild Wings and the many birds they have rescued. Highly recommend!

I feel like it's been forever since we've been hiking! Saw the reviews for Mendon Ponds Park, and…read moredecided it was the one. We stumbled a little bit trying to find where the trails started. Initially we were following an online map, but we stopped at the park office to grab a paper copy for easier navigating. The park office is definitely not what I expected - it was a bit neglected, and nobody was there. I was hoping there'd be someone to talk to! Maybe they're just not in on Sundays. So off we went with our paper map! Lots of beautiful buildings - we really enjoyed the cobblestone house. Tree lined paths. Parking lots placed in convenient places. There was a cute little playground by the largest pond, and my daughter really enjoyed the abundance of lily pads. We were already feeling exhausted due to the heat by the time we found a trail entrance, but the trail itself was nice. There were teal colored trail markers nailed to the trees along the way, although the path itself was pretty straightforward until the turnaround. According to the map it should have circled back but there was a sign there for private property, so we hiked back the way we came instead. They had some absolutely gorgeous looking shelters. I'm not sure what the price point is, but it would be a great place for gatherings. Beautiful and peaceful, even if a little bit confusing our first time there. We will definitely be going back again (on a cooler day) to explore some more!

Love this trail. Perfect warm up before going to gym. Takes me about 38 minutes to complete when I…read moremix jogging and brisk walking. Trails are clear so it's easy to navigate. Ample amount of parking. Closes at 10pm which was a shocker to me. I love when I see the parents letting their kids play in the water. Not on their iPads and out in nature burning energy. Good job to them! There's only a couple spots that I can see it being a problem if you arent able to move around well

Near Rochester, right off a highway, Corbett's Glen is very easy to get to. It's located inside a…read morequaint neighborhood (expect to walk behind houses at points along the hike), and is very well-maintained. We started on the wood-area of the park, walking toward the creek and water falls at the Glen itself. The round trip of the hike was just a sliver more than 2 miles but it was an easy hike, with just two sections of up/down hill-climbing. Very beautiful and picturesque, with an amazing tunnel under the Amtrak tracks. Very much recommended for a short, morning hike if you don't mind the drive out.

We were on vacation in the area in late September, and were looking for a place for a stroll…read more This was a nice path that was mowed grass in most places, and had both shaded a d sunny sections. There are some parts under construction, and the detours aren't well marked and involve walking along the roadside which wasn't as nice as the trail of course. We enjoyed some views of the river and some late summer flowers, but don't expect amazing scenery. It is an easy walk though if you have anyone in your group who can't do the rocky, more rugged trails in the area.

If I had to choose just one word to describe this trail, I'd go with surreal. In my opinion it is…read moreone of Rochester's greatest hidden gems, and I'm surprised to be the first to review it. The trail more or less begins on the other side of the river from the U of R campus, and you go through Genesee Valley Park to the old railroad bridge that crosses the Erie Canal, and basically just keep on going. My guess is that most people get spooked by the industrial district that runs along Scottsville Road, and that's unfortunate because there's a very beautiful area that runs through that area. part of it appears to have been reclaimed by nature, but it's worth venturing through because there is a really peaceful area right by the river where you feel as if you're in the middle of a wilderness even though you're just on the other side of the river from East River Road. The trail sort of breaks up once you hit Scottsville Road, but picks up again down the road when you get to Little Black Creek Park, which, by the way, is an amazing place to visit right after a bad ice storm. The trail continues south and almost reaches another stretch of trail on the opposite side of the east/west railroad track that runs through Henrietta, but I guess there just hasn't been enough interest in this trail to connect it better thus far. Once on the other side of the tracks you will come across a massive culvert and then once on the other side of Jefferson Road you'll see a whole bunch of really old derelict telephone poles along with the outline of the dried out canal that used to run parallel to the trail. Eventually you will reach Scottsville, which is a rather pretty, idyllic small town with a charming graffiti bridge park and elevated walkway that leads to the trail. From there the trail goes on to Avon, and during the Fall it is quite lovely. Upon reaching Avon, I highly recommend taking the detour trail that leads to that town because there is a lovely bridge there and the town itself has a very "Mayberry" vibe to it. Go a little further and you'll find a cool place called the Five Arch Bridge on the outskirts of town. From Avon to Fowlerville, you'll see some interesting ruins of the canal from sections of the trail that are at a significantly higher elevation than than the Genesee, and from Fowlerville to Piffard there is a nice detour I found (due to necessity r/t flooding) that runs by a really cool Catholic monastery. Their chapel is as serene as it is awe-inspiring and their shop has a variety of baked goods and jams, my favorite being Elderberry jam. Once you reach Cuylerville there is an interesting tractor museum and I absolutely recommend taking the road on a detour east to see an old Revolutionary War site where a couple soldiers got tortured to death by the Seneca as well as Fall Brook Falls (but don't drink the water from the falls...just trust me on that one). Also along the way there is a barn with a silo where this massive tree grew in the middle of it and you can see the top of the tree emerging from the silo. Mount Morris is another quaint small town and then when you reach Sonyea things start to get weird. First there is an old Shaker Village and an abandoned colony for epileptics that is somewhat evocative of the derelict asylum from "Until Dawn" and then you reach a prison that has all these historical buildings built up in a highly militarized way, almost like something you'd see in an episode of "The Handmaid's Tale." The main map you find of the Genesee Valley Greenway from Google is somewhat misleading because the color difference between the main trail and "closed" is very subtle and although the original railroad did go through the correctional facility and then the state forest on the other side of it, there isn't really much of a trail that goes through all of that, although there is definitely some kind of path and I must say that I rather cherish the memories I have of going through Aurora and seeing some of the Mennonite farmland that I passed through on the way back. My advice is once you reach Sonyea make sure you have the AllTrails app downloaded because the NikeRunClub and UnderArmour apps are pretty much useless when it comes to finding the beginnings and ends of these trails. The trail does continue on further than what I have explored, and I hope to someday pick up where I left off.

This is such an underrated Rochester park! With beautiful views and a variety of hike options, it…read moreis hard to go wrong with a trip to Lower Falls Park. It is a little tricky to find and negotiate where the best views are, which I think is what keeps people away and maybe slightly intimidated. I took on this park after exploring the Maplewood Rose Garden, and found that jaunt to be perfectly doable, if you're thinking about making an afternoon of it. When I was there, we took some time to explore the artwork, which includes some great and unbiased pieces about Rochester's past. We hopped a small railing to get up close and personal with the falls, which provides a great view. If I am remembering correctly there are some tents and a community making their home in this part of the park, so just be aware of that. I highly recommend taking your next park trip to Lower Falls!

It was about an hour and a half paddle from Charlotte boat launch. You see hardly anyone fishing…read moretill the end and just a few other boats early in the morning. It's a whole different view of Rochester.

Great local park on the city's edge and Brighton. They say there's over 100 acres here, it's a good…read moresize with some great views of the city skyline. This place can get busy especially in the summer months, lots of hiking, playground, basketball and tennis courts. Over the years I've played in some adult softball leagues. Lots of fun . Parking can sometimes be chaotic, there's a few smaller lots along the street. Family friendly park with a few lodges to rent. They have a few events and festivals held here too.

Cobbs Hill is a fabulous park- part of the reason for the low stars is our frustration in the…read morebasketball court. They recently resurfaced the whole area but there are no lights for it to be used as the day gets shorter. The tennis courts however have lighting... We would like to ask the park/city to consider lighting the basketball courts as they light the tennis courts to provide more equity and access for all.

What a fantastic park, lots of great hiking trails along the Oatka Creek with such beautiful views…read more Trails are easily marked. Love how they even spray paint uprooted tripping hazards.. bright pink and white. Loved hiking to the bridge overpass , great view over the creek. So much fun rustling through autumn leaves and fall weather!

I have such conflicted feelings about this review, because part of what makes Oatka Creek Park so…read moreamazing is that it's off the beaten path and not very well known. But a good Yelper doesn't hoard the knowledge, and the physical location of the park is still going to be off the beaten path, so I can be confident in sharing why Oatka Creek Park is a gem. Oatka Creek Park is a little hard to find if you haven't been there before. Luckily, Waze actually recognized the address and got us there in one piece. Basically, you go through an intersection and the park is right there. There was a decent sized parking lot right away, and down the road another, closer to the trail. It's your call which lot is best. The main trail is a loop around the park, the goal to get you down to Oatka Creek itself. And let me say, it's worth the hike. Moving water is the best, for so many reasons. It's not the fastest moving creek, but it's a great one to stop at and take in the sights. I found the trail to be fairly simple, a little uphill and downhill at times, but not the strenuous kind (at least in my eyes). You could even go on horseback if you wanted, and I've seen the horses on the trail. It's a good one for horses, but be advised that with horses comes the not so little presents they leave behind. Watch where you step. Oatka Creek Park is a true gem, so I don't feel too bad about letting the world know about it. Somehow, I feel the serenity and woodland creatures won't go anywhere on a day with more hikers and horses than usual.

I was determined to get a quick run in one morning. Drove to Embankment park for the first time…read more Found easy parking, a short walking distance to access the trail, and was on my way. Good running path, peaceful just right for me.

I *love* hiking my way to Great Embankment Park when I'm out walking to the canal. On a peaceful…read moreday when the weather is on your side, it's a great place to hang and reflect. Sporting fields nearby are usually populated by soccer teams, softball players or folks playing frisbee catch with their pooch. On the canalside, you can catch families out for a stroll, plein air artists or couples walking hand in hand. It's a picture perfect location with a distinct view of the canal.

Lots of walking trails and greenery with tennis courts and a playground available as well. Spacious…read moreand perfect an outdoor party, especially if you rent a Pavillion. A popular spot for walking dogs!

I really nice sized well maintained community park. I've been to the playground many times, lots of…read morefun for kids, slides can of course get really hot during the warm summer days.., go early am... usually we have the place to ourselves. Bathrooms are near by, always clean. Lots of walkable trails with lots of wildlife to observe. They have a few lodges available to rent, check website. Definitely a great place to hang out in the area.