Beautiful, peaceful smaller park few picnic benches ; small walking trail. Located in downtown…read moreHolley, NY past their Public Works. Perfect place to enjoy nature, walk, fish or journal.

This is a tough one. Do I keep the knowledge to myself or not? But the right thing to do is to…read moreshare, and Holley Falls Park is worth sharing. If I could summarize the experience at Holley Falls in one word, this would be it: carpooling. Yes, there are a few spots at the base of the waterfall, but they fill up fast. If you're going with others, make sure you share a ride because if you don't, you'll be using valuable hiking time trying to find somewhere to park. I can't even imagine how crowded it can get if someone's having a party or any kind of event. Since you're next to the canal, and the waterfall is basically runoff, get ready for muddy trails. I didn't get stuck or too muddy, but I can imagine it being worse after a rainy day. It's not the worst uphill hike I've ever been on, but it's a good workout nonetheless. You can get pretty close to the falls from some spots on the trail. If you're like me and afraid of getting too close, you still get a good view from further back. There's spots for fishing, plenty of spots for just sitting around, and an overall sense that the park is well maintained. I'll happily return to Holley for a visit to the falls again. It's easy to get to from Rochester and the fresh air is worth the drive. Just make sure you share a ride if you can, you don't want your amazing day eaten up by looking for a parking spot!

The Iroquois National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center is a cool little spot. The staff are super…read morenice. Inside the center you can hear wildlife sounds and learn what to look for. The standout for me was this amazing topographic map where you move the sand and it updates the contour lines live. I wish I had that when learning maps. They also run a bunch of events... I've done a luminary walk and an owl prowl, plus there are eagle nest outings and birding stuff. The gift shop is small but nice. Overall, if you're looking for a good nature outing, this(and the other sites they manage are great. Swallow Hollow is my favorite trail, but the whole area is awesome.

This is one of my favorite places to come hiking and birding. I always see things I don't see…read moreelsewhere while I'm here and it's one of the most reliable places to see eagles. The reserve itself is huge and I haven't covered all of the resist but have a few go-tos. There are bathrooms and porta-potties available at various trail entrances. There is ample parking as well.

I was so surprised to see that Williams Park wasn't on Yelp yet! We discovered it this past summer,…read morewhen we were looking for a fun outdoor meet up spot between Buffalo and Rochester. I really loved it! There was a big covered shelter area with a lot of picnic tables underneath it, a cute playground, basketball courts, tennis courts, a place to play ball. Lots of beautiful grassy areas, and for the kids, a giant hill to roll down. We walked around the little paths, played with puppies, and got to visit with family. Will definitely be going back in the future!

Had a bad experience. In addition to the hill being almost completely ice, there's literally no way…read moreto stop without getting seriously hurt. If you feel like you're being courageous, and you want to give it a shot you'll most likely caroom off the edge of the hill at the bottom into a swampy wet area and you'll get soaked. 4 years ago, I broke my ankle in two different spots and I had to go to the ER because I hit a lnicy ramp and I landed awkwardly. Don't go here in the winter.

Very cool, huge park! Playground was perfect for 9 & 11 year olds. Playground is all wood with…read morereally cool And unique features. Trails are really muddy in spring. Absolutely huge area to walk around.

This hike is on State land across from hemlock lake. Small dirt parking area leads to a beautiful…read morenature trail along the creek. The water fall is not far and has a nice little swimming hole perfect for kids. Slippery rocks and can be buggy especially after a rain.

After hiking in Stony Brook Park, we had a bit of energy left, so stopped for a quick 0.5 mile…read moreout-and-back hike to see the beautiful waterfalls that are in Reynolds Gully. Fairly easy, but some climbing and stooping (that yoga will pay off for your flexibility to scoot under a fallen tree!) toward the end .... but sooooooooo worth it! Rocks can be a little slippery, but worth it to get a little dirty, in order to be awed by nature! GPS/Locations: Waterfall: (N 42.66758 / W 77.58907) Parking: (N 42.66833 / W 77.59166) Directions: Located on the south-east end of Hemlock Lake, on the east side of Rt. 15A. Take I-390 south to Rush and follow 15A south along Hemlock Lake. After passing Johnson Hill Road, Reynold's Gully will be a mile down on your left. Parking: Park in the small dirt area near the gully. Space for a few cars.

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.

This is a lovely hike early in the day. Tons of stairs, you have to go up them on the way back…read more The path is fairly well marked, but has plenty of areas with a drop off so pay attention. I'm pretty familiar with this hike and enjoy it. Easy parking nearby.

Devil's Hole State Park is just a short distance from Whirlpool State Park…read more Tip: From the overlook, you can't see Devil's Hole; you'll have to hike down the trail to see it. The rocks along the wall on the trail are VERY sharp, so excercise caution while you're hiking here - it's a LONG way to the store for band-aids ;-)