This was a nice 35-40 minute scenic drive with plenty of fruit and farm stands along the way. The…read moretrails were wide, grassy and well marked and maintained. It's most definitely dog and family friendly. Just be patient with parking, as it's a bit limited. There are plenty of benches on which to relax and take everything in and you can make your way down to the water and just let your mind wander. I look forward to returning to explore the other wooded trails.

We stopped here on our way camping a couple weeks ago. The playground was fun, and included a…read morelittle zipline. The splash pad is huge. Staff sprays off everyone's feet so they don't bring in beach debris. The swimming beach is so shallow. My boys walked for the longest time and even when they started to swim, they could still stand if they wanted. Warm, too. Not the softest sand, but the way out into the lake isn't too bad. The way back, it feels a little more prickly. Guess the rocks face away from the beach. Plenty of parking, seating and shade.

Seneca Lake State Park has several good things going for it. It's nice to look at and clean; it's…read morealso a fun place to head for if you want to go jogging or take a walk. Tip: There's a path here which (upon closer examination) is actually an old street that's in a pretty far-gone state of disrepair. It's so far gone that it's actually too rough to ride a bike on :-( I suggest you learn from our mistake - if you're actually intended to go for a bike ride, you should seek out another destination.

My wife, two teenage sons, miniature poodle, and I visited this state park on a hot day in July…read more2025. We parked on the East Bay Drive entrance (which has a very steep but short climb to view the bluffs). Please note the east entrance to the Bluff Trail has a limited number of parking spots with two porta-potty units instead of a full restroom. This is NOT the main entrance to the state park (which offers a larger parking lot and picnic benches). Although we did not have enough time to explore the other sections of the park or walk the full 1.3 miles of the Bluff Trail, I think the dramatic view of the drumlins with Lake Ontario in the background was more than worth the 1 hour drive from Penn Yan (on Keuka Lake) where we stayed for vacation. Another benefit of parking on the east end of the Bluff trail is that you have convenient walking access to Dragon View Beach (a popular spot to go swimming in the summer).

Nice walk from west parking. Be sure to spray for mosquitoes first! Maps don't all show, but…read morethere is also parking On the east side. From there it's stairs to the view vice the 1.3 mile walk from the west. For me, I prefer the walk. Noisy jet skis kind of detract. Walk it nice and smooth with nothing too steep or rough.

I visited here recently and even though the main waterfall was closed due to falling rocks, it was…read morestill 100% worth the trip. We were able to see the medium and smaller waterfalls and I was blown away by how beautiful it was. There are incredible views everywhere you turn with tons of photo spots and scenic overlooks. The trails are really well maintained and were a good easy hike. I also love how much there is to do here beyond just hiking. There are biking trails, horseback riding, and even skiing in the winter. It feels like a park you could come back to in every season and have a completely different experience. There is also a welcome center with a small gift shop and a nature center. You could easily spend a whole day here. I loved it!

If you haven't been to Letchworth State, fix that. It feels like it's out in the middle of nowhere,…read morebut it is worth the drive no matter where you are coming from. This park is great in every season, and we are lucky to have it here. Most people show up for the waterfalls and the views of the gorge. They deserve the hype. The scenery alone is worth the price of admission and a solid chunk of your day. If you stop there, you are missing out. Dig deeper. Come in the winter and see the ice volcano. It feels like something too cool for WNY. Stop by during the hot air balloon festival in the summer and watch the sky fill with color over the gorge. Get off the rim trail and explore the trails that go through the woods. Make time for the less populated side of the park. Fewer people, more natural trails, and no admission fee. It has a completely different vibe and is perfect if you want something a little more peaceful.

So I've been wanting to go to Chimney Bluffs for a while, but I've heard that Chimney Bluffs has a…read moretrail closed down... and other trails may be less dog friendly. Since I'm taking my pup, Redford, with me on all my hikes and everything (yay for socialization + exercise)..? Having a dog friendly walk/hike spot is a necessity. So! I opted to pick another park in a similar area. Beechwood State Park is new for us, about a 20 minute drive from Chimney Bluffs, AND seems to have significantly fewer people visiting (which, during this pandemic, is especially nice... though be aware that the parking lot probably only holds about 15-ish vehicles)... plus, a colleague of mine visited back in July and said it was an interesting spot with plenty of little side trails for the pup. :) Now managed by the Town of Sodus, Beechwood State Park is a former Girl Scout camp that's now, well, pretty dilapidated after it was forced to close in the late 1990's due to financial issues. Now totaling about 288 acres, with plenty of trail branches to wander, it also borders Lake Ontario (with some trails that go near the Maxwell Bay area as well). Though erosion has resulted in the lake's beach area being covered in some fallen trees, there's still a narrow pebble beach to wander. There are some cliff-type areas, so be sure to watch the trails, be aware of the erosion going on, and not to let yourself, those you're with, and your own pups get too close. There can also be some areas near cabins that have bits of broken glass... so something else to consider and watch out for. Town of Sodus staff do seem to check out the trails regularly (we saw 2 or 3 park carts driving through during our walk), but part of the appeal of this park is that it's off the beaten path a bit. It's the park-version of a hole-in-the-wall diner, if you will. Bonus: since it's getting close to Halloween, the rundown cabins and other camp buildings seemed especially fitting. There was even a group having a spooky photoshoot in a wooded area that had what appeared to be the remains of a burned camp building.

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.

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!

This is a beautifully well maintained park by the marina in Cobourg. With big shade trees, it is a…read moregreat place to bring a lunch and enjoy the quiet, relaxing sounds of the fountain. The breeze that comes in off the lake is incredibly refreshing and makes this a place where you could just spend an entire day.

This is a fascinating place. It's about an hour outside of Buffalo. You'll pass through Batavia to…read moreget here most likely. You arrive and there's easy parking. You walk to where you check in, although they say it's free on the website they are asking for a donation when you arrive. As you walk around you can see why, incredible amount of work is going into keeping this place up. These are large crowns and you want comfortable walking shoes for them. It's not very wheelchair or stroller friendly. These are the grounds of someone who lived in the city of Buffalo. He was clearly wealthy. He's grounds are magnificent, even though they've hardly deteriorated over time. I was only he loveEvidently he love peonies card, and has a garden devoted to them. And has them elsewhere and his space as well.

Linwood Gardens is about 45 minutes south west of Rochester and open several weekends in May and…read moreJune each year for their annual Tree Peony Festival. The house is a Rare Plants Nursery and former home of William Henry Gratwick II from Buffalo. Lee Gratwick, W.G's daughter is now living at Linwood and is dedicated to preserving the Tree Peony Collection, the Gardens, and the Summer house. It's a great weekend getaway to kill a couple hours, see the extensive tree peony collection and explore the grounds with it's various ponds, fountains, and floral area's. I go every year as it's open on the weekend between Lilac Festival and Fairport Canal Days. Two thumbs up, go check it out.