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.

This was a great hike! The trails were well-marked. It's busier than most trails I've hiked this…read moresummer but the folks you meet along the way are extremely friendly. It's a bit of a drive but worth it. Hiking as the leaves begin to change would be beautiful. Some years ago we also went snowshoeing here.

beautiful park for camping, hiking, fishing. nice rest rooms with showers. park rules aren't…read moreenforced with camp check in times which is 3 pm. lots of RV's came in much earlier, like 9 am dog friendly so be aware. no security, you're on your own!

OMG THIS DRAFT IS A YEAR OLD!! Camping here for the second time. This time it's just me and the…read morehusband. On the motorcycles again and it's lovely. Checking in is easy and you can buy campfire wood and ice from the main office, and they'll even deliver it right to your campsite which was nice because there was no way I was gonna be able to carry 4 bundles of wood ($5 each) on my bike. They do have a nice playground. Not sure if I mentioned that in my first review. This is a good campground for families. The only thing I negative I can say about this place, and it isn't even their fault so I won't deduct any stars, is that there's a dairy farm right across the street from the entrance out on the main road so if the wind blows just right you get that awful ammonia and poop smell throughout the campground.

Niagara County has beautiful parks throughout, and like many other fellow yelpers, other reviewers…read morebrought myself and my boyfriend here to explore. Even though it was early May, and camping yurts and other things in park, weren't open, hardly anyone at park with it being offseason, we sure did enjoy the exploration of the park. Sadly we didn't check out the light house, as it was closed. The playground replica of the Point Light House was fun to go on, yes, as an adult, Ill admit we both enjoyed letting out our inner child. The nature trails may have been a bit muddy from recent rain, but easy to manage, recommend if you check park out after rain, wear hiking boots, or sneakers you don't mind getting dirty. Perfect for anyone whose a nature lover.

So we were going through a drive in Letchworth Park on Victoria Day weekend, and we decided to stop…read morehere for lunch. The pool was closed, and the picnic area in general was completely deserted (I suppose, understandable since it was a week before Memorial Day and the official start to the season.) There was a little bit of construction going on with the playground, but we basically had this area to ourselves. Lots of picnic tables and grills, this really is a nice area to stop. There are several reserveable large pavilions, which have more closed rooms as well as large grill areas, the kind of place you could hold a pretty gigantic picnic. There's also a park police station here. Seems like a great place to spend more time during the season.

Stopped in to check the state park out. We thought they had camping but it was discovered they do…read morenot. Strictly boat launch and day visits. Beautiful views though. The water was gorgeous.

The weekend before last, we took an impromptu leaf-peep drive to the Southern Tier. We haven't been…read moreto Silver Lake before, and decided to make this our destination to enjoy the scenic autumn lake. Silver Lake State Park itself is pretty small, and consists of a large parking area, a boat launch, a public restroom, a small playground, a small pavilion, and about a dozen or so picnic areas, each with a table, grill, and firepit. There is a small dock, I'm guessing for kayakers to use, which we sat on to enjoy the lake breezes; it was a very warm fall 85-degree day when we visited, so this was nice. Silver Lake itself is bigger than I thought it would be, probably a decent, roomy lake if you are a boater, maybe comparable to one of the smaller Finger Lakes. We didn't fish this day, but there were several fisherpeople along the shores too, still with plenty of room to spread out. One thing lacking from this park is any nature trails. We walked the perimeter of the picnic areas, and didn't find any trailheads. Since one of our favorite things to do as a fam' is what we call "adventure walks" through the woods, no trails here was a let-down. The main draw is really the boat launch, or if you want to picnic with lake views. Admission was $6, paid at a self-service terminal when you come in. Since they did have an open public bathroom facility (that was pretty clean), this was fair. If you're in the Silver Lake area looking for a picnic, fishing, and/or kayaking/boating spot, Silver Lake State Park will probably suit you well.

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!

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.

Stony Brook Park is a must visit when in the Keuka Lake area and looking for an outdoor experience…read more The parking lot fits plenty of cars and there's clean bathrooms onsite. There are 4 different trails you can hike if you feel up to it but we recommend the Gorge Trail & East Rim Trail. This loop can be difficult on the knees with all the steps and unbalanced areas. Absolutely beautiful park and afterwards you can swim in the clear cold water. We had a blast and was a highlight of our trip.

The whole experience was superb and wonderful. My friends and I decided to hike on a rainy day…read more(bring a poncho, umbrella and careful of slippery rocks!). We did the gorge trail; filled with beautiful rocks, wonderful waterfalls small and big & the greenery. Be prepared to take a few stairs. (On the way and back). When we reached the end of the trail we were a little lost as it isn't a complete loop. We took the west elm trail back which was more woodsy than the first one. This is a peaceful place and camping would be lovely here (there's campgrounds.) aside from wild birds, we did encounter a rabid groundhog that was going in circles, so be wary (I mean this is the case for all wildlife parks!) Bonus, the bathrooms are super clean, probably the cleanest bathrooms I've ever witnessed.

We've been hip to nature long before it became the newest fad. ;-) We typically love a good park…read morewith hiking trails and a beach. Yates Town Park has neither of those things, but this sweet little park still rates highly for our fam' when we're simply looking for a green place to chillax and chow down. The picnic set-up is well done here. There are about 6 or 7 tables, each with their own grill, with each set-up decently spread out from the others. The grills are FANTASTIC! Big, newer grills with lids! There is a small pavilion with 3 tables of its own, as well. There is no swimming beach here, but you are directly on the shoreline of lovely Lake Ontario, so the views are phenomenal. It is a rocky ledge down to the water, not really advisable to try and swim here. There is plenty of parking, and a big grassy area to toss a ball around as you'd like, too. One big drawback--no bathrooms. So be prepared to hold it, or use a bush. Yates Town Park doesn't have many amenities, but the lake breeze itself is reason enough to enjoy a relaxing picnic here with your own favorite peeps.