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.

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.

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.

We were looking for a somewhat short, easy hike on a chilly, windy day, and found Indian Fort…read moreNature Preserve online. It's part of the Genesee Valley Conservancy and they're working on some native plant restoration here which is always great to see. This is a small, no-frills park with room for a few cars to park in a gravel lot near the trailhead. The trails are nicely marked with colored blazes on the trees; pairing that with the PDF map downloaded to a phone made navigation easy. We walked the red trail to the river; it was an easy hike with no major areas of rocks or tree roots, making this a good choice for less sure-footed walkers/hkers. The red trail is an out and back ending at the river. There is river access at that endpoint and it is very worthwhile to go down to spend some time on the shore. The views were beautiful. We came back on the yellow trail which included views of two gorges; one on each side of a wide ridge. We also saw the giant oak marked on the map which was truly impressive and saw the falls which were just a trickle in late September. We cut back over to the red trail on a side trail rather than connect via the blue trail as there was a short section on blue that was too tricky for one person in our group. Yellow was very easy and the connection back to red was as well. Wildflowers were still beautiful in early fall. Heads up that there are no facilities here, so plan ahead!

We were looking for a place to walk a bit on a chilly, windy day, and found Island Preserve online…read more It is a small area, primarily made up of mowed paths through the grass behind a subdivision, so no exciting scenery here, but it was a nice easy sunny walk. It does look like some trails go through a small wooded area which I'm assuming is the "Island" in the name. They are working hard to restore native trees here, and pull out invasives so I truly give them credit for that. I wouldn't suggest this as a destination if you're far away, but a nice walk if you're close by. Heads up that the address for the preserve is IN the adjacent subdivision and the brochure for the park says it's OK to park on the street there, but we found a gravel lot with 2 spots near the sign for the preserve just off 39.

Small park with some ball fields, a couple playgrounds, basketball court and pavilion. Our 10 year…read moreold and 8 year old wasn't impressed with this park. Bathrooms were open and the drinking fountain worked. It's something to do in a small town. We heard that they are redoing this park with a million dollar grant. Should improve it.

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.

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.

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.

If you're in the area and want to enjoy a beautiful view I recommend stopping by and taking it in!read more

I thought that I should find someplace special for my 600th Yelp review, and after a couple of…read moreweeks of thinking about that milestone review I couldn't think of anyplace I've visited recently. Suddenly, a perfect place appeared! I was on my way north from Naples, New York when my GPS advised me to bear left on to County Highway 12. To say County 12 was a hill climb is an understatement. The view to my right just kept getting better and better, looking out over Canadaigua Lake at the high ridge on the east side of the well-known Finger Lake. I kept wishing I had been there a couple of weeks earlier when the ridge covered with deciduous trees was probably on fire with fall colors. Just the same, even the brown leaves were breathtaking. POOF! A warning sign advised me of a scenic overlook ahead! Of course, I pulled in, just taking in the breathtaking views as I looked for a good parking spot. (Like it mattered. There are plenty of spaces and all have pretty much the same view.) I grabbed my camera and slowly walked across the parking lot, just taking in the beauty of nature spread out before me. In the center of the overlook is a pair of commercial binoculars. When I was a kid, I remember seeing such devices on the tops of high places, like Granddad's Bluff or the top of the Empire State Building. Those were usually a quarter for a pretty short look. Not here, these remarkable optical devices are free - and they are really high resolution. I looked into one and saw a guy in a fishing boat, pulling away from the dock. I looked over the top of the unit and all I saw was Canadaigua Lake. What boat? Looking back in the viewer - oh, THAT boat! Oops, he's gone out of the view now. Did I mention there are two viewers? One is mounted a bit lower for the little people in your group. I sat on ledge and inhaled the view. I also got to do some people watching, as other people were equally overwhelmed with what they were seeing. Lots of selfies being taken (me, too, I admit it) along with another photographer trying to get the best panorama shot. This is truly someplace special. I hope I can come back sometime and see it when the hills are green.