Natural Feature: Wildflowers
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Alden Town Park – Joe Panza Nature Trail
Location: Alden, NY This nature trail is located a bit over 1 hour west of Rochester, NY outside of Buffalo. The entire loop trail was around 1.5 miles and starts from the Alden Town Park Loop. The path was a mix of gravel and dirt and would not be considered very stroller friendly. The trail… Read more
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Audubon Community Nature Center – Outdoor Areas
Location: Jamestown, NY This nature center is located 2.5 hours southwest of Rochester, NY and 1.5 hours south of Buffalo, NY. There are several hiking trails as well as hands-on activities inside of the nature center. There are also some beautiful spots to visit just outside of the nature center building, including a birds of… Read more
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Bird Sanctuary Trail
Location: Webster, NY This trail is located at 20 minutes east of Rochester, NY. It can be accessed via the Chiyoda Trail from Webster First Responders Park or from Charles E Sexton Memorial Park (aka North Ponds Park). The trail itself is 0.8 miles long, but because it is accessed from other trails, it will… Read more
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Black Creek Park – Wetland Trail
Location: North Chili, NY This beautiful park is located 20 minutes west of Rochester, NY. We hiked the Wetland Trail which is a 2.1 mile one-way trail. We started near the Woodside Shelter, hiked down the wide pine tree lined path, and then followed the green trail markers. This trail can be combined with the… Read more
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Breese Park
Location: West Henrietta, NY We love this short, flat, stroller friendly trail located along the Genesee River 20 minutes southwest of Rochester, NY. The trail is a 1/2 mile stone dust loop with nature-themed play/exercise stations, informational signs, and musical instruments along the trail. There is also an exercise area for adults tucked in the… Read more
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Brookdale Preserve
Location: Chili, NY This Genesee Land Trust nature preserve is located 18 minutes southwest of Rochester, NY. According to their website, Brookdale Preserve ” contains wooded wetlands, an open wet-meadow, and hardwood uplands. The Preserve is home to a Floodplain forest which is a rare ecological community in New York State and one of the… Read more
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Buckland Park Outer Loop
Location: Brighton, NY This beautiful, grassy, flat path loops around a large field of goldenrod and other wild flowers. It branches off of the Buckland Park Loop near the Veterans Memorial, Historic Buckland House, and Community Garden. I did the smaller loop (about 1 mile) but there was a second loop as well that appears… Read more
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Butterfly Nature Trail at Macedon Canal Park
Location: Macedon, NY This unique trail located 25 minutes southeast of Rochester is considered a “Forever Wild for Everyone Trail”. Along this accessible, stone dust trail there are numerous things to look at including informational signs about birds and butterflies, gardens, fairy houses, benches, painted rocks, and some old relics and info about the history… Read more
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Canandaigua Vista Nature Preserve
Location: Canandaigua, NY NOTE: Canandaigua Vista Nature Preserve is open for hunting during appropriate seasons. Please use caution. This nature preserve is located 45 minutes south of Rochester, NY. There is a 1.2 mile loop with an optional 0.2 mile cut through path. When we visited, the loop was unable to be completed due to… Read more
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Fishers Park
Location: Victor, NY This park is located 25 minutes southeast of Rochester, NY. There are five miles of trails in the park that include wooded hillsides, wetland areas, and trails along Irondequoit Creek. There are many small wooden bridges. At the entrance on Main Street there is a picnic area along the creek and porta… Read more
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Ganargua Creek Meadow Preserve
Location: Macedon, NY This beautiful nature preserve has so much to offer! Wooded paths, creek views, and wildflower meadows full of butterflies make this trail great in every season. We visited this lovely nature preserve to look for wildflowers and we found a ton as well as many bumblebees and butterflies! We parked at the… Read more
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Gosnell Big Woods Preserve – Big Woods Trail
Location: Webster, NY NOTE: Gosnell Big Woods Preserve is open for hunting during the appropriate season. Read all posted signs and follow safety precautions during hunting season. This beautiful nature preserve is located 15 minutes east of Rochester, NY near the shore of Lake Ontario. The Big Woods Trail is a 0.7-mile round trip out… Read more
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Harris Whalen Park
Location: Penfield, NY This park is located 15 minutes east of Rochester, NY. We started at the playground that had a few older metal structures and a more modern structure with slides and a bridge. We then hiked along the winding network of short trails through the woods. The full loop consisting of the East… Read more
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Irene Gossin Nature Preserve
Location: Penfield, NY This beautiful Genesee Land Trust nature preserve is located 15 minutes east of Rochester, NY. This is such a lovely spot to walk and hike! There is a small gravel parking lot right in front of the preserve or you can park across the street at Rothfuss Park and walk over. The… Read more
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Ithaca Children’s Garden
Location: Ithaca, NY This is a magical and wonderful place to walk around in Ithaca, located 1.5 hours southeast of Rochester. There is so much to do! There is a giant turtle you can walk on, multiple gardens, a play area, story walk, music garden, troll house, playground, and so much more! Important Info from… Read more
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Kraai Preserve
Location: Arcadia, NY This nature preserve is located 45 minutes east of Rochester, NY. I visited in late April and the spring ephemerals were absolutely beautiful. I started by making a quick left and walked a short way down the path to the field of virginia bluebells. I then returned to the trailhead to do… Read more
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Labrador Hollow Unique Area – Boardwalk Trail
Location: Tully, NY This trail is located south of Syracuse – just about 2 hour east of Rochester, NY. This nature area is located in the middle of a valley that was dug out by glacial movement around ten thousand years ago. This accessible and stroller-friendly trail is a 0.4 mile loop boardwalk with views… Read more
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Lime Hollow Nature Center – Eric Kroot Art Trail
Location: Cortland, NY Note: There is hunting allowed at Lime Hollow Nature Center. Do your research before visiting these hiking trails and take safety precautions. This 0.32 mile trail is “accessible to wheelchairs during most times of the year, and to strollers and people with mobility challenges throughout the year.” It’s a beautiful flat trail… Read more
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Lime Hollow Nature Center – Trail for All
Location: Cortland, NY Note: There is hunting allowed at Lime Hollow Nature Center. Do your research before visiting these hiking trails and take safety precautions. This 0.25 mile, flat accessible trail is located near the beautiful log cabin visitor center which had accessible parking spots, a ramp, a covered bridge, benches, and restrooms. The trail… Read more
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Meridian Centre Park
Location: Brighton, NY This lovely park is tucked behind some office buildings 12 minutes south of Rochester, NY. This park contains meadows, wetlands, and forest areas. There is a nice playground near the parking area with a few paths to take. The paved paths around the park are stroller friendly and accessible. When the trail… Read more
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Oatka Creek Park – Bluebird Trail
Location: Scottsville (Wheatland), NY Oatka Creek Park is located 30 minutes south west of Rochester, NY. The Bluebird Trail follows the blue trail markers and connects the green/black trails and the white trail. The Bluebird Trail has some grass, bumps, and hills and I would not consider it stroller friendly. The trail goes through some… Read more
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Oatka Creek Park – Woodland Trail
Location: Scottsville, NY Oatka Creek Park is located 30 minutes south west of Rochester, NY. The Woodland Trail follows the yellow trail markers and goes alongside Oatka Creek. The trail itself is 0.82 miles long but needs to be combined with other trails so the total mileage will be longer. The quickest access is from… Read more
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Royalton Ravine Park
Location: Gasport, NY This beautiful park is located 1 hour west of Rochester, NY. The park starts with a pavilions, restrooms, grassy fields, and a beautiful pond. There is an opening through the trees beyond the pond that leads to wooded trails. Along the trails are a suspension bridge, a wildflower meadow, a small waterfall… Read more
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Rush Oak Openings Unique Area
Location: Rush, NY NOTE: Rush Oak Openings Unique Area is open for hunting during appropriate season. This park is located 20 minutes south of Rochester, NY. The 230-acre park features a rare plant community commonly called an “oak opening” or “oak savanna”. Rush Oak Openings is the only known intact oak opening left in New… Read more
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Salmon Creek Nature Preserve
Location: Hilton, NY This Genesee Land Trust nature preserve is located 25 minutes northwest of Rochester, NY. This preserve opened in 2022 and is adjacent to the Braddock Bay Wildlife Management Area. The preserve is located along Salmon Creek and contains a small pond. There are wooden benches and an accessible observation deck. This is… Read more
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Sanctuary at Crowfield Farm
Location: Arcadia, NY NOTE: The Sanctuary is closed to hikers during hunting season. This beautiful nature trail is located 45 minutes east of Rochester, NY. While there are 1.6 miles of trails, we only did a short section of them. There was a grassy road down to a trailhead sign and a porta potty. I… Read more
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Saunders Finger Lakes Museum – Izaak Walton League Verdi Burtch Wildlife Sanctuary
Location: Branchport, NY The Saunders Finger Lakes Museum is located 1 hour southeast of Rochester, NY. There are nature trails, a kayak launch, StoryWalk, and a natural playscape. Other exhibits are currently under construction. Across the road from the Creekside Center is the Verdi Burtch Wildlife Sanctuary maintained by the Izaak Walton League. There is… Read more
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Sibleyville Nature Reserve
Location: Mendon / Honeoye Falls, NY This nature reserve is located 30 minutes south of Rochester, NY. There are meadows and wildflowers, beautiful wooded areas, creek access, and a prominent drumlin with wonderful views over the area. There is a trailhead at the end of Gravel Ln (it’s a large cul-de-sac) and a gravel parking… Read more
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State Road Nature Preserve
Location: Webster, NY This nature preserve is located 20 minutes east of Rochester, NY. This 84-acre preserve was created in 2019. The area consists of second growth forest, wetlands, meadows, ponds, and Four Mile Creek. We parked in the lot off of State Road and hikes the 1.1 mile Red Trail loop. It started in… Read more
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Sterling Nature Center – Eagle’s View Trail
Location: Sterling, NY This nature park is located 1.25 hours east of Rochester, NY along the shore of Lake Ontario. This hike leads to the most beautiful view of bluffs high above Lake Ontario. We parked at the end of McIntyre Road and walked the path a quarter mile to the “eagle’s view” of Lake… Read more
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Sterling Nature Center – Lakeview Trail
Location: Sterling, NY This nature park is located 1.25 hours east of Rochester, NY along the shore of Lake Ontario. The Lakeview Trail is a short, accessible stone dust path that leads from the interpretive center down to an observation deck looking out over Lake Ontario. There is also a wildflower meadow with benches. The… Read more
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Tinker Nature Park – Grounds
Location: Henrietta, NY This park is located 15 minutes south of Rochester, NY. If you park in the main parking lot, you can find some really nice spots. There are the Demonstration Gardens, beautiful wildflower meadows with benches and picnic tables, honeybee house, memorial labyrinth, Hansen Nature Center, and the Tinker Homestead and Farm Museum.… Read more
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Tinker Nature Park – Woodland Trail
Location: Pittsford, NY This is a beautiful park located 15 minutes south of Rochester, NY. The woodland trail is the outer loop, shown in the map below. The loop is 1.2 miles via the exercise path or 0.78 miles long if you take the cut through path along the boardwalk next to the pond. The… Read more
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Trillium Nature Center – Fox Trail & Hawk Watch
Location: North Java, NY This Buffalo Audubon Society nature center (formerly Beaver Meadows Nature Center) is located 1.25 hours southwest of Rochester, NY and 40 minutes from Buffalo. The Fox Trail starts in the Arboretum. The path is grassy and goes through a beautiful wildflower meadow and passes small groves of evergreen trees. Branching off… Read more
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Trillium Nature Center – Grounds
Location: North Java, NY This Buffalo Audubon Society nature center (formerly Beaver Meadows Nature Center) is located 1.25 hours southwest of Rochester, NY and 40 minutes from Buffalo. The outdoor areas outside of the interpretive center are really beautiful. There are wildflower meadows in late summer, informational signs, gardens with a small pond, and a… Read more