Unique Feature: Nature Preserve
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Bishop Nature Preserve
Location: Waterloo, NY This Finger Lakes Land Trust nature preserve is located 50 minutes southeast of Rochester, NY near the top of Seneca Lake. There are several short trails at the preserve. The packed stone yellow trail is stroller and bicycle friendly and connects to the Cayuga-Seneca Canal Trail. The blue and red trails are… 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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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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Cornwall Preserve – Cass Meadow Trail
Location: Williamson, NY This Genesee Land Trust nature preserve is located 30 minutes east of Rochester, NY on the shore of Lake Ontario. We parked at the trailhead on Lake Road and walked about 0.4 mile on the Cass Meadow Trail to the Lake Bluff Trail and enjoyed beautiful views of the lake and informational… Read more
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Erie Canal Nature Preserve – Frog Pond Trail
Location: Pittsford, NY This nature preserve branches off of the Erie Canal east of Rochester, NY. The path is stone dust with short boardwalks. The Frog Pond Trail is 0.35 miles from the canal path to the end where it meets up with the Auburn Trail. The trail passes by a forested meadow, wetlands, frog… Read more
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Eva & Harlan Braman Preserve
Location: Webster, NY This Genesee Land Trust nature preserve is located 15 minutes east of Rochester, NY! We visited this trail on a gloomy November day, and even in those conditions it was very peaceful and pretty. I imagine in the spring and summer it is full of flowers, pollinators, birds and other wildlife. This… 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 Field 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. This preserve has an old-growth forest, a field, and a… 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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Gosnell Big Woods Preserve – Meadow 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 Meadow Trail is a 1/2 mile (round trip) loop… Read more
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Hipp Brook Preserve – Wild Iris Path
Location: Penfield, NY This Genesee Land Trust nature preserve is located 15 minutes east of Rochester, NY. This was a really nice wooded path and wetland walk. The path was compacted soil, mulch, and boardwalk. There is no parking lot as this nature area is in a neighborhood setting. We parked on the shoulder of… Read more
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Maguire Family Wildlife Sanctuary
Location: Ontario, NY This Genesee Land Trust wildlife sanctuary is located 30 minutes east of Rochester, NY. It is a short, half mile loop hike through woodlands and wetlands with beautiful creek views. There is a small stream crossing at the beginning, but it was pretty easy to hop on the rocks (not sure if… Read more
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Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve – Boardwalk
Location: Depew, NY This wonderful nature preserve is located a little over an hour west of Rochester, NY. Brick paths lead to a network of trails and a woodchip path to a natural log play area. There is a short (less than 0.1 mile), accessible boardwalk trail that starts near the main entrance. The end… Read more
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Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve – Lily Pond Loop
Location: Depew, NY This wonderful nature preserve is located a little over an hour west of Rochester, NY. Brick paths lead to a network of trails and a woodchip path to a natural log play area. This 0.3 mile flat path over crushed stone and mowed grass circles Lily Pond. The trail has views of… Read more
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Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve – Play Area
Location: Depew, NY This wonderful nature preserve is located a little over an hour west of Rochester, NY. Brick paths lead to a network of trails and a woodchip path to a natural log play area. The play area had some benches, a tiny wood bridge, logs, stumps, and fire pit. The nature preserve entrance… Read more
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Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve – State Symbols Trail
Location: Depew, NY This wonderful nature preserve is located a little over an hour west of Rochester, NY. Brick paths lead to a network of trails and a woodchip path to a natural log play area. The State Symbols Trail is a 0.1 mile flat stone dust path but can only be reached by hiking… 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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Saunders Finger Lakes Museum – Townsend-Grady Wildlife Preserve
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 Townsend-Grady Wildlife Preserve. The Sugar Creek Trail goes from a grassy parking… 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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Thousand Acre Swamp
Location: Penfield, NY This trail is located 15 minutes east of Rochester, NY. We hiked along the 0.4 mile main trail (Founders Way) and also checked out the 0.2 mile Boardwalk Loop. The boardwalks through marshlands were absolutely beautiful with some benches to stop and enjoy the scenery and wildlife. The trails continue to Way… Read more