A season-by-season guide to

The Best Hike/Bike/Ski Trails
in Central & Western New York

By Sue Freeman, Footprint Press, author of Take a Hike, Take Your Bike!, and many other guides to the natural beauty of western New York State

Maps, directions to find the trailheads, information on length and difficulty, and everything you need to know about these trails to have a fun family adventure can be found in the various Footprint Press guidebooks. These books can be found in all local area bookstores, or from the Footprint Press online catalog.

Spring

1. Hike Braddock Bay Raptor Research Trail in Hilton where owls, hawks and songbirds rest before their long trip around Lake Ontario on their northward migration. (Take A Hike - Rochester, page 20)

2. Hike to Tinkers Falls in Truxton where you can walk behind a waterfall. (200 Waterfalls, page 318)

3. Hike the trail at Conesus Inlet at the south end of Conesus Lake from March to May to see northern pike and walleye up close as they head upstream to their spawning grounds. (Take A Hike - Finger Lakes, page 71)

4. Hike the trails at Royalton Ravine County Park in Gasport to cross an 80-foot suspension bridge over Eighteenmile Creek and view Royalton Falls. map. (200 Waterfalls, page 35)

5. Hike the Cayuga Trail along Fall Creek in Ithaca to view Triphammer, Forest, Foaming, and Rocky Falls. (200 Waterfalls, page 244)

6. Visit Sapsucker Woods, owned by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, to view birds through a telescope, listen to their songs through a hidden microphone, and hike the trails around a pond and through the woods. (Take A Hike - Finger Lakes, page 234)

7. Visit the daffodil field in spring bloom with a hike on the Daffodil Trail along Irondequoit Creek in Powder Mills Park, Bushnell's Basin. (Take A Hike - Rochester, page 123 and Snow Trails, page 90)

8. Go on a quest to find all 28 waterfalls in Letchworth State Park. (200 Waterfalls, page 68)

9. Step back in time with a bike adventure through Mt. Hope Cemetery in Rochester. (Take Your Bike - Rochester, page 68)

10. Delight in spring flowers with a hike on the trails at Webster Arboretum in Webster. (A free map is available at Footprintpress.com under Hiking Books, Take A Hike, Family Walks in the Rochester Area.) (Take A Hike - Rochester, page 187)

Summer

1. Bike the Genesee Valley Greenway from Rochester to Avon for a tree-shaded adventure on an abandoned canal towpath parallel to the Genesee River. (Take Your Bike - Rochester, pages 54 & 202 and Snow Trails, page 102)

2. Bike Keuka Lake Outlet Trail from Penn Yan to Dresden on the towpath of the old Crooked Lake Canal, passing remains of mills, factories, an old railroad, and two beautiful waterfalls. (Take A Hike - Finger Lakes, page 128 and Take Your Bike - Finger Lakes, page 129 and Snow Trails, page 126)

3. Creekwalk up Grimes Glen in Naples. Wear old sneakers and walk in the water to view spectacular waterfalls. (200 Waterfalls, page 155)

4. Hike Camillus Forest Unique Area in Camillus to learn what a botanist sees when they walk through an old-growth forest. (Take A Hike - Finger Lakes, page 211)

5. Hike and creekwalk in beautiful Zoar Valley in Gowanda where you'll find old growth forests and a wealth of waterfalls in a valley where two creeks meet. (200 Waterfalls, page 170)

6. Hike or bike Erie Canal Park in Camillus to see 3 versions of the historic Erie Canal, including the original Clinton's Ditch. (A free map is available at Footprintpress.com under Hiking Books, Take A Hike - Family Walks in the Finger Lakes & Genesee Valley Region.) (Take A Hike - Finger Lakes, page 217 and Take Your Bike - Finger Lakes, page 208)

7. Hike or bike the woods trails in Bear Swamp State Forest southwest of Skaneateles Lake and see if you can locate the highest point in Cayuga County. (Take A Hike - Finger Lakes, page 182 and Take Your Bike - Finger Lakes, page 181 and Snow Trails, page 174)

8. Hike up the Gorge Trail in Watkins Glen State Park to experience the power of water. (200 Waterfalls, page 287)

9. Go "au naturel" with a creekwalk in Chautauqua Creek to play in the water below Skinny Dip Falls in Westfield. (200 Waterfalls, page 164)

10. Touch pitcher plants and sphagnum moss on a hike at Moss Lake in Houghton. (Take A Hike - Finger Lakes, page 60)

Fall

1. Hike Quinn Oak Openings in Rush. In fall, the tall prairie grass waves in the breeze. Visit one of the few remaining oak openings where a Midwestern prairie is surrounded by an oak forest. (Take A Hike - Finger Lakes, page 81 and Snow Trails, page 84)

2. Hike or bike along the western shore of pristine Canadice Lake on the Canadice Lake Trail with views of hillsides ablaze in color. (Take Your Bike - Finger Lakes, page 111 and Snow Trails, page 110)

3. Hike the trails in Linear Park in Penfield. In fall you can watch salmon as they jump up the waterfalls in Irondequoit Creek to spawn. (Take A Hike - Rochester, page 162)

4. Hike at Mossy Bank Park in Bath for a panoramic view of the Cohocton River Valley from high on a cliff. (Snow Trails, page 134)

5. Bike the Erie Canalway Trail all the way from Buffalo to Palmyra, staying overnight at Bed & Breakfast Inns along the way. (Take Your Bike - Rochester, page 228)

6. Hike or Bike the trails of Genesee County Park in Bethany to enjoy the sights and sounds of nature. (A free map is available at www.footprintpress.com under Biking Books, Take Your Bike - Family Rides in the Finger Lakes & Genesee Valley Region.) (Take A Hike - Finger Lakes, page 45 and Take Your Bike - Finger Lakes, page 41 and Snow Trails page 56)

7. Take an aerobic hike on the trail that circles Conklin Gully in Naples. (Take A Hike - Finger Lakes, page 110 and 200 Waterfalls, page 202)

8. Head to the island - Howland Island near Port Byron, that is. This island is off limits to cars so the trails and gravel roads are a paradise for hikers and bikers. (Take Your Bike - Finger Lakes, page 194)

9. Explore a bog and farmland reverting to the wild with a hike at Urbana State Forest south of Prattsburgh. Pick up a free "nature trail guide" to explain sights along the way from the log box along the trail. (Take A Hike - Finger Lakes, page 120 and Snow Trails, page 178)

10. Join the fall migration of geese and ducks with a bike ride or hike at Iroquois National Wildlife refuge in Alabama, NY. (Take Your Bike - Finger Lakes, page 29 and Snow Trails, page 54)

Winter

1. Harriet Hollister Spencer Memorial State Recreation Area south of Honeoye Lake offers a groomed network of trails that sit at a high elevation so they almost always have snow, and it's free. (Snow Trails, page 116 and Take A Hike - Finger Lakes, page 104 and Take Your Bike - Finger Lakes, page 115)

2. Highland Forest in Fabius, Onondaga County, has 20 miles of groomed ski trails. (Snow Trails, page 200)

3. Go skiing or snowshoeing at night on the lit trails at Bryncliff Resort in Varysburg. (Snow Trails, page 62)

4. Hike or snowshoe to the top of Bare Hill on the west side of Canandaigua Lake for a panoramic view of the lake below. (Take A Hike - Finger Lakes, page 107)

5. Ski the 24 miles of groomed trails at Art Roscoe Cross-country Ski Area in Allegany State Park in Salamanca. (Snow Trails, page 28)

6. Explore the labyrinth of trails in Webster Park in Webster. (Snow Trails, page 76)

7. Ski the trails of James B. Kennedy State Forest in Virgil to the top of Virgil Mountain, the highest point in Cortland County. (Snow Trails, page 213 and Peak Experiences, page 61)

8. Rent snowshoes at Beaver Lake Nature Center in Baldwinsville, Genesee Country Nature Center in Mumford, Tifft Nature Preserve in Buffalo, Cumming Nature Center west of Canandaigua Lake, or Waterman Conservation Education Center in Alapachin and see why this sport is growing in popularity. (Snow Trails, pages 186, 88, 42, 112, 142.)

9. Trails for all levels of ability, covering 28 miles, await at Phillips Creek and Palmer's Pond State Forests in West Almond. (Snow Trails, page 130)

10. Ski, snowshoe or hike on a trail parallel to the mighty Niagara River at Buckhorn Island State Park on Grand Island. (A free map is available at Footprintpress.com under X-country Ski & Snowshoe Books, Snow Trails - Cross-country Ski & Snowshoe in central & Western New York.) (Snow Trails, page 48)