10 Spring hikes to take with the family in central and western New York State
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)