GENESEE VALLEY GREENWAY:
ROCHESTER-HINSDALE, NEW YORK
-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-
Last Updated: October 13, 2021
Length: Genesee Valley Greenway: Rochester to Avon; 18 miles
Genesee Valley Greenway: Avon to Sonyea; 20.3 miles
Difficulty: Genesee Valley Greenway: Rochester to Avon; Easy. Flat, stone-dust rail trail. Northern 3 miles is paved.
Genesee Valley Greenway: Avon to Sonyea; Moderate. Flat, mix of packed cinders, gravel and mowed surface.
Directions:
To start from Genesee Valley Park; Northwest parking area in Rochester [Northern End]; From I-390 take exit 17 to Route 383. Head left (north) to Genesee St. Turn right down Genesee St. Parking lot entrance is on your left. Follow the paved trail south from the parking lot.
See Map Below for other multiple parking lots.
The Genesee Valley Greenway State Park is a 90-mile open space corridor that follows the route of the Genesee Valley Canal (1840-1878) and the Pennsylvania Railroad Rochester Branch (1882-1963) from the Erie Canalway Trail in Rochester's Genesee Valley Park to the Village of Cuba in Allegany County. The Greenway will eventually extend to Hinsdale in Cattaraugus County. At it's northern end in Rochester you can connect into the Genesee Riverway Trail , Erie Canalway Trail; Syracuse-Rochester and Erie Canalway Trail; Rochester-Buffalo . Just past Scottsville heading south you can connect to the Lehigh Valley Trail and west of Avon you'll connect to the Erie Attica Trail . For more information visit; GENESEE VALLEY GREENWAY .
Starting from Genesee Valley Park; Northwest (North of I-390 & Erie Canal & West side of Genesee River) in Rochester [Northern End]; Travel south out of the parking lot to the Genesee Valley Park; Genesee River Bridge where you'll find a Map Board. The Genesee Riverway Trail; West Side crosses here and the Erie Canalway Trail; Rochester-Buffalo starts here.
Note; If you cross the Genesee Valley Park; Genesee River Bridge it brings you to Genesee Valley Park; Northeast (North of I-390 & Erie Canal & East side of Genesee River) where the Erie Canalway Trail; Syracuse-Rochester heads right and the Genesee Riverway Trail; East Side heads left.
Turn right along the combined Erie Canalway Trail; Rochester-Buffalo & Genesee Riverway Trail; West and come to an intersection. This is the official start of the paved Genesee Valley Greenway Mile 0 according to the map. All three combined trails continue left crossing over the Erie Canal via a pedestrian bridge. Look right to spot an old RR bridge. Left to see the confluence of the Erie Canal and Genesee River. You then come to another intersection just below I-390 at 0.2 miles.
Note; The Erie Canalway Trail; Rochester-Buffalo continues right. The Genesee Riverway Trail; West Side continues straight.
The Genesee Valley Greenway veers right traveling underneath I-390. You follow an industrial corridor passing by a Fire Training Facility where you'll spot metal airplane fuselages and buildings before coming to a spur trail on your left at 0.9 miles and a Map Board. This is where the Genesee Riverway Trail; West Side leaves the river and ends here. Cross Weidner Rd and look right to spot the airport tower for the Greater Rochester Airport. As you travel under a power line look left to finally spot the Genesee River. The trail then turns off the rail bed out to Scottsville Rd at 2 miles. This is as far as I've checked out. A cross-light takes you over Scottsville Rd to a paved path that travels south along the road before heading into the woods. A bridge should take you over the Genesee River to Little Black Creek Park parking lot at 2.4 miles. You then exit the park out to Scottsville Rd and continue right along a paved trail south to the CSX Railroad tracks at 3 miles.
Note; As of July 2021 there is a short gap here. There is a dirt Power Line Trail that travels right below the RR tracks (not sure how easy it is to access). Future plans call for building a new trail west to the completed section that follows the old rail bed south from the active RR line.
Continue south on-road (wide shoulder) crossing over Black Creek to Ballantyne Rd (wide shoulder) and heading right. You'll pick up the Genesee Valley Greenway as it crosses the road at 3.7 miles.
Note; Heading right (north) the trail ends at the active RR tracks just shy of 0.5 miles.
Traveling south through thick woods the wide, stone-dust Genesee Valley Greenway crosses Brook Rd at 5.2 miles and follow a shaded corridor past farmers fields. Along this section should be the old Genesee Valley Canal Lock 2. Cross Morgan Rd at 7.3 miles before traveling underneath I-90. Cross Scottsville Rd (Caution No crosswalk) followed by Scottsville-West Henrietta Rd at 9 miles as you travel around . As you approach the Oatka Creek pedestrian bridge at 9.8 miles you'll pass by spur trail on your right.
Note; Right takes you along a boardwalk out to Canal St and Rochester St.
Cross a bridge over the creek and the trail is paved through Canawaugus Park parking lot in Scottsville. The wide, stone-dust trail continues south crossing Quaker Rd at 10.9 miles and intersecting the Lehigh Valley Trail at 12.6 miles at Wadsworth Junction.
Two old RR bridge piers located here along with an informational board and picnic tables. These old piers were part of the old 1891 Lehigh Valley Trestle, which was over 0.5 miles long with 38 piers. The trestle is long gone except for the section that crosses the Genesee River, which is why the trail descends down to the old RR bridge. Left leads to the old RR bridge which utilizes the under span, as the train would have traveled above you. This was the junction for the Rochester Branch of the Pennsylvania RR and Lehigh Valley RR. Before the railroads it was known as Cox Basin for the Genesee Valley Canal where boats were loaded and turned around.
Note; Right brings you to the western end of the Lehigh Valley Trail and the W River Road parking lot. Left takes you across an old RR bridge over the Genesee River heading east.
Continuing south you'll travel pass a marsh for Dugan Creek, cross a couple of farmers roads before coming to the intersection with the Erie Attica Trail at 17 miles. Continuing south cross Caledonia Avon Rd in Avon and Telephone Rd (Route 20 parking area) at 18 miles.
Note; Past here, as of 2021, the trail surface has not yet been improved and consists of a mix of packed cinders, gravel and mowed surface.
Continuing south, come alongside the Genesee River for a bit before crossing Fowlerville Rd at 21.2 miles. More views of the river along the southern section then northern section. Cross a culvert over Salt Creek at 24.8 miles and enter Piffard crossing Genesee St at 26.7 miles. Cross Chandler Rd at 27.3 miles where it appears you travel along remnants of the old canal? Pass a Map Board as you come to the Cuylerville parking lot in Cuylerville at 30.4 miles. Cross a bridge over Beards Creek before crossing Jones Bridge Rd and another bridge before Perry Rd at 31.9 miles.
Note; At 32.7 miles I believe there is a short on-road detour along River St to bypass some RR tracks ahead.
Cross Mt Morris Rd and pass by the
Mt Morris Road parking lot before crossing a bridge over the Genesee
River. Look left to spot a spillway. Cross Sickles St followed by N Main St
as you enter Mt Morris. Cross E State St and you'll come to the Mt Morris
parking lot at 34.3 miles. Cross Erie St and travel through Mt
Morris Veterans Park and across Allens Brook. Site of former Aqueduct. Cross Connor Ave as the trail parallels Route 36 out of Mt Morris.
The trail enters Sonyea and utilizes Groveland
Correctional Facility property (Stay on Trail -No
Photography). This section bypasses the old
rail bed and canal which is located on prison property. At 38.3 miles cross Route 36 to Craig Dr.
This is the start of a long on-road portion. See Map for on-road route. Southern
Sections are more a mix of off-road and on-road.
HH
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