ONTARIO PATHWAYS RAIL TRAIL:
CANANDAIGUA-STANLEY-PHELPS, NEW YORK
-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-
Last Updated: August 1, 2016
Length: Canandaigua-Stanley Leg; 11.9 miles
Stanley-Phelps Leg; 10.1 miles. Short stand alone section; 2.5 miles
Difficulty: Moderate. Flat cinder, dirt & grass, gravel rail trail. [Easy 0.5 mile stone-dust section in Canandaigua]
Directions:
To Start from Canandaigua (Western end); From I-90 take exit 43 to Route 21 and head right (south). Travel 7.3 miles to Canandaigua and turn left on Main St. Take your third left on Niagara St where you'll find a municipal parking lot on your left before Pleasant St.
To Start from the Stanley junction parking lot (Southeastern end); From Geneva take Route 20 west to Route 14A south which becomes Routes 14A/245. Bear right on Route 245 and follow for 3.2 miles. Turn right on Lehigh St and at the sharp curve the parking lot is straight ahead.
The Canandaigua-Stanley Leg follows the rail bed of the old Canandaigua & Elmira RR. The Stanley-Phelps Leg follows the rail bed of the old Sodus Point & Southern RR. In 1884 both lines were part of the old Northern Central RR. For more information visit; ONTARIO PATHWAYS .
Starting from Canandaigua; The trail begins from Main St across from City Hall and next to Ontario County Park. Scenic downtown has a bike lane along Main St. Locomotive sculpture along with an informational board located here. The stone-dust Canandaigua-Stanley Leg of the Ontario Pathways Rail Trail travels east alongside some RR tracks. Pass by the Niagara Street parking lot and come to Pleasant St. Left appears to be an old RR Depot? Head right across the RR tracks to rejoin the trail as it travels along the other side of the tracks. Cross Ontario St at 0.5 miles where the trail turns to hard packed dirt, grass and cinder. Pass by the Ontario Street parking lot at 0.6 miles. Map board located here. Pass by a 0/23 Mile Marker (old starting point?). Cross East St at 0.9 miles. I haven't checked out this section. Cross Ontario St (Caution no crosswalks along this trail) and travel back up to the rail bed to an old RR bridge over Flint Creek at 1.9 miles. The trail follows a shaded corridor past farmers fields. Cross Route 10 then Route 46 at 3 miles, Smith Rd at 4 miles and Freshour Rd at 5 miles. Cross Route 47 at 6.5 miles, Spangle St at 7.6 miles and an old RR bridge over Route 5 at 8.4 miles. Cross Goose St at 10 miles followed by Charlton Rd before crossing an old narrow RR bridge high above Flint Creek at 10.7 miles. Cross Old Mill Rd and Flint Rd before coming to the Stanley Junction parking lot at 11.9 miles. Map board located here in a small pavilion.
Stanley was referred to as the Five Point Star because it was a major RR exchange. Five RR Lines branched out in different directions. The Canandaigua & Elmira RR, Canandaigua & Corning RR, Ontario & Southern RR, Genevieve, Seneca Falls & Waterloo RR and the Middlesex Valley RR.
The hard packed dirt and grass Stanley-Phelps Leg of the Ontario Pathways Rail Trail does a U-turn and heads north crossing Short Rd and Rilands Rd before coming to Flint Rd at 13.2 miles. You'll need to travel a short distance on-road north to pick up the trail on your left. The trail briefly follows Flint Creek before crossing an old RR bridge over Route 5/20 at 14.2 miles. Cross over Flint Creek and come to Vogt Rd at 15.4 miles. Cross Ferguson Rd and it appears you utilize a farmers road out to Route 4 at 16.8 miles. You'll come alongside Flint Creek again before crossing Route 23 at 18.5 miles. I believe you follow Railroad Ave (low volume) north passing by a wooden water tower to Route 488. Head right on-road and It appears you'll pick up the trail on your right at 19 miles. Cross Wheat Rd and Griffith Rd before crossing Flint Creek and coming to the Route 96 parking lot at 22 miles. There's a large gap in the trail north of here separated by I-90.
Starting from Gifford Road; The trail continues north along the old rail bed turning out to Sweed Rd after 2.5 miles.
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