PITTSFORD LOOP TRAIL:
PITTSFORD, NEW YORK
-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-
Last Updated: August 3, 2015
Length: Pittsford Loop Trail; 5.1 miles
Difficulty:
Auburn Trail; Easy. Flat
crushed gravel and stone-dust rail trail.
Lock
62 Trail; Moderate. Hard packed dirt & grass and crushed gravel tow path.
Erie
Canalway
Trail; Easy. Paved trail.
Directions:
Starting from Grove Street; From
the intersection of Routes 31 & 96 in Pittsford head north on Route 96
across the canal. Just past the turnoff for Route 153 turn left on Elm St, then
left on Grove St. You'll come to a parking lot on your right for a Professional
Park. Just past the first parking row to your left is the trailhead next to a
brick building.
The Pittsford Loop Trail starts off following the Auburn Trail North, which utilizes the rail bed of the former Auburn & Rochester Railroad, the first railroad east of Rochester. Active from 1840 to 1960, it was built to connect Auburn and Rochester by way of Seneca Falls, Geneva, and Canandaigua. It became part of the New York Central Railroad in 1853. From 1906-1931, the Rochester, Syracuse & Eastern Rapid Railroad ran a high-speed electric trolley from Rochester to Auburn parallel to the New York Central Railroad line.
Next it travels South along the Lock 62 Trail (part of the Old Erie Canal) This section of the canal opened as "Clinton's Ditch" in 1822, was enlarged in the 1850s, and closed in 1919 when the Old Erie Canal was expanded into the Barge Canal and was diverted south of Rochester.
Finally it Loops East
back along the Erie Canalway Trail. For more information visit; PITTSFORD
TRAILS , WALK BIKE
PITTSFIELD , Auburn Trail and Erie
Canalway
Trail; Syracuse-Rochester
.
Starting from the Grove Street parking lot; The narrow crushed gravel and grass Auburn Trail starts to the left of the brick storage building.
Note; Future plans call for connecting the trail south to other completed sections of the Auburn Trail in Pittsford, Victor, Farmington and one day Canandaigua, where you'll be able to access the Ontario Pathways Rail Trail .
Heading North the Auburn Trail follows the power line corridor. Isolated. Cross French Rd at 0.9 miles and you'll soon be traveling behind a commercial area on your left and a golf course on your right. The trail changes to stone-dust at 1.6 miles, then turns to dirt at 1.8 miles. This is the current end of the rail trail.
Note; The Auburn Trail is currently being extended north through Brighton another 1.9 miles to Highland Ave in 2021. Will be a stone-dust surface.
To access the next section you'll utilize a BIKE LANE. Head left
out to Monroe Ave, then right to a cross-light. Cross Monroe
Ave and follow the BIKE LANE south down Monroe Ave. Just past the Springhouse
Commons Plaza, turn right up a drive past The Bird House (#3035
Monroe Ave; Keep in
mind this business may change) and you'll come to a dirt and grass
trail at 2.2 miles. Green Pittsford Trail sign here. The isolated Lock
62 Trail follows the path of the Old
Erie Canal through the woods. Come to Lock
62 of the Old Erie Canal. Head left up a crushed gravel path,
then right to the top of the Lock. Continue straight along the old crushed
gravel, dirt & grass tow path. Pittsford Plaza to your left. Come to
the Canal Park parking lot and continue straight across French Rd at 2.9
miles.
Note; When I was here in August 2015 it looked like they were possibly creating a trail along the old canal up to Lock 62, but I'm not sure.
The trail continues south following a power line and the old canal. After 3.6 miles you come to the paved Erie Canalway Trail. The trail now Loops back east (left) utilizing the paved Erie Canalway Trail alongside the Erie Canal. The trail pulls away from the canal at 4 miles to bypass private property. You come to Brook Rd where you turn right to rejoin the trail alongside the canal.
Note; This section is closed M-F (6am-5pm) as it bisects private property. To bypass continue straight along Brook Rd, then right at the end of the road and you'll return to the Erie Canal.
Travel underneath Monroe Ave and then a RR trestle where you come to a Spur Trail on your left at 4.9 miles. Follow this through a parking lot, then turn left underneath a RR bridge past another parking lot and out to Grove St. Continue straight through the Professional Park parking lot to the trailhead on your left completing a Loop of 5.1 miles.
HH
CLICK HERE FOR PITTSFORD LOOP TRAIL MAP
CLICK HERE FOR PITTSFORD AREA TRAILS MAP
BEFORE YOU SET OUT BE SURE TO READ THE
WAIVER OF RESPONSIBILITY AND DISCLAIMER
BIKE IT OR HIKE IT