Wayne County Trails

Black Brook Park on the Enlarged Erie Canal
Location: West of the Village of Clyde on Old Route 31. Parking at Lock Berlin Park, Peters Road or Black Brook Park, off Old Route 31 Hiking Time/Distance: @2.75 Miles Linear, 5.5 miles round trip. Features: One of the "Fifteen Miles on the Erie Canal" trails. A historic site of the Enlarged Erie Canal on over 20 acres. Wooded trail parallels Clinton's Ditch and the Enlarged Erie Canal, crossing old foundations and locks.

Bicentennial Trail
Location: In Pultneyville, off Lake Road. Onto Maken Road. Parking at the Water Treatment Facility. Hiking Time: Varying time allowed. Difficulty: Gentle trail, some boardwalks. Accessible to walkers, bikes, equestrian. Features: Wooded area with added pond loop.

Canandaigua Road, Dolomite Trail
Location: Parking is off Canandaigua Road, South of Atlantic Avenue and opposite the Walworth Town Barns, near Freewill Elementary School. Hiking Time/Distance: approximately 1.6 miles. Features: Trail begins through Pampas grass marsh and meets up with game trail on a ridge overlooking neighboring farms. Descend the ridge, and head south before turning back uphill via pine trees. Rejoin main route and continue south-west to loop at end of property. Enter wetlands following path to marsh pond observation deck (to be added). Return to parking lot via winding wooded area.

Casey Park Ore Bed
Location: Parking is available at Casey Park off Knickerbocker Road, north of Route 104 in Ontario. Hiking Time / Distance: approx. 2 miles. Hiking times will vary. Difficulty: South side of trail is a wide dirt path, but north side of trail traverses a narrow ridge. Care must be taken (no bicycles). Features: The abandoned iron ore bed is a narrow waterway. Hiking along the southern shore begins at the swimming area. The wide path is packed dirt. At the west edge of the ore bed, the path narrows and climbs to return on the north shore, high on a narrow ridge.

Chimney Bluffs State Park Trail
Location: Main parking area is off Garner Road, Wolcott. Distance/ Hiking Time: 2+ miles. Top trail is about 1 mile and continues down on the beach to return to parking lot. Caution should be exercised when near the Bluffs edge. Features: Land and water clash at Chimney Bluffs, sculpting the most dramatic landscape on the Lake Ontario shore. You can experience massive earthen spires from above or along the lakeshore.

Enlarged Erie Canal, Lock 56
Location: Parking on County House Road. NW of Route 31 in Lyons Hiking Time/Distance: Linear 1.44 miles with a lot of history, so hiking time will vary with interest. Features: Enlarged Erie Canal Lock No. 56 (also called the Poor House Lock) is located in the Town of Lyons, Wayne County, N.Y., approximately 2.5 miles west of the village of Lyons, N.Y. It is a double-chamber lock, with the north chamber double-length. The eastern end of the trail features a working dry dock, winter home to the Colonial Belle and the Tugboat Urger.

Ganargua Creek Meadow Preserve
Location: From Route 31 in Macedon, turn south on Route 306 (Wayneport Road). Turn east onto Wilkinson Road. At the crest of the hill turn south onto Bunker Hill Drive. Follow Bunker Hill Drive to the end and park in the gravel area adjacent to the water tower. The trail into the preserve starts at that point. (Trail development in progress.) Property can be very wet in the spring. Dress for poison ivy. Distance/ Hiking Time: West Side (Bunker Hill Drive Trailhead): loop approx. 1 mile, with various spur trails throughout the meadow. East Side (Victor Road Trailhead): 0.76 miles. Features: This preserve, donated to the Genesee Land Trust in 1966 by the Kesselring Family, is made up of an upland area of hardwoods, wildflowers and shrubs, the winding Ganargua Creek crossing a broad floodplain, and an open meadow where food and cover for birds and other animals is abundant. There is exceptional butterfly habitat in the meadow.

Historic Village of Lyons
Location: Where NYS Routes 31 and 14 meet in the village, south of the Canal. Parking available. Hiking Time/Distance: approx. 1½ miles 1 hour or more depending on stops at buildings and museums. Difficulty: Easy walking paths and sidewalks. Features: Canal Locks, historic buildings/museums, parks, and murals of historic Lyons.

Huckleberry Swamp
Location: Huckleberry Swamp is located outside the village of North Rose. From Route 104, turn south on Brick Schoolhouse Road. Take Brick Schoolhouse Road until it ends at Catchpole Road then turn right. Huckleberry Swamp is just ahead on the left. Hiking Time: 1 hour or more depending on stops. Note: Closed on Mondays and winters. Difficulty: Easy with some boardwalks. Limited to hiking only. Features: 79 acres of diverse, high quality wetlands for bird and wildlife habitat conservation. A wildlife observation deck and boardwalk meanders through a variety of wetland habitats including emergent marsh, Green Ash Wetland, and Red Maple Wetland. Huckleberry Swamp provides significant functions including storm water retention, groundwater recharge, wildlife habitat, and possibly rare plant habitat. Springtime heron rookery.

Kraai Preserve
Location: Route 88 north of Newark. Turn east on Mud Mills Road. Turn north on Welcher Road, Norsen Road. Left at bend of Welcher Road. Trailhead is at dead end of Norsen Road. In Newark. Distance/ Hiking Time: 0.7 miles. Features: The Kraai Preserve trail offers a beautiful walk through native woodland and through a large variety of native wildflowers in the spring. The trail winds through the woodland parallel to Ganargua Creek and, at several points throughout the trail, offers overlooks on the stream bank itself. The property directly west of the Preserve can also be seen at various spots along the trail - this property is leased by Peacework Organic Farm - which adds beautiful farmland vistas to the walk.

Lockville, Newark
Location: Access is on North Clinton Street. In the Village of Newark. The trail runs between N. Clinton and Lyons Street, just north of Route 31 and south of the present Erie Canal. Hiking Time/Distance: 1/4 mile. Features: Path winds besides and through structures of Old Enlarged Erie Locks 58 and 59. At the time of this printing, a Peregrine Falcon is nesting in the "Lockville" area. He can sometimes be seen perched in a tree, checking the menu around the Clinton Street bridge. Sometimes soaring around to grab a quick lunch. He needs to be protected, ie. Left alone, viewed and enjoyed from afar.

Montezuma Audubon Trail
Location: From the intersection of Route 89 and 31 in the hamlet of Savannah, take Route 89 north approximately 2 miles. The Montezuma Audubon Center is on the left. Parking is available in the lot. The trail system starts at the north end of the Center. Hiking Distance/Time: 1 mile. Features: The Warbler Loop Walk begins at the Montezuma Audubon Center and passes by an observation platform that overlooks a restored marsh where you can often see raptors such as red-tailed hawks and osprey, red-winged blackbirds and swallows. The path takes hikers through a diverse forest of hemlock, aspen and maple and then winds through grasslands, home to Northern Harriers and Savannah Sparrows.

Palmyra Wetland Nature Trail
Location: On Maple Avenue, ¼ mile north of the "Four Church" corner in the center of the Village of Palmyra. Hiking Time/Distance: One mile, connected to Erie Canalway Trail, for up to 12 miles in Town of Palmyra. One hour or more, depending on time at points of interest. Difficulty: Gentle trail, with some narrow points. Features: Rich in both natural and historical interest. Wetlands formed in excavations of the original Erie Canal. Self-guiding Trail Booklet describes flora and fauna at each of 14 sites along the trail. Good for interest in hiking, birding, jogging, mountain biking, and history of Erie Canal. Easy access to Aqueduct Park, Aldrich Change Bridge and Lock 29.

Sherburne Road Nature Trail
Difficulty: Easy. Features: Birding, observation deck, wetlands, various plants and trees to identify, and snake boards.

Sodus-Wallington Rail Trail
Location: Trail access is North from Route 104 at Geneva Road. Hiking Time/Distance: 3 mile Linear Trail, 6 mile round trip. Time will vary. Difficulty: Easy - suitable for hiking, skiing or bikes; motorized atvs and snowmobiles welcome. A wonderful multi-use trail. Features: Abandoned rail bed follows wooded path to the village of Sodus Point and the abandoned round house. Access to Sodus Point Business area at north end of trail.

Town Loop Trail
Location: Marker is located adjacent to map in Town Park off Eddy Road. Trail can also be accessed from Route 104, by Sundaze or at the Town Hall/Library Complex on Route 21. Hiking Time/Distance: 4.2 miles - Time to hike varies. Difficulty: A few steep hills - with great views. Much is easy walking. Features: The loop traverses woods, fields, and village streets. There are wonderful views of Lake Ontario on a clear day and rolling farmlands from the top of "Herbert.s Hill". Access to town, services, and restaurants is available at several points.