Nature & hikes
Open regularly · Rochester
Rochester Heritage Trail
A self-guided downtown walking route marked with plaques at historic sites, a free way to explore the city with school-age kids.
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26 picks · Updated October 26, 2026
Family Hikes and Nature in Rochester
Where are good family hikes near Rochester? Start with Rochester Heritage Trail, Genesee Riverway Trail or High Falls & Pont de Rennes Bridge. Short trails with a payoff: waterfalls, gorges, birds that eat from your hand, and nature centers with easy loops for little legs.
Written by the ROC Kids Activities team. Listings checked weekly.
Nature & hikes
Nature & hikes
Open regularly · Rochester
Genesee Riverway Trail
A mostly paved bike path that follows the Genesee River through the city, linking parks, waterfalls and the lake so families can pick a short stretch to ride.
Nature & hikes
Open regularly · Rochester
High Falls & Pont de Rennes Bridge
Stroll out onto a pedestrian bridge high above the Genesee for a close look at a 96-foot waterfall right downtown; it's flat and easy with a stroller.
Nature & hikes
Open regularly · Rochester
Lower Falls Park
Overlooks and a footbridge give dramatic views of the Lower Falls and the deep Genesee gorge right inside the city; a short walk with a big payoff.
Nature & hikes
Open regularly · Rochester
Tryon Park
A mostly undeveloped wooded park with steep, rooty trails down to Irondequoit Creek marshes; a good first 'real hike' for school-age kids.
Nature & hikes
Open regularly · Brighton
Corbett's Glen Nature Park
Walk through an old stone tunnel under the railroad tracks to find a small waterfall on Allen Creek, where kids love to wade and skip stones.
Nature & hikes
Open regularly · Irondequoit
Helmer Nature Center
A small, school-district-run nature center with woodland trails and a pond, plus seasonal family programs like maple sugaring and owl walks.
Nature & hikes
Open regularly · Rochester
Turning Point Park
A long boardwalk floats along the Genesee River past wetlands and boats; flat and paved for bikes and strollers, with herons and turtles to spot.
Nature & hikes
Open regularly · Pittsford
Erie Canal Trail at Schoen Place
Ride bikes or push a stroller along the flat canal towpath, watch boats pass and stop for ice cream at the canal-side shops in Pittsford village.
Nature & hikes
Open regularly · Henrietta
Hansen Nature Center at Tinker Nature Park
A flat loop with a boardwalk through woods and wetlands, plus a small nature center with live critters and seasonal kids' programs.
Nature & hikes
Open regularly · Webster
Gosnell Big Woods Preserve
A 165-acre Webster preserve with old-growth woods, wetlands and dirt trails; no restrooms.
Nature & hikes
Open regularly · Mendon
Birdsong Trail & Wild Wings (Mendon Ponds)
Bring birdseed: chickadees will land right on kids' hands along this short trail, which also has fairy houses tucked among the trees, and the rescued raptors at Wild Wings are next to the trailhead.
Nature & hikes
Open regularly · Penfield
Thousand Acre Swamp Sanctuary
A big wetland sanctuary in Penfield with boardwalks and dirt paths; muddy in spring and fall.
Nature & hikes
Open regularly · Perinton
Erie Canal Trail at Fairport Lift Bridge
Kids watch Fairport's oddly angled lift bridge rise for boats, then bike the towpath in either direction from the village.
Nature & hikes
Open regularly · Henrietta
Lehigh Valley Trail
A flat former railroad bed through woods and farmland in southern Monroe County; good for bikes in warm months and cross-country skis or snowshoes in winter.
Nature & hikes
Open regularly · Spencerport
Erie Canal Trail at Spencerport Depot
A quieter stretch of towpath beside Spencerport's restored trolley depot and lift bridge; good for a young rider's first longer bike ride.
Nature & hikes
Open regularly · Perinton
Rochester, Syracuse & Eastern Trolley Trail
A flat, roughly 8-mile path on an old trolley line in Perinton that families can walk out-and-back at any length.
Nature & hikes
Open regularly · Webster
Webster Arboretum (Kent Park)
Short garden paths, a pond and a whimsical fairy garden make this volunteer-run arboretum a gentle outing for preschoolers.
Nature & hikes
Open regularly · Greece
Braddock Bay Park & Hawk Lookout
In spring thousands of hawks funnel along the lakeshore here; kids can watch from the hawk lookout platform and walk marsh boardwalks to look for owls and herons.
Nature & hikes
Open regularly · Webster
Four Mile Creek Preserve
A hilly Webster preserve with a creek, an overlook and old abandoned cars along the trail.
Nature & hikes
Open regularly · Victor
Victor Hiking Trails
A network of volunteer-maintained trails through Victor's parks and preserves with many short family-friendly loops.
Nature & hikes
Open regularly · Victor
Ganondagan State Historic Site
Walk trails across the site of a 17th-century Seneca town and step inside a full-size replica bark longhouse, then learn more at the Seneca Art & Culture Center.
Nature & hikes
Open regularly · Holley
Holley Canal Falls
A small waterfall in a village park in Holley, about 35 minutes west of the city, popular for photos and picnics.
Nature & hikes
Open regularly · Naples
Cumming Nature Center (RMSC)
The Rochester Museum & Science Center's forest preserve, with themed trails, a beaver pond and a pioneer homestead; in winter families rent snowshoes or skis right on site.
Nature & hikes
Open regularly · Dansville
Stony Brook State Park
About an hour south: a gorge trail with stone steps climbs past three waterfalls, and in summer kids swim in a dammed stream pool at the bottom.
Nature & hikes
Open regularly · Castile
Letchworth State Park
The 'Grand Canyon of the East' is a classic day trip: drive between overlooks to see three big waterfalls, hike gorge-rim trails, and come back in winter for snow tubing and snowshoeing.
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