A season-by-season guide to

The Best Hike/Bike/Ski Trails
in Central & Western New York

By Sue Freeman, Footprint Press, author of Take a Hike, Take Your Bike!, and many other guides to the natural beauty of western New York State

Maps, directions to find the trailheads, information on length and difficulty, and everything you need to know about these trails to have a fun family adventure can be found in the various Footprint Press guidebooks. These books can be found in all local area bookstores, or from the Footprint Press online catalog.

Fall

1. Hike Quinn Oak Openings in Rush. In fall, the tall prairie grass waves in the breeze. Visit one of the few remaining oak openings where a Midwestern prairie is surrounded by an oak forest. (Take A Hike - Finger Lakes, page 81 and Snow Trails, page 84)

2. Hike or bike along the western shore of pristine Canadice Lake on the Canadice Lake Trail with views of hillsides ablaze in color. (Take Your Bike - Finger Lakes, page 111 and Snow Trails, page 110)

3. Hike the trails in Linear Park in Penfield. In fall you can watch salmon as they jump up the waterfalls in Irondequoit Creek to spawn. (Take A Hike - Rochester, page 162)

4. Hike at Mossy Bank Park in Bath for a panoramic view of the Cohocton River Valley from high on a cliff. (Snow Trails, page 134)

5. Bike the Erie Canalway Trail all the way from Buffalo to Palmyra, staying overnight at Bed & Breakfast Inns along the way. (Take Your Bike - Rochester, page 228)

6. Hike or Bike the trails of Genesee County Park in Bethany to enjoy the sights and sounds of nature. (A free map is available at www.footprintpress.com under Biking Books, Take Your Bike - Family Rides in the Finger Lakes & Genesee Valley Region.) (Take A Hike - Finger Lakes, page 45 and Take Your Bike - Finger Lakes, page 41 and Snow Trails page 56)

7. Take an aerobic hike on the trail that circles Conklin Gully in Naples. (Take A Hike - Finger Lakes, page 110 and 200 Waterfalls, page 202)

8. Head to the island - Howland Island near Port Byron, that is. This island is off limits to cars so the trails and gravel roads are a paradise for hikers and bikers. (Take Your Bike - Finger Lakes, page 194)

9. Explore a bog and farmland reverting to the wild with a hike at Urbana State Forest south of Prattsburgh. Pick up a free "nature trail guide" to explain sights along the way from the log box along the trail. (Take A Hike - Finger Lakes, page 120 and Snow Trails, page 178)

10. Join the fall migration of geese and ducks with a bike ride or hike at Iroquois National Wildlife refuge in Alabama, NY. (Take Your Bike - Finger Lakes, page 29 and Snow Trails, page 54)