Grimes Glen is a beautiful spot just south of Rochester with not one, but two absolutely gorgeous waterfalls. While Grimes Glen is a hidden gem to most New Yorkers, it is a treasured and well-visited spot to most people in communities south of Rochester. The Glen is located in the Village of Naples at the end of Vine Street.
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Hiking Grimes Glen
Grimes Glen is a hike you want to take on a warm day. There is a trail that runs along the shore, and doesn’t run the length of the glen. In order to get near the waterfalls, you will have to get wet. This can be chilly and uncomfortable if you attempt this on a cool day. The pools surrounding the waterfalls are somewhat deep. Therefore, this hike should be made by children of a minimum age of 4 years old, unless you are utilizing a frame pack.
There are signs at the glen that proclaim swimming and wading illegal, but that doesn’t seem to stop the hords of people who visit just to cool off in the numerous pools throughout the creek.
Most of the hike is shaded, so be sure to wear bug spray to ward off the mosquitoes.
Waterfalls at Grimes Glen
Many people hike up the creek through the water. This is fun to do on a hot day. Be warned, Grimes Glen is popular, and many other people might have the same idea. Grimes Glen has a very attractive feature, a waterfall pool, making it a popular hot weather attraction. The pool is located at the second waterfall, although there are several deep creek pools as well. I recommend getting to Grimes Glen as early in the day as possible, otherwise it can get pretty crowded.
Both waterfalls here are both large and impressive. If you are just chasing waterfalls, without the intension of taking a dip, you are still in for a treat! The first waterfall can be reached pretty much without having to get your feet wet. It is the second waterfall that is a bit more difficult to reach without having to enter the creek. The second waterfall has a neat feature, a small cave. The cave isn’t very deep but it is still a cool thing to see.
Out and About with Nova
Normally, I am posting all my favorite doggo pictures from our visit, But that isn’t going to be the case here. We recently tried to visit on a warm weekend day, and found the parking lot packed. That normally would not deter us, but it was all the dogs running off leash that made us decide to return on another day, without Nova.
On a positive note, I did notice that people were very conscience about picking up their pets, which is great, especially at a park like this.
Winter Hiking at Grime Glen
Hiking to frozen waterfalls is kind of an obsession for me. I love seeing the way the ice forms around the waterfall. Grimes Glen seemed like the ideal place for a winter hike. The park is open in the winter and you can high partially down the trail. However, the trail ends before the first waterfall. After that and the hiking gets quite treacherous. The creek is very flooded, and you need to be especially careful not to fall in. I recommend wearing microspikes or Yaktrax when hiking here.
Ice Cleats Traction Snow Grips for Hiking and Walking
Don’t let the ice and snow stop you from enjoying the breathtaking beauty of winter. These traction grips help outdoor adventurers explore icy terrain safely.
If you attempt to see the two waterfalls, you will want to take extreme caution. I do not recommend this for novice hikers. It is possible to reach the second waterfall, but it’s challenging. I fell in the creek on the way back. Fortunately, the hike is under a mile, so the fear of hypothermia and frostbite was minimal.
Address: W Hollow Rd, Naples, NY 14512
Google Map Link
More Winter Pictures
