It is mindblowing that a place as wild and natural as this could be tucked away within this suburban town. There are quite literally miles of hiking trails here, traversing all sorts of natural beauty such as woods, open fields, along the creek, and around a pond. This natural area is a little piece of heaven for outdoor lovers.
Trails
There are so many different trails here that run the span of a large parcel of unspoiled land and connect to other parcels. The different trails are colored; however, you can get lost here since the other trail systems connect to these trails (and unfortunately, they often use the same colors). Make sure you take a picture of the map and then use your Google Maps, and you should be fine.
The trails here are stunning! There are moderate evaluation changes as the trails climb in and out of the ravines. The elevation changes aren’t horrible, nothing that will leave you huffing and puffing, just enough to create some gorgeous scenery. Although The trailhead leading out of the parking lot at Indian Hill is pretty steep, it levels out after the first 1/4 mile.
The landscape changes up a great deal as you hike these trails. You will travel through fields, meadows, wetlands, and woods… making this a beautiful place to explore. I loved how the scenery was constantly changing, quite dramatically, the further we hiked.
There is a lovely pond alongside the property, visitors can view it but the pond is on private property. Visitors cannot swim, fish, or boat on it.
Activities
In addition to hiking, these trails are popular with horseback riders. We saw several horses along the trails. As there are stables nearby, I believe they utilized these trails quite a lot.
I have heard that cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are popular here in the Winter, but given the terrain of some of the trails, I’m not sure I can imagine even climbing the first hill with ski or snowshoes strapped to my feet. If you use one of the other trailheads to enter the trail system, there are several flat or nearly flat trails that would be ideal for these activities.
Overall, I found this little bit of wilderness such a nice surprise and truly a lovely place to enjoy nature.
Out and About with Nova
This is a very dog-friendly destination. Dogs are allowed here as long as they are leashed. (Unfortunately, we saw a few dogs running off-leash here.) Please respect other visitors and keep your dog on a leash (and obviously, clean up after them). This isn’t just for other hikers; this is for your dogs’ protection as well; horses are walking on these trails. It is safer for your dog to be on a leash.
Getting There
Address: Route 31, Fairport, NY