When my kids were little, and mostly stroller bound, or just walking, we used to love to visit this park. There is a playground that my older child truly loved. There is something a little mystic about the woods, which is probably why someone thought they would make an ideal setting for lots of fairy houses. (although, the park decided to have them removed due to vandalism and disruption to the wildlife in the park.) There are only a few left.
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Tinker Nature Park Trails
Tinker Nature Park encompasses 68 acres and has over 2 miles of flat and easy trails to traverse, even for the littlest feet. These trails weave through the woods and wetlands as well as around the outer edge of the woods and in the meadow. There is a pond where visitors can view waterfowl. The parking lot was packed when we pulled in, but astoundingly, the trails appeared completely empty. There is a lot of room here for people to spread out.
This park is very stroller friendly with graveled or woodchipped paths and boardwalks. It also makes it a nice spring destination when every other park has mud-covered paths. We found the trails through the woods really lovely and peaceful. We really did feel like we were the only people in the park, although we were far from that. Just an FYI -Dogs are prohibited in the Tinker Nature Park.
Hanson Nature Center
The Hanson Nature Center was a generous donation by Henry Hanson of a log cabin (and later a new addition to the log cabin) for a nature center. The nature center is free and open from 9 am – 4 pm, Tuesday – Saturday. This nature center has displays featuring the wildlife and flora of the area. On the nature trails, you will notice boxes with biofacts and objects for kids and curious adults to explore.
Tinker Homestead and Farm Museum
The Tinker Homestead was built in 1830, and you will notice that it is cobblestone. Cobblestone homes are a unique structure found predominantly in New York State, with 90% of all cobblestone homes within 75 miles of Rochester. The house is free to tour by appointment Tuesday – Saturday, 10 am -2 pm. (call 585-359-7044 to schedule a tour.)
Animals in Tinker Nature Park
This is the part of Tinker Nature Park that really blew my mind. We saw tons of animals, and they were very calm and didn’t scurry away from us. In fact, they were extremely accommodating and actually seemed to pose for pictures. I don’t know if we were just unusually lucky or if they are always like this. The park is home to woodchucks, red foxes, opossums, raccoons, white-tail deer, squirrels, chipmunks, skunks, and coyotes. There are also countless bird species, making this a great place for bird watchers. The squirrel we encountered was a black squirrel which isn’t typical in this area.
I have found that even though the vast majority of this park is in the woods and shaded, not to mention surrounded by wetlands, it is relatively bug-free. Which was honestly surprising. It is nice to be able to walk and not be hunted down by mosquitoes. It has been predicted that this summer will be an especially bad season for ticks. As always, when you hike outdoors this spring and summer, make sure you check yourself and your kids over for ticks.
Address:
1525 Calkin Road, Henrietta, NY
Google Map Link
Hours of Operation:
7:00 AM until Sunset 7 Days a Week
Have you visited Tinker Park? What did you think of it? Did you encounter any animals? We would love to hear from you. Please leave us a comment below.