For some reason, I’ve never biked (or even hiked) the Erie Canal Path.  It really isn’t that far from where I live and I’ve driven across it more times than I can count.  But for some reason, it’s never been a destination.  That all changed a few weeks ago when we decided we wanted one last hoorah before the kids started school.  Our last bike ride went so well, we thought it would be fun to do another.  Two canal locks, a dam, Rochester’s signature bridge, and 18 miles (29 km) later, we were sure: it had been a wonderful ride.

I actually started by researching the Genesee Riverway Trail.  The problem was that between Charlotte (pronounced (for all you non-Rochesterians) shar-LOT) and downtown Rochester (which is pronounced by the natives “Roch-ster”) the trail disappeared to travel down many roads and to go through, as one reviewer put it, “diverse neighborhoods”.  That just wasn’t going to work for us.  Besides the fact that I don’t like driving through neighborhoods like that, I knew some of the younger group members wouldn’t be able to handle riding on the road.

So we decided we’d start at Broad Street, where the trail technically picks up again as a viable route, ride down to Genesee Valley Park, and take the Erie Canal Path from there as far as we wanted (Fairport seemed to be a good destination, since it would give us a (supposedly) 15 mile (25 km) ride).

We pulled over by the Blue Cross Arena early on Sunday.  There is free parking for short periods of time during the day, so for unloading the bikes it was the perfect place.  A couple group members who were more interested in hiking than biking had offered to drive the van around and meet us in various places along the way, then be our shuttle vehicle home (yea!)  Bikes on the sidewalk, we headed over toward the river and bumped down the steps where some local artists were painting murals on the side of the bridge.  (In case you’re curious, the trail actually goes around the other side of the Arena, thus avoiding all the sets of steps in this section.)

We paused here.  This bridge used to take the Erie Canal across the Genesee River and today the bed of the canal under the car bridge still exists.  An opening takes you into the bed and signs explain what you’re seeing.  So cool!

We turned right, upriver, biking until we hit another set of steps just before the trail crosses Court Street.  Just after crossing Court St., the trail approaches and then passes a dam (pretty neat).  The trail takes a right to circumvent the hydroelectric buildings, but soon meets up with the river again, just in time to pass underneath I-490 and Rochester’s signature bridge!

The Genesee Riverway Trail becomes very nice here, passing behind some riverside restaurants and high-rises.  Soon, though, it enters the trees on a gravel path.  Try to follow the signs, but honestly, they’re so misleading it’s better to follow a map.  When the trail splits, go straight to cross the Genesee River and enter the University of Rochester campus.

Turn right, passing along the edge of the campus and a park-like setting for a mile (couple km) or so to the end of the Genesee Riverway Trail in Genesee Valley Park.  Don’t cross the bridge; instead, continue straight toward the stone bridge over the Erie Canal, then turn right to be on the Erie Canal Path.  Near where the canal and the river meet, it was cool to go up on the stone bridge and watch the river and canal go by.  The bridge over the Genesee is also interesting – nearby was a fair amount of dredging equipment.

We decided we’d go along the canal path to Lock 32 Park and meet up again with our drivers for lunch (we were traveling pretty light with only water and a few snacks since we knew we’d be seeing the van again often).  (If you want to go west from here, check out my post here.)  The Erie Canal is pretty similar most of the way along: trees on the left, canal on the right, and occasional overpasses so you can just ride along without having to cross roads.

At 8.1 miles (13.0 km), we arrived at Lock 33, which for some reason wasn’t on my map.  We arrived just as our drivers did, since they’d gone to get gas on the way (gotta love BJ’s!).  We also arrived just as one boat was leaving the lock and another was getting ready to go through.  Cool!  What a better way to eat spam than to do it while watching the water levels go down, down, down right next to you!  (Actually, the water gets so low that you can’t see the boat at all once it’s half way down!)

We continued on to Lock 32 almost 1.5 miles (2.4 km) later, just as a packet boat (tour) was getting ready to go down.  This park has an observation tower, so you could see the boat the entire time (which was really neat).  I highly recommend it if you a boat is going through (which is pretty likely on a summer Sunday afternoon).

From here, it was a short jaunt over to Pittsford.  This is where things get a little dicey.  You can either follow the pedestrian sign and walk your bike along the canal, or you can follow the bike sign and ride your bike along a not-too-busy street to the other side of the quaint section (lots of shops and little restaurants here).  We walked our bikes, but I think I’d ride the road next time since the sidewalk was really quite crowded and it was troublesome to get the bikes through at times (not to mention the sea gulls and pigeons that were in the path!)

After this, the tone of the trail changes.  There were many more people on the trail and many more boats on the canal, but the scenery was also different.  Instead of forests and fields, there were more houses and docks.  It’s all nice, just a bit different.

I hadn’t expected the trail between Pittsford and Fairport to be quite as long as it was.  It wasn’t a hard ride, just longer than I thought.  Arriving, though, it was great to see our drivers swinging on a yellow porch swing in Perinton Park.  We chatted with them for a while, filled our water bottles, used the restrooms, then remounted our bikes for the last push to Fairport.  The van was parked in a free public parking area on the corner of Liftbridge Lane E and Water Street (off of Rt. 250).  As it turned out, this was right next to the railroad line.  As we loaded up the bikes, a total of three trains went past!  Wow!  Half the group couldn’t have been happier, but at least some of the others were none too keen to be that close to a moving train!

The bottom line?   Both the Genesee Riverway Trail and the Erie Canal Path are nice and peaceful.  I can’t wait to do the Charlotte end of the Riverway Trail and I suspect we’ll do more of the canal path, too!

Trail Length: From Broad Street to Fairport, 18.8 miles (30.25 km)

Elevation Change: About 100 ft. (30 m) downhill (662 ft. (201 m) to 566 ft. (172 m))

Fees: None

Trail

Road

Signs

Scenery

Would I go 100 miles out of my way for this?

Overall Rating:

Key GPS Coordinates:

If some of the coordinates seem to be missing, I think the GPS must have eaten a few of them for a midnight snack.  Here are the ones that I still have.

15 Minute Parking: 43.15467N / -077.61143W (43° 9′ 16.812″ / -77° 36′ 41.1474″) (590 ft. (180 m))

Trail beginning (downtown Rochester): 43.15458N / -077.61073W (43° 9′ 16.488″ / -77° 36′ 38.628″) (662 ft. (201 m), 0.0 miles)

Dam overlook: 43.15274N / -077.60968W (43° 9′ 9.864″ / -77° 36′ 34.8474″) (626 ft. (190 m), 0.2 miles, 0.3 km)

Genesee Riverway / Erie Canal Path Junction: 43.121494N / -077.639777W (43° 7′ 17.3778″ / -77° 38′ 23.1966″) (561 ft. (171 m), 3.2 miles, 3.7 km)

Guard Lock 1: 43.11701N / -077.63280W (43° 7′ 1.236″ / -77° 37′ 58.08″) (544 ft. (165 m), 4.5 miles, 7.2 km)

Lock 33 Park: 43.09607N / -077.56939W (43° 5′ 45.8514″ / -77° 34′ 9.8034″) (525 ft. (160 m), 8.1 miles, 13.0 km)

Lock 32 Park: 43.09146N / -077.54547W (43° 5′ 29.2554″ / -77° 32′ 43.6914″) (480 ft. (156 m), 9.5 miles, 15.25)

Lock 32 Observation Deck: 43.09130N / -077.54487W (43° 5′ 28.6794″ / -77° 32′ 41.532″) (493 ft. (150 m), 9.7 miles, 15.6)

Guard Lock 4: 43.07970N / -077.50130W (43° 4′ 46.92″ / -77° 30′ 4.68″) (468 ft. (142 m), 12.6 miles, 20.25 km)

Bushnell Basin: 43.06277N / -077.47755W (43° 3′ 45.972″ / -77° 28′ 39.1794″) (472 ft. (144 m), 14.4 miles, 23.1 km)

Guard Lock 5: 43.06843N / -077.46892W (43° 4′ 6.3474″ / -77° 28′ 8.1114″) (471 ft. (143 m), 15.1 miles, 24.3 km)

Perinton Park: 43.10072N / -077.45633W (43° 6′ 2.592″ / -77° 27′ 22.7874″) (466 ft. (142 m), 17.5 miles, 28.1)

End – Fairport Parking: 43.10184N / -077.43938W (43° 6′ 6.624″ / -77° 26′ 21.7674″) (478 ft. (145 m), 18.8 miles, 30.25 km)

The gpx file for the Genesee Riverway and the Erie Canal Path can be downloaded – please note that this and the GPS Coordinates are for reference only and should not be used as a sole resource when hiking this trail.

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(Note: I do my best to ensure that all downloads, the webpage, etc. are virus-free and accurate; however, I cannot be held responsible for any damage that might result, including but not limited to loss of data, damages to hardware, harm to users, from use of files, information, etc. from this website.  Thanks!)

Getting to the Genesee Riverway Beginning:

From I-490W, take Exit 14 toward Broad Street / Plymouth Ave.  Merge onto Washington Street.  Cross Spring Street, then turn right onto W Broad Street.  Drive 0.3 miles.  You can park beside the Blue Cross Arena on the uphill toward the bridge over the Genesee for a limited amount of time (15 minutes) at certain times of the day (Sunday morning was fine).

From I-490E, take Exit 15 toward the Inner Loop and South Avenue; stay in the left lane to merge onto the Inner Loop.  Almost immediately, take the exit for NY 31 / Monroe Ave.  Merge onto Howell Street, then take a sharp left onto Chestnut Street / NY 31W.  After 0.2 miles, turn left onto Woodbury Blvd (staying on NY 31); 0.1 miles later, take the first right into Clinton Ave S.  Drive 0.2 miles.  Take the second left onto E Broad Street (again, this is NY 31).  Drive 0.3 miles.  The place we began is just over the bridge on the opposite side of the street.

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