The Best Hikes in Webster Park – Short, Easy Loop

Views down on the fishing pier in Lake Ontario from the hill below the White House Lodge, Webster Park, New York — Views down on the fishing pier in Lake Ontario from the hill below the White House Lodge

Webster Park is a local hiker’s paradise. Miles of trails crisscross the hardwood forests, pine forests, streams, and occasional meadows in its 550 acres. It’s big enough to lose yourself, as plenty of my friends have told me. (Hint: If you ever get lost, head north – you’ll hit Lake Road and/or Lake Ontario before too long.) Since I’ve hiked it extensively since I was “knee-high to a grasshopper” up through adulthood, I thought I’d share some of my “best” loop hikes in Webster Park. This is the easiest loop, but it’s also one of the most scenic because it showcases Lake Ontario.

A stretch of Mill Creek along the easy hiking loop in Webster Park, New York — A stretch of Mill Creek along the hike

This is the Easy loop hike – it showcases the fishing pier, Mill Creek, and nearby grassy meadows. For the Masy loop hike through a pine forest, click here. For the “Webster Park Grand Tour”, click here.

Weeds along Mill Creek, Webster Park, New York — Weeds along Mill Creek

Best Easy Loop Hike in Webster Park

Quick Stats

Round Trip Length: 1.0 mile Trail Type: Loop Elevation Change: 150ft. Pets: Leashed Fees: None

Note: Though this is an “easy” loop, it does have two significant slopes – one up the sledding hill and one down to lake level. Furthermore, much of the “trail” is a grassy meadow. If you need a truly “easy” hike, take the route backward to the fishing pier and omit the rest of the loop.

Maple leaf, Webster Park, New York — Maple leaf

From the parking lot, walk toward the southeast corner of the parking area (toward the road bridge over Mill Creek). A sign will point toward the “Beeches Shelter”; turn left to follow the sign and cross over Mill Creek via the metal bridge.

Cross the metal bridge, then turn right under Lake Road, Webster Park, New York — Cross the metal bridge, then turn right

Cross the metal bridge by the road bridge, turn right, cross under the road bridge.

Walking under the Lake Road bridge, Webster Park, New York — Walking under the road bridge

Continue through the field by the stream, staying sort of near Mill Creek.

Stay to the right to stay near the trees and Mill Creek, Webster Park, new York — Stay to the right to stay near the trees and Mill Creek

You’ll pass a picnic shelter and then a bridge. Don’t cross the bridge (unless you want an extra bit of a walk – then cross the bridge, climb the hill, turn onto the road, go around the loop of the road around the tennis courts, go back down the hill, cross the bridge and continue right up the stream as for the loop I’m describing here). When you reach a second picnic shelter, turn left to walk up the hill. (This is a local favorite for sledding; I’ve seen children from two to teens using it, not to mention parents, grandparents, 20-somethings, etc. It’s likely the hill has been used for sledding for about 200 years.)

Walk to the shelter (to the right) and then turn left to walk up the hill, Webster Park, New York — Walk to the shelter (to the right) and then turn left to walk up the hill

Continue straight and a little right (sort of toward the lodge) to come out in the parking lot.

Heading for the parking lot on the southwest corner of Holt Road and Lake Road, Webster Park, New York — Heading for the parking lot

Cross the parking lot and cross Lake Road (be careful; it can be busy) into an open field with a picnic shelter and a swingset.

The field with two pavilions and the swingset. You can see Lake Ontario through the trees. Webster Park, New York — The field with two pavilions and the swingset. You can see Lake Ontario through the trees

Walk toward the lake. During the war of 1812, locals would gather here to watch the British gunboats sail by. When you get to the bluff above the lake, turn left. An old road leads down to lake level.

The "road" down to lake level, Webster Park, New York — The “road” down to lake level

If you’d continued along the top of the bluff, you’d come to the White House Lodge. This was built by the second settler in Webster – a certain Charles Whiting. His widow, Pheobe, had a house down on the corner of Lake Road and what is now Whiting Road (the street was named after her). Her house burned down a very long time ago, but his house remains as a rentable lodge. It’s frequently in use for weddings and other events. It’s even a polling place in November.

The "Whiting House" White House Lodge, Webster Park, New York — The “Whiting House” White House Lodge

Once on lake level, turn right to walk out onto the fishing pier and enjoy the view. The wind and waves were crazy they day I was taking photos – usually there are quite a few people fishing on the pier, but it was too wet for that!

Waves breaking near the fishing pier, Webster Park, New York — Waves breaking near the fishing pier

Walking out on the fishing pier... avoiding the spray from the waves. Webster Park, New York — Walking out on the fishing pier… avoiding the spray from the waves

There is a lighthouse at the end of the pier.

The lighthouse at the end of the pier, Webster Park, New York — The lighthouse at the end of the pier

Return to the mainland and follow the sidewalk to the right along the lake. My GPS track takes the path that is slightly inland from the sidewalk along the lake. Usually, I’d take the sidewalk, but the waves were so crazy that day that I was afraid I’d get wet!

Looking back toward the fishing pier, Webster Park, New York — Looking back toward the fishing pier

At the end of the sidewalk, cross the bridge and return to the parking area.

Four mallard ducks in Mill Creek beside the parking area, Webster Park, New York — Four mallard ducks in Mill Creek beside the parking area

Round Trip Trail Length: About 1 mile

Elevation Gain: 500ft. (244ft. to 297ft.)

Facilities: Occasionally a port-a-potty somewhere along the loop; bench near the pier; swings in one field; playground near the sledding hill

Fees: None

Possibly a Red Amaranth flower, Webster Park, New York — Possibly a Red Amaranth flower

Trail

Road

Signs

Scenery

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

Overall Rating:

Looking back down the pier to the mainland, Webster Park, New York — Looking back down the pier

GPS Coordinates for the Easy Loop in Webster Park

Trailhead: 43.2598667°, -077.4510333° (N43° 15.592′ W77° 27.062′ / 43°15’35.5200″, -077°27’03.7200″) 298ft. (0.0)

Bridge over Mill Creek: 43.2585500°, -077.4513000° (N43° 15.513′ W77° 27.078′ / 43°15’30.7800″, -077°27’04.6800″) 239ft. (0.15)

Pavilion – turn up sledding hill: 43.2577333°, -077.4485000° (N43° 15.464′ W77° 26.910′ / 43°15’27.8400″, -077°26’54.6000″) 238ft. (0.36)

Cross Lake Road: 43.2602500°, -077.4476500° (N43° 15.615′ W77° 26.859′ / 43°15’36.9000″, -077°26’51.5400″) 274ft. (0.57)

Beginning of Pier: 43.2613333°, -077.4496333° (N43° 15.680′ W77° 26.978′ / 43°15’40.8000″, -077°26’58.6800″) 232ft. (0.74)

End of Pier: 43.2625167°, -077.4500000° (N43° 15.751′ W77° 27.000′ / 43°15’45.0600″, -077°27’00.0000″) 238ft. (0.85)

End: 43.2603167°, -077.4511167° (N43° 15.619′ W77° 27.067′ / 43°15’37.1400″, -077°27’04.0200″) 234ft. (1.07)

The gpx file for the Best Easy Loop through Webster Park 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.

Download GPX File size: 19.0 KB Downloaded 92 times

(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!)

Mill Creek, Webster Park, New York — Mill Creek

Getting to Webster Park

If you’re familiar with Webster Park, you want to park in the “Lake Parking Lot” (it’s signed for the Beeches Shelter). If the gate is closed, you can park east up Lake Road at the paved lot on the corner of Holt Road and Lake Road. Start your route by crossing Lake Road into the field with the pavilions and swingset.

Leaves in a tree near the field, Webster Park, New York — Leaves in a tree near the field

From Rochester, take I-490 to NY-590N. Use the middle lane to get onto NY-590N. After 4.5 miles, take Exit 10B onto NY-104E toward Webster. You’ll fairly quickly cross the Irondequoit Bay Bridge. After 5 miles, immediately after crossing under the bridge for 5 Mile Line Road, take the exit for Holt Road onto the exit ramp. At the end of the ramp, turn left onto Holt Road. Continue about 3 miles to the (nearly) end of the road; turn left onto Lake Road. Drive down the hill. Shortly after crossing the bridge at the bottom of the hill, turn right into the driveway that will take them down to the large parking lot – the driveway is marked for The Beeches shelter.