Meridian Centre Park
Managed by Town of Brighton
66 acres2.3 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yet
Photo: Andreas F. Borchert · CC BY-SA 4.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Brighton
Brighton has 24 miles of mapped trails, 1.6 for every square mile of land
10% of Brighton’s land is conserved, about 947 acres. The biggest trail networks: Meridian Centre Park (2.3 mi), Corbett's Glen Nature Park (2.2 mi), Ellison Park (1.5 mi). 975 acres are parks and preserves, 26 per 1,000 residents.
Ahead of 88% of U.S. towns · #154 of 758 in New York. What drives it
Conserved land
10%
947 acres · of 15.4 sq mi of land
Trails
24 mi
1.6 per sq mi of land
Park land
975 ac
26 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
79%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
15 mi
3.8 mi lanes · 7.2 mi paths
Highest peak
735 ft
Pinnacle Hill
Lakes & rivers
4
What kind of outdoors town is Brighton?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Brighton have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Brighton is ahead of 88% of U.S. towns, #154 of 758 in New York. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, the share of residents near a park lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Brighton’s overall grade.
Conserved land10% of the land · typical NY town 5% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.6 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (24 mi) · NY 0.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land26 acres of park per 1,000 residents (975 acres) · NY 31 · U.S. 13B+Parks close to home79% of residents within a half mile of a park · NY 70% · U.S. 72%B
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 88%
LessMore
New York towns of 2,500+ (758)Ahead of 80%
How sure. Graded on any three of the four inputs instead, the letter would range from A− to A. Trails and many small parks come from OpenStreetMap, mapped by volunteers, so coverage varies from town to town; the half mile is a straight line from each census block, so a river or highway in the way isn’t counted against it.
PAD-US, OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors), Census 2025 Gazetteer and 2020 blocks; details in Sources below. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →
The map
Conserved land, trails & bike routes
Tap a number to zoom to a park. Tap a layer to hide it.
Easements protect land from building but are usually private.© OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
Places to walk
Pick a walk
The longest trail network is Meridian Centre Park, with 2.3 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Corbett's Glen Nature Park
Managed by Town of Brighton
60 acres2.2 mi of trail
Perimeter TrailSouth Meadow TrailCross Meadow Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Ellison Park
Managed by Monroe County Department of Parks
98 acres1.5 mi of trail
Bridle TrailCoyote Den Trail
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Brighton Town Park
Managed by Town of Brighton
42 acres1.5 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Buckland Park
Managed by Town of Brighton
51 acres1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
Lucien Morin Park
Managed by Monroe County Department of Parks
38 acres0.9 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
No trailhead mapped yetWebsite ↗
All 11 parks & preserves
Meridian Centre Park66 acres · 2.3 mi of trail · Town of Brighton
Corbett's Glen Nature Park60 acres · 2.2 mi of trail · Town of Brighton
DirectionsEllison Park98 acres · 1.5 mi of trail · Monroe County Department of Parks
DirectionsBrighton Town Park42 acres · 1.5 mi of trail · Town of Brighton
DirectionsBuckland Park51 acres · 1 mi of trail · Town of Brighton
DirectionsLucien Morin Park38 acres · 0.9 mi of trail · Monroe County Department of Parks
Persimmon Park18 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · Town of Brighton
DirectionsCrittenden Road Ball Diamonds7 acres
DirectionsGenesee Valley Park4 acres · Monroe County Department of Parks;City of Rochester
DirectionsRose Park1 acres
Fonthill Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
947 conserved acres
10% of Brighton’s land. Who manages Brighton’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city478 ac
County421 ac
Other state land305 ac
Regional Water Districts1 ac
Regional agency1 ac
Local Park · 899 acState Recreation Area · 232 acState Resource Management Area · 72 acLocal Resource Management Area · 1 acLocal Other or Unknown · 1 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 3 of 15 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| County of Monroe Land Local Park | County | 317 | Open |
| Town of Brighton Land Local Park | Town or city | 234 | Unknown |
| Erie Canal State Recreation Area | Other state land | 183 | Open |
| Ellison Park Local Park | County | 104 | Open |
| Lynch Woods Park Local Park | Town or city | 76 | Open |
| Monroe State Developmental Center State Resource Management Area | Other state land | 72 | Open |
| Meridian Center Park Local Park | Town or city | 56 | Open |
| Corbett'S Glen Nature Park Local Park | Town or city | 55 | Open |
| New York State Lands State Recreation Area | Other state land | 49 | Open |
| Brighton Town Park Local Park | Town or city | 45 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
35 places to go in Brighton
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Playgrounds in Brighton
26 playgrounds without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Dog parks in Brighton
2 dog parks without a name on the map.
Waterfalls in Brighton
Postcard FallsIn Corbett's Glen Nature Park
DirectionsScenic views in Brighton
2 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Brighton
Pinnacle Hill735 ft elevation
DirectionsDisc golf in Brighton
1 disc golf course without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Community gardens in Brighton
Whipple Park Community GardenUniversity of Rochester
DirectionsPlus 1 community garden without a name on the map.
Trails & water
7 named trails and 4 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 7.1 miUnpaved · 10.9 mi
Auburn Trail1.9 mi
Perimeter Trail1.3 mi
Brickyard Trail0.8 mi
Bridle Trail0.4 mi
Coyote Den Trail0.3 mi
South Meadow Trail0.1 mi
K160.1 mi
Lakes & rivers tap for directions
Biking & sports
15 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
3.8 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
7.2 mi
off-road bike paths
3.6 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Auburn TrailBike route
1.9 miCourts & fields
47Tennis
19Baseball
14Golf
9Soccer
7Tracks
6Basketball
3Multi-sport
3Football
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →4 places on the National Register
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 4 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
When to get out
The best walking months in Brighton: May, June, August and September
NOAA’s 1991–2020 normals for the town and the daylight at its latitude. Outlined months have long days, highs of 59 to 86 °F and little rain for the place.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daylight (h) | 9.3 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 13.3 | 14.6 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 32 | 34 | 43 | 56 | 68 | 77 | 81 | 80 | 73 | 60 | 48 | 38 |
| Rain (in) | 2.4 | 1.9 | 2.5 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.4 | 3.6 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 2.7 | 2.6 |
February is the driest month (1.9 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 3.6 inches fall in July, the wettest month. The climate in Brighton →
Next door
Brighton and its neighbors
Tap a town to see its outdoors.
Pittsford51 miRochester50 miPenfield43 miChili30 miBrighton24 miIrondequoit20 miHenrietta15 miRochester Institute of Technology1.8 mi
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brighton | 10% | 1.6 | 26 | 79% | A |
| Penfield | 7% | 1.1 | 46 | 88% | A |
| Rochester | 14% | 1.4 | 14 | 95% | A |
| Chili | 10% | 0.8 | 85 | 77% | A |
| Henrietta | 4% | 0.4 | 18 | 91% | B+ |
| Pittsford | 11% | 2.2 | 48 | 91% | A |
| Rochester Institute of Technology | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
| Irondequoit | 6% | 1.3 | 16 | 84% | A− |
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Brighton
Where can I hike in Brighton?
The longest trail networks: Meridian Centre Park, 2.3 miles; Corbett's Glen Nature Park, 2.2 miles; Ellison Park, 1.5 miles; Brighton Town Park, 1.5 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Brighton is conserved land?
10% of its land, against a typical 5% for a New York town and 4% nationally (PAD-US). Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors: easements are usually private land.
Are dogs allowed on Brighton’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Ellison Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Brighton?
15 miles of bike routes are on the map: 3.8 of painted or protected lanes, 7.2 of off-road paths and 3.6 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Auburn Trail.
Is there public land near Brighton?
21,349 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Brighton or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 1,047 of them inside the town line.
How much outdoors does Brighton have?
Ahead of 88% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #154 of 758 in New York. The grade combines the share of land that is conserved, miles of mapped trail per square mile of land, park acres per 1,000 residents and the share of residents within a half mile of a park. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
Trail talk
Conditions, parking and favorite walks from Brighton neighbors.
Share a tip
Sources
Where this page comes from
Conserved and public land: USGS Protected Areas Database of the United States (PAD-US), service updated July 2026. Parks, trails, playgrounds, beaches and other places: OpenStreetMap (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), map data as of 2026-10-28. Land and water area: Census 2025 Gazetteer. Residents near a park: 2020 Census blocks. National Register: National Park Service. How TownRatings grades the outdoors →