Durand Eastman Park
Managed by Monroe County Department of Parks
797 acres13.8 mi of trail
Eastman Lake TrailDurand Lake TrailYellow TrailPurple Trail+1
Dogs on leash
Directionsto Lot AWebsite ↗
Photo: Patrick Ashley · CC BY 2.0AOutdoors
Outdoors in Rochester
Rochester has 50 miles of mapped trails, 1.4 for every square mile of land
14% of Rochester’s land is conserved, about 3,101 acres. 95% of residents live within a half mile of a park. The biggest trail networks: Durand Eastman Park (13.8 mi), Seneca Park (6.3 mi), Cobb's Hill Park (5.1 mi).
Ahead of 89% of U.S. towns · #135 of 758 in New York. What drives it
Conserved land
14%
3,101 acres · of 35.8 sq mi of land
Trails
50 mi
1.4 per sq mi of land
Park land
2,838 ac
14 acres per 1,000 residents
Near a park
95%
of residents within ½ mile
Bike routes
147 mi
49 mi lanes · 36 mi paths
Highest peak
630 ft
Cobbs Hill
Lakes & rivers
12
3 beaches · 5 boat launches
What kind of outdoors town is Rochester?
Read from the map. The page puts what stands out first.
Outdoors grade
How much outdoors does Rochester have?
On conserved land, trails, park land and how close residents live to a park, Rochester is ahead of 89% of U.S. towns, #135 of 758 in New York. All four inputs are above most U.S. towns; trail miles rank highest, park acres per resident lowest.
A
OutdoorsA character grade: shown, never part of Rochester’s overall grade.
Conserved land14% of the land · typical NY town 5% · U.S. 4%A−Trails1.4 miles of mapped trail per square mile of land (50 mi) · NY 0.4 · U.S. 0.4APark land14 acres of park per 1,000 residents (2,838 acres) · NY 31 · U.S. 13B−Parks close to home95% of residents within a half mile of a park · NY 70% · U.S. 72%A−
All U.S. towns we grade (21,298)Ahead of 89%
LessMore
New York towns of 2,500+ (758)Ahead of 82%
Among the 400 U.S. cities of 100,000 or more, Rochester ranks #95 on Outdoors.
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 Durand Eastman Park, with 13.8 miles. Directions go to the nearest trailhead or public parking.
Seneca Park
Managed by Monroe County Department of Parks
209 acres6.3 mi of trail
Windsor Breach TrailOlmstead Trail SouthGorge Overlook TrailOlmstead Trail North
Dogs on leash
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Cobb's Hill Park
Managed by City of Rochester
141 acres5.1 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Tryon Park
Managed by Monroe County Department of Parks
69 acres4.6 mi of trail
G3Outer HornGreen HornRock Ring+1
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Genesee Valley Park
Managed by Monroe County Department of Parks;City of Rochester
579 acres3.4 mi of trail
Red Creek Trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Highland Park
Managed by Monroe County Department of Parks
148 acres3.2 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Ontario Beach Park
Managed by Monroe County Department of Parks
40 acres0.7 mi of trail
Ontario Beach Park Boardwalk
No dogs
Directionsto the parking lotWebsite ↗
Jones Square Park
Managed by City of Rochester
7 acres0.7 mi of trail
Dog rules not recorded
Directionsto the parking lot
All 62 parks & preserves
Durand Eastman Park797 acres · 13.8 mi of trail · Monroe County Department of Parks
DirectionsSeneca Park209 acres · 6.3 mi of trail · Monroe County Department of Parks
DirectionsCobb's Hill Park141 acres · 5.1 mi of trail · City of Rochester
DirectionsTryon Park69 acres · 4.6 mi of trail · Monroe County Department of Parks
DirectionsGenesee Valley Park579 acres · 3.4 mi of trail · Monroe County Department of Parks;City of Rochester
DirectionsHighland Park148 acres · 3.2 mi of trail · Monroe County Department of Parks
DirectionsOntario Beach Park40 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · Monroe County Department of Parks
DirectionsJones Square Park7 acres · 0.7 mi of trail · City of Rochester
DirectionsMartin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Park4 acres · 0.6 mi of trail · City of Rochester
DirectionsAustin Steward Plaza4 acres · 0.5 mi of trail · City of Rochester
DirectionsMiddle Maplewood Park68 acres · 0.4 mi of trail · City of Rochester
DirectionsPulaski Park7 acres · 0.4 mi of trail
Edgerton Park21 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Rochester
DirectionsGenesee Gateway Park15 acres · 0.3 mi of trail · City of Rochester
DirectionsMaplewood Nature Center14 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Rochester
DirectionsBrown Square Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Rochester
DirectionsHigh Falls Terrace Park4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Rochester
DirectionsVerona Playground4 acres · 0.2 mi of trail
The International Plaza2 acres · 0.2 mi of trail · City of Rochester
DirectionsMaplewood Park37 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Rochester
DirectionsBausch & Lomb Riverside Park23 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCrittenden Road Ball Diamonds13 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsNorton Village Recreation Center12 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Rochester
DirectionsTurning Point Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Rochester
DirectionsMarie Daley Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Rochester
DirectionsRMSC Public Access Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsHenry Lomb Memorial Park2 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Centennial Sculpture Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · University of Rochester
DirectionsMidtown Commons1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Rochester
DirectionsAnthony Square1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsEllwanger Barry1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsSchiller Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail · City of Rochester
DirectionsConkey Corner Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
Aqueduct Park1 acres · 0.1 mi of trail
DirectionsCamp Eastman42 acres
DirectionsLower Falls Overlook Park9 acres
DirectionsSebastian Park6 acres · City of Rochester
Don Samuel Torres Park3 acres · City of Rochester
Grand Avenue Park3 acres · City of Rochester
DirectionsFirst Street Park2 acres · City of Rochester
Brewster Harding Park2 acres · City of Rochester
Genesee Valley Greenway State Park1 acres · New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation
DirectionsJ.P. Riley Park1 acres
Aberdeen Square1 acres
DirectionsField St Rec Center1 acres
Norris Drive Park1 acres · City of Rochester
DirectionsBrowncroft Rose Garden1 acres
Parcel 51 acres · City of Rochester
DirectionsTacoma Park1 acres
Saint Paul Pocket Park1 acres
DirectionsWashington Square Park1 acres · City of Rochester
DirectionsEastmoreland Park1 acres · City of Rochester
DirectionsWadsworth Square1 acres · City of Rochester
DirectionsFirst Unitarian Universalist Gardens1 acres
DirectionsGoodwin Park1 acres
DirectionsSeth Green Park1 acres · City of Rochester
Nunda Park West1 acres
Otto Henderberg Square Park1 acres
Nunda Park East1 acres
Pleasant Street/ St. Joseph's Park1 acres · City of Rochester
DirectionsHillside Avenue Park1 acres
Gazebo Park1 acres
DirectionsWho protects it
3,101 conserved acres
14% of Rochester’s land. Who manages Rochester’s conserved land, from the USGS Protected Areas Database. Approximate, because parcels can overlap.
Town or city3,097 ac
Other state land257 ac
County85 ac
Land trusts & nonprofits31 ac
State parks28 ac
Regional agency18 ac
Local Park · 3,002 acLocal Other or Unknown · 193 acState Recreation Area · 132 acState Resource Management Area · 124 acState Other or Unknown · 27 ac
Good to know
Conserved doesn’t always mean open to visitors. Public access isn’t recorded for 16 of 94 parcels. The walks above are places people visit.
The biggest protected parcels
| Parcel (PAD-US) | Managed by | Acres | Public access |
|---|---|---|---|
| City Of Rochester Land Local Park | Town or city | 1,214 | Unknown |
| City Of Rochester Genesee Land Local Park | Town or city | 474 | Unknown |
| Mt. Hope Cemetery Local Park | Town or city | 191 | Open |
| Riverside Cemetery Local Other or Unknown | Town or city | 186 | Open |
| City Of Rochester - Land Local Park | Town or city | 180 | Unknown |
| Erie Canal State Recreation Area | Other state land | 132 | Open |
| Turning Point Park Local Park | Town or city | 105 | Open |
| City Of Roch Cobbs Hill Land Local Park | Town or city | 104 | Unknown |
| Maplewood Park Local Park | Town or city | 104 | Open |
| Rochester State Psychiatric Center State Resource Management Area | Other state land | 96 | Open |
5 smaller protected places aren’t shown.
Things to do
165 places to go in Rochester
Beaches, playgrounds, peaks, falls and more. Pick a kind.
Beaches in Rochester
Ontario Beach
DirectionsPlus 2 beaches without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see them.
Playgrounds in Rochester
Camp Eastman PlaygroundIn Camp Eastman
DirectionsHasbro Game Park
DirectionsLilac Adventure ZoneIn Highland Park
DirectionsMaplewood PlaygroundIn Maplewood Nature Center
DirectionsSchool 41 Playground
DirectionsTemple Beth El Playground
DirectionsTropics Adventure ZoneIn Seneca Park
Directions123 playgrounds are on OpenStreetMap in all; the list shows named ones from the first 30.
Dog parks in Rochester
Cobb's Hill Dog ParkIn Cobb's Hill Park
DirectionsPlus 1 dog park without a name on the map. Tap “Show all on map” to see it.
Boat launches in Rochester
5 boat launches without a name on the map.
Fishing spots in Rochester
Genessee River Fishing Access Site
DirectionsWaterfalls in Rochester
Densmore Falls
DirectionsHigh Falls
DirectionsLower Falls
DirectionsMiddle Falls
DirectionsNorton’s Falls
DirectionsTurning Point Falls
DirectionsUpper Falls
DirectionsScenic views in Rochester
Children's Pavilion OverlookIn Highland Park
DirectionsCity OverlookIn Cobb's Hill Park
DirectionsHigh Falls
DirectionsHigh Falls Overlook
DirectionsHighland Park OverlookIn Highland Park
DirectionsOwen's PointIn Durand Eastman Park
DirectionsPont de Rennes
DirectionsPlus 3 scenic views without a name on the map.
Peaks in Rochester
Cobbs Hill630 ft elevation · In Cobb's Hill Park
DirectionsPicnic areas in Rochester
1 picnic area without a name on the map.
Community gardens in Rochester
490 FarmsFee · 490 Farmers
DirectionsEmmighausen GardenCity of Rochester
DirectionsLinear GardenCity of Rochester
DirectionsPeace Maker Community GardenMonroe County, NY
DirectionsPoet's GardenIn Highland Park · Highland Park
DirectionsSwillburg Comm. Garden
DirectionsSwillburg Community Garden
DirectionsWide Water Gardens
DirectionsPlus 4 community gardens without a name on the map.
Trails & water
25 named trails and 12 lakes & rivers
Named trails
Open to bikes · 7.4 miUnpaved · 22.0 mi
Eastman Lake Trail1.5 mi
Durand Lake Trail1.2 mi
Yellow Trail1.1 mi
Windsor Breach Trail1.0 mi
Genesee Riverway Trail0.8 mi
Olmstead Trail South0.8 mi
G30.5 mi
Purple Trail0.5 mi
Leastman Trail0.5 mi
Outer Horn0.4 mi
15 more trails
Trott Lake Trail
0.4 miGreen Horn
0.4 miGorge Overlook Trail
0.3 miOntario Beach Park Boardwalk
0.3 miRock Ring
0.3 miOlmstead Trail North
0.3 miK15
0.3 miU8
0.3 miK16
0.3 miDell
0.2 miAuburn Trail
0.2 miHorseshoe Road - Eastman Lake Connector
0.2 miRed Creek Trail
0.2 miIMBA
0.1 miGlen Haven Railroad
0.1 miBiking & sports
147 miles of bike routes
Bike lanes are often missing from the map in smaller towns, so that number is likely low.
49 mi
painted or protected bike lanes
36 mi
off-road bike paths
63 mi
shoulders & shared lanes
Genesee Riverway TrailBike route
0.6 miCourts & fields
106Baseball
92Tennis
54Basketball
21Golf
16Soccer
12Football
6Pickleball
3Tracks
Includes school and college facilities, which aren’t always open to the public.
History along the way
History →123 places on the National Register, 2 of them National Historic Landmarks
The country’s official list of places worth saving (National Park Service). The map also marks 82 historic points from OpenStreetMap: plaques, memorials and old buildings.
Campbell-Whittlesey HouseDistrict · listed 1971
About itJonathan Child House & Brewster-Burke House Historic DistrictBuilding · listed 1971
About itFirst Universalist ChurchBuilding · listed 1971
About itHervey Ely HouseBuilding · listed 1971
About itRochester Savings BankBuilding · listed 1972
About itFederal BuildingBuilding · listed 1972
About itOld Stone WarehouseBuilding · listed 1973
About itBevier Memorial BuildingBuilding · listed 1973
About itFirst Presbyterian ChurchBuilding · listed 1973
About itMount. Hope-Highland Historic DistrictDistrict · listed 1974
About it111 more on the History page.
When to get out
The best walking months in Rochester: May to 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 | 14.7 | 15.4 | 15.1 | 13.9 | 12.4 | 10.9 | 9.6 | 9.0 |
| High (°F) | 32 | 34 | 42 | 55 | 67 | 76 | 81 | 79 | 72 | 60 | 48 | 38 |
| Rain (in) | 2.4 | 2.0 | 2.4 | 3.0 | 3.0 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 3.2 | 3.5 | 2.8 | 2.7 |
February is the driest month (2.0 in) and July the warmest (highs of 81 °F). 3.5 inches fall in October, the wettest month. The climate in Rochester →
Next door
Rochester and its neighbors
Rochester has the most mapped trails of the 7 towns around it. Tap a town to see its outdoors.
| Town | Conserved of land | Trail mi per sq mi | Park acres per 1,000 | Near a park ½ mile | Outdoors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rochester | 14% | 1.4 | 14 | 95% | A |
| Irondequoit | 6% | 1.3 | 16 | 84% | A− |
| Greece | 15% | 0.7 | 21 | 61% | A− |
| Brighton | 10% | 1.6 | 26 | 79% | A |
| Chili | 10% | 0.8 | 85 | 77% | A |
| Gates | 4% | 0.2 | 12 | 62% | B− |
| North Gates | — not graded: under 1,000 residents or part of its town | ||||
The four inputs of the Outdoors grade, from the engine; shares are of land, not water.
Questions about parks and trails in Rochester
Where can I hike in Rochester?
The longest trail networks: Durand Eastman Park, 13.8 miles; Seneca Park, 6.3 miles; Cobb's Hill Park, 5.1 miles; Tryon Park, 4.6 miles. Each one is on the map above, with directions to the nearest trailhead or parking.
How much of Rochester is conserved land?
14% 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 Rochester’s trails?
OpenStreetMap records dogs as welcome at Durand Eastman Park (on leash) and Seneca Park (on leash). For the rest, check the signs at the trailhead.
Where can I bike in Rochester?
147 miles of bike routes are on the map: 49 of painted or protected lanes, 36 of off-road paths and 63 of shoulders and shared lanes. Named routes: Genesee Riverway Trail.
Is there public land near Rochester?
25,318 acres of parks and open public land lie inside Rochester or within 10 miles of it (PAD-US), 2,966 of them inside the city line.
How much outdoors does Rochester have?
Ahead of 89% of U.S. towns on the Outdoors grade, #135 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 Rochester 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 →