the trails of victor

by Sue Freeman

Perinton, with its Crescent Trail Association, was the Rochester area pioneer in beginning a neighborhood trail network. But close on its heels was the town of Victor. In 1991, a group of volunteers met to form Victor Hiking Trails, with the goal of building trails in Victor. Every year since then they have built, maintained, added to, and enhanced their trail network to achieve an impressive diversity of trails. The group still operates -- still run by volunteers, still dedicated to trails -- and has been joined in its efforts by the active Victor Parks Department.

Victor’s wide range of trails is suited to various activities and physical abilities. Some, like the Auburn Trail, Lehigh Valley Trail, and Trolley Trail, are former railroad beds. Their flat surfaces welcome walkers, skiers, and bikers of all abilities, families with babies in strollers, and persons in wheelchairs. The Auburn and Lehigh Valley Trails were graded and resurfaced with hard-packed stone dust over the past few years and now provide a trail experience free of the previous ballast stones and mud holes.

Avid mountain bikers can head to Dryer Road Park where they’re sure to find a challenge on the hillside trails. Twenty-three mostly single-track trails wind on and off a plateau, offering over 6 miles of adventure for intermediate and advanced mountain bikers. For hikers who like a challenge, there’s the 6-mile-long Seneca Trail or the 3-mile-long traverse from Ganondagan State Historic Site to Dryer Road Park. Both offer challenging hills that will get your heart pumping.

For a less strenuous stroll, wander along the Trail of Peace through the fields at Ganondagan State Historic Site and visit the replica Seneca Indian longhouse. You’ll be walking land that was once home to a major seventeenth-century Seneca Indian town. Head to the Maryfrances Bluebird Haven Trail to circle a field in search of bluebirds. This land was donated to the town of Victor by Robert Butler in memory of his wife. The 1.1-mile loop trail circumnavigates the property on a mowed path through meadow and forest. Wait until May, then head to Mertensia Road Park to see a spectacular carpet of bluebells along Mud Creek. Or go look for active beavers along the trails in Lehigh Crossing Park.

Midway between these extremes are the mild, rolling hills at Monkey Run Trail, Fishers Park, and Ganondagan’s Earth is Our Mother/Sweetgrass/ Meadow-Wood Trails. Monkey Run is a woodland oasis next to a suburban development that follows the hills and gullies formed by White Brook. Fishers Park offers over 3 miles of trails through a wooded hillside and across fields of grasslands covering glacially sculpted hillocks. Or climb to the plateau that used to be a Seneca Indian granary at Fort Hill and enjoy a panoramic view of the surrounding farm fields.

Victor has a wealth of trails thanks to Victor Hiking Trails and Victor Parks Department. Head out to enjoy them. Victor Hiking Trails leads hikes one Saturday a month all over the region and welcomes the public to join them. For details, explore their web site at www.victorhikingtrails.org.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Sue Freeman and her husband Rich make a living from what they love—being outdoors. They have written and published 12 guidebooks including “Take A Hike! Family Walks in the Rochester Area.” Sue can be contacted at sue@footprintpress.com (phone & fax 941-474-8316) or www.footprintpress.com.