Genesee Valley Trail Towns Open for Business

Drawn to attractions, architecture—or anything that photographs well on Instagram—we are all looking for the next vacation destination to stick on our calendar. If you’re seeking that “feel-good” hometown vibe with serene landscapes and charming historic villages, consider exploring the Genesee Valley Region.

Getting to the Genesee Valley Region, and all it has to offer, has never been easier. Amtrak will now connect you (and your trusty bike!) across the state... with those lovely out-the-train-window vistas included. And, thanks to a $6.5 million project rehabbing the 17-mile stretch connecting the northern end of the Genesee Valley Greenway State Park to Rochester to the village of Avon, you can take that trusty bike south (and mostly off-road). While on your way to the "Grand Canyon of the East," the iconic Letchworth State Park, you'll have the opportunity to visit five welcoming and tranquil Trail Towns along the way. Driving is also an option, but motorists should consider an alternative to Interstate 390.

So what are these welcoming Trail Towns, though?

A “Trail Town” community is located in proximity to a greenway and works to be the best stop for visitors (or locals) traveling by trail. Western New York's Trail Towns program recognizes the important linkages between outdoor recreation and economic development, and works with trailside communities to improve the infrastructure, services, amenities, and community character to attract and welcome outdoor recreation enthusiasts. Trail Towns work to offer residents and visitors alike high-quality services and amenities in the form of safe, inviting places to eat, play, and sleep after spending time on a long distance greenway or a nearby forest preserve, historic site, or state park. These communities are, above all, welcoming to trail travelers, working to implement policies and establish programs ideal for outdoor enthusiasts.

The Genesee Valley Region's Trail Town initiative launched in 2019, started by a committed group of community partners, organizations, and local community members. Piloted in 10 communities across the rural Genesee Valley Region, the Trail Towns initiative was modeled on similar, successful programs like the Great Allegheny Passage Trail Town Program. Generous funding from USDA Rural Development, Northern Border Regional Commission, and Ralph C. Wilson Jr Foundation, enabled Letchworth Gateway Villages (LGV), the Friends of the Genesee Valley Greenway (FoGVG), the Office of State Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (OPRHP), and Parks & Trails New York to better understand how outdoor recreation assets can be leveraged to drive increased visitation to trailside communities. PTNY and partners are happy to say that, after Informed by research and data gathering exercises to identify improvement areas, 10 communities are now officially designated as Genesee Valley Trail Towns.

The northernmost Trail Town communities have plenty to offer in every season. If travel to the Genesee Valley Greenway isn't in the cards now, don't miss out on the opportunity to plan your future trip around the 2024 Solar Eclipse! The Genesee Valley Region, in the "path of totality, will be an ideal area to experience this amazing event.

Town of Wheatland

A natural place to start your tour of the Valley, the Town of Wheatland is a gracious host for pedestrians, cyclists, anglers, and equestrians. Canawaugus Park makes a great first impression offering a picnic spot equipped with benches, a fix-it station, horse mounts, and bike racks. Visitors can enjoy a nice cup of coffee and a hearty sandwich at Artisan Coffee House and take a trip over to the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum, New York State's only operating railroad museum, located in a nearby hamlet.

Village of Avon

Located at the crossroads of historic railroad routes and two water bodies, the Village of Avon is just a short ride from the Village of Scottsville via the Genesee Valley Greenway State Park and offers connections to the 2-mile Erie-Attica Trail. With two breweries (Rising Storm and Mortalis), a speciality shop for the equestrians, boutique shopping, the Park Theater providing events throughout the year, and a holiday spectacular planned for the end of 2023, this former wellness resort destination won’t disappoint.

Town of York

A community with “rural character with a sustainable future,” the Town of York delivers on great local brews at Dublin Corners Farm Brewery, which uses home-grown hops, and other locally sourced ingredients, to highlight the regional character (and how delicious it can be!). You can dig deeper too, learning about local history at a nearby nature preserve, which offers an outdoor classroom on a 75 acre parcel of forest and stream. Dedicated to the memory of the salt miners who once lived there, you'll come away from your visit with a happy belly and a greater appreciation for the complex past of York and its surrounding area.

PTNY's Trail Towns initiative has been made possible through generous funding from the Ralph C. Wilson Jr Foundation, which has supported critical improvements for each Trail Town individually, and furthered regional goals of the Trail Town initiative more broadly.

— Stay tuned for more Genesee Valley Trail Town trip recommendations for the gateway communities and the southern hubs. —