CANCELED – Due to thunderstorms predicted for 3:00 today, our hike is canceled.

This Sunday we will return to Keuka Lake for a hike through the State Park and a bike ride across the top of the land between the Y and back along the West Bluff Rd. Following the bike/hike we will all meet in the park picnic area to relax and socialize.  Bring your own beverage and sandwich and perhaps a snack to pass.

The park has a $7 day use fee so we will all meet at the parking lot at the Finger Lakes Museum and then car pool into the park. See the directions below.

The bike ride is about two and a half hours long, so we will meet an hour early at 3:00 to allow for the extra time. Bicyclists may want to carpool back to their cars prior to the social – we don’t think there is a fee after 5:00.

Click map for a printable version.

Hikers: The White Trail starts across the main road from the Picnic Parking area. All hikers will head up the white trail past an historic cemetery. This trail starts steep but it seems that all hikers will be able to regroup at the cemetery.  From there, the trail continues up through woods to Campground Rd. Turn right onto the road, the left at the Tee and continue up to the end of the road (about a quarter mile). The Green Trail continues straight from the end of the road. At the first trail intersection, turn left to head back down toward the campground. There is a second intersection, but hikers will continue straight. The Green Trail comes out into the Twin Fawns campsite circle at site 76. Turn left on the road and head down to campsite 66 to join the purple trail under the large willow tree. Please be respectful of campers if the sites are in use.

Click on map for a full size image.

Just a few feet down the purple trail, turn right onto the yellow trail. This trail follows a gully down to the lower parking area. At our prehike, the day after the big rain, the stream at the bottom of the gully was beautiful.  The original parking is about half a mile up the road, or hikers can follow the shoreline back to the picnic area. This hike is slightly less than 4 miles.

Bikers: Our bikers will head uphill, out of the park to Pepper Rd. Turning right on Pepper Rd will take us along the edge of the park. We will continue past W Bluff Rd to the tee at Skyline Dr. Again, turn right and continue the climb to the open fields at the top with some nice views of the lake. Our total climb is 700 ft over 6 miles. Skyline Dr will turn left as we pass the Seasonal Road sign and head down hill. We will stop at the Garrett Memorial Chapel. Continuing down Skyline Dr, we will turn right on W Bluff Dr. By the time we reach the cottages on the lake, we will have descended 700 ft in 1.2 miles (check your brakes before you start!). The final 5.5 miles along the shore line is a relaxing drive by many nice cottages. At the north end we will stay to the left, go around the gate and continue back to the cars in the park.

Directions: The following directions are to the meeting spot up by the brick museum building on the west side of the grounds.

From Springwater, (Wayland and Naples):  take NY 15 south to Wayland. Turn left on NY 21 N through N. Cohocton to Naples. Turn right on NY 53 south. Turn Left on Italy Valley Rd (CR 21). Turn right onto Italy Hill Turnpike (CR 34). At the top, turn left onto Italy Hill Rd (CR 32) and follow that road to Branchport.  Continue straight onto NY 54A and take the first left onto School St. Stay to the left up the hill, in front of the old school building and around to the left to the first parking lot.

From Canandaigua: There are many equally good ways to get to Branchport from Canandaigua.  Here are the simplest directions I could find. Head east on 5&20. Turn right onto NY 247S. In 6 miles, at the intersection with NY 245, bear left toward NY 245N, but then turn right to cross 245 onto Blodgett Rd. In 5.2 miles, turn left onto NY 364. In 4.5 miles, turn riht onto Guyonoga Rd (CR 29). Continue into Branchport. Turn left onto NY 54A and take the first left onto School St. Stay to the left up the hill, in front of the old school building and around to the left to the first parking lot.

Directions from the Museum to the Park: Follow School St back out to 54A. Turn left and follow 54A past Esperanza Mansion on the left to Pepper Rd. Turn right on Pepper Rd, then the next right into the park. The day-use fee is paid at the entrance. Then turn right toward the lake and beaches. We will park at the second parking lot near the picnic area.