Little Rock City (a rather unique hike destination) is located in Rock City State Forest, and as cities go, well, it is not a city in the traditional sense, as occupied by humans, … it is a city of rocks.   “Little Rock City” is one of three “Rock Cities” in Cattaraugus County, NY.   [For the curious … The other two are: Rock City Park (a privately owned tourist attraction of huge rock formations and more), and Thunder Rocks in Allegany State Park may be considered by some to be a rock city.]    Please don’t let “Little” in Little Rock City mislead you, the rocks are actually huge here, the diminutive is likely a mere delineation from the larger “Rock City Park”.

For Sunday, July 2nd 2017, ST has not planned a ST hike (that was announced at the 6/25 ST hike) .  BUT WAIT- do not be dismayed, here is a hike opportunity at Little Rock City that some ST hikers may be willing to travel to and find the hike well worth the distance of travel.  (This hike opportunity came to ST on Monday morning 6/26, and by Monday afternoon this hike got posted for ST and other hikers too.)

The Finger Lakes Trail (FLT) runs thru Rock City State Forest, as do some other trails.   Here is an opportunity to avail yourself of these trails with some like minded hikers.

This is a hike provided by the group Chautauqua Hikes, and likely you’ll be joined by some hikers from Olean Area Hiking Group (yes, the same group that ST did a joint hike with at Hanging Bog three or so years ago).  Hikes are open to other hikers.

The two paragraphs below in italics are the hike particulars as provided by “Chautauqua Hikes”.

Come out and join us for a hike at Little Rock City on Sunday July 2nd. Various skill levels are welcome.  We will meet at the park and ride on Rt 60 at 9:30am to carpool to the trail. This is a trail that we did a few times years ago but not recently. Bring
a lunch and water. Dress for the weather. The trial is hilly and rocky.
I’m not sure of the distance but we will be out all day, including travel
time. 

This state forest received its name due to the massive boulders the size of
houses which are naturally arranged so that they resemble a city with
“streets” running between them. This unique “city” is formed by many
factors including a massive resistant conglomerate bed, erosion of the weak
shale base and soil creep. The conglomerate bed actually has its own
geological designation known as Devonian Salamanca conglomerate. A
conglomerate is a rock consisting of individual stones that have become
cemented together.

 – – Please note, the carpool point (park & ride on Rt 60 at 9:30am)  listed in the two italics paragraphs above is not one that ST hikers would use, as it is in Jamestown area well west of Little Rock City.  ST hikers would be coming from the east.

Basics of this hike – for ST hikers:

Hike start time for this “Little Rock City” hike is targeted as 10:30AM.  Hike Leader is Eileen of Chautauqua Hikes.  Bring a lunch and water.  Dress for the weather. The trial is hilly and rocky. Various skill levels of hikers are welcome.

Parking for this hike and Hike start locale are both at the former CCC Camp Seneca on the west side of Hungry Hollow Rd.      Map or GPS coordinates ~  42.224246, -78.699124  

Carpool for ST hikers   Carpool (unsupervised) is at Springwater Town Hall with gathering time at 8:05AM and depart time of 8:15AM.  (A potential carpool point in Wayland is under consideration at present.)  

Driving Directions (from Springwater Town Hall):  Drive time to the hike from Springwater is ~ 2 hours.    Rt 15 south; to Rt 21 south; to Rt 36 north (very briefly) ; to Rt 17 Southern Tier Expressway (aka I-86) west.  From Southern Tier expressway take Exit 23 to Rt 219 north (Business) / Rt 417.  From 219 north / Rt 417 turn right onto Killbuck Rd (aka Co Rd 49), which will eventually merge back into Rt 219 north.  Continue briefly on Rt 219 north (aka Buffalo-Pittsburgh Hwy, likely named for the routing of the railroad of same name) crossing over Great Valley Creek, then just past Great Valley Creek and the large antique place on the left turn left onto Hungry Hollow Rd.  The CCC Camp Seneca parking area is a couple miles down Hungry Hollow Rd on the left/west.     – – –  Hint:The parking area is a short distance after passing Perrault Rd which intersects Hungry Hollow Rd (on the right/east).  If you reach the intersect of McCarthy Hill Rd (on the right/north) while on Hungry Hollow Rd you’ve gone to far. 

Map or GPS coordinates (approximate) for CCC Camp Seneca parking area (trailhead access to Little Rock City) ~  42.224246, -78.699124  ( A reminder: Bear in mind in some areas, especially more remote areas, GPS units may not give accurate routing directions.   Oooo, err, uhmm, RECALCULATING.  ;~)

 – – – (optional, not required) – – –   Interested hikers should feel free to “log-in” to the ST website (as an authorized user) and post “comments” to this post (perhaps confirm who is going and advance carpool arrangements, etc).    (Alternatively, you may also send an e-mail to: damhikes [at] springwatertrails.org ; and communications efforts can be coordinated via e-mail.)

As a primer, here at two links about Rock City State Forest (and more), both are on CNYhiking website.  You’ll find some photos of Little Rock City in the links.  – – A shout out of “THANKS” to Ed of CNYhiking for the plethora of fantastic info he has cataloged  for use by hikers and other outdoor enthusiasts … all listed in the CNYhiking.com website!

http://www.cnyhiking.com/RockCityStateForest.htm

http://www.cnyhiking.com/NCT-RockCityStateForest.htm

>>> most recent update to this hike event post by author – Friday 6/30/2017 ~ 12:25PM <<<

Please check this post for any additional info or changes as we approach hike day.

Just Sayin’ … after the hike, when returning to the Finger Lakes area, hikers may wish to consider taking in the free concert performed by Bluegrass group “South 79” at Vitale Park located at the head of Conesus Lake in Lakeville.  Concert time is 6-8PM.  Parking may be a bit of a challenge, … none-the-less an additional chance to kick-back and get in some recreatin’ on a Sunday of Independence Day weekend.

Lastly, a suggestion, toward a future ST hike. …  If you go to this Little Rock City hike, perhaps keep a perspective eye toward possibility of planning a future ST hike at Little Rock City, which for sure would be a rare distance travel exception hike for ST if our  group decides there is willingness to make the travel.

For the last two years the happy kayakers have ventured out into the center of the Annual Conesus Lake Ring of Fire, while others less willing or non-kayakers enjoyed watching the fireworks from the shore. This year Springwater Trails is invited to join the happy kayakers for a picnic at 6:00 at Long Point Park in Geneseo to celebrate the 4th of July. The kayaking will launch at 8:00 and return at 10:00.

Because Conesus Lake can be rough at times and because of the return in darkness, only experienced kayakers will participate.  Also, we’ll only kayak if the weather is favorable.

Thanks to Jim Clark, Marine Patrol on Conesus Lake, we have the privilege of grouping at the Sheriff’s Substation on the lake.  The park is expected to be crowded to we will need to limit the number of hikers to 20. Please RSVP if you are planning to join us.

Fireworks are loud and close by. Dogs on leashes are allowed, but not encouraged for the comfort of both the dog and other spectators.

Traffic will be heavy, so plan ahead.  Please arrive at 6:00 to drop off your kayaks and park on the grounds. Bring a dish to pass, a beverage, a lawn chair or blanket, flashlight,  and mosquito repellent.  We will picnic at 7:00.  The excitement begins around dusk. 

Kayakers will need to have not only life preservers, but headlamps and bright lights on their boats as we will be on the lake amidst motorboats. Staying close to the shoreline, we will experience seeing the Ring of Fire from the lake.  We must stick close together and have a buddy system since it is easy to get disorientated in the dark.  Caution should be taken to avoid other boats and to be as bright as possible.  In addition, powerful fireworks will explode directly overhead and some sparkles may be hitting the water around us.  Communication is important. We will return to Long Point, planning additional  time to secure your kayak on your car in the dark.

The Conesus Lake of Fire is an incredible local event in our area. If you have not experienced it, come join us for a fun, memorable time!

On Sunday 9th July, Springwater Trails will be cleaning up the Wheaton Hill Trails.There are two loops on each side of the road. We will split into four groups, with each group taking one of the loops.  We will hike the loop, clearing any branches on the trail, clipping anything that is interfering with with hiking the trail, and we will take notes concerning larger items that need to be done on the trail in the future.

NOTE: If you plan to use a weed whacker, PLEASE BRING EYE PROTECTION! These devices can kick up a lot of dust and small stones.

Bring gloves to protect your hands, loppers to cut branches and if you have one, a small saw for branches that are too large for the loppers. This trail tends to grow a LOT of grass, so we’ll need as many weed whackers as people can bring..

If the weather is good we’ll have a picnic social after the hike; bring a dish to pass and something to drink with you. If it’s cool or threatening to rain then we’ll skip the social this time.

Directions: Wheaton Hill is the first right turn north of the intersection of Rt 15 and Rt 15A in Springwater (0.9 mile north of the intersection).  The trail head is 0.5 miles up Wheaton Hill just before the road turns straight east and heads up the main hill.  More details are on the directions page.

What to bring:

• Gloves and clippers – hand clippers or long handled loppers for larger branches.
• A weed whacker if you have one, with gas mixture and extra string. 
• Small bow saw.
• Plastic grocery bags in case you find any litter.
• Water to keep hydrated.

This Sunday hike is the first in a series. Over the next year we are planning to hike the entire Bristol Hills Branch I(BHB) of the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT). On the third Sunday of each month, we will hike a different section of the trail.  The Climbers will do the longest hikes, completing the entire trail including all road walks.  The Tourists will generally skip the road walks, making their hikes a bit shorter. And finally, the Naturalists will hike a selected portion of the trail, based on length and terrain. These hikes will be one way hikes, so expect some shuttling of cars.

Our first BHB hike is on the Finger Lakes Trail map B3 (see the images). We will meet on Clark Hill Rd at the corner with LaRue Rd in Bath, NY. From there, some cars will drive to the north end of the hike on Mitchellsville Rd, the rest will drive to the south end of the hike at the corner of Ferris Rd and Harrisburg Hollow Rd.

The Climbers will car pool to the north end of the hike at Access Pt 18 on Mitchellsville Rd and will hike south. The hike will start with a long steep uphill, along a ravine. Once Lake David is reached, the trail flattens out, to a shallow, but steady climb to Harrisburg Hollow Rd. Crossing Harrisburg Hollow Rd, the hike will continue to the point where the BHB ends at the Finger Lakes Trail. Turning right, the climbers will follow the FLT west along the abandoned portion of Ferris Rd.  When the FLT turns into the woods, we will continue on Ferris Rd back to the Tourists and Naturalists cars.

The Tourists and Naturalists will car pool to the south end of the hike. They will turn onto Harrisburg Hollow Rd and park the cars. The Naturalists and tourists will hike along Harrisburg Hollow Rd continuing north. In about half a mile, the Bristol Hills Branch will cross the road. The Tourists will turn left and follow the trail north (downhill) to Access 18 on Mitchellsville Rd where we hope to find the climbers cars and return by car to the southern start point. The Naturalists will turn right and follow the trail to the abandoned Ferris Rd. Turning right, they will follow the FLT and Ferris Rd to the top of the hill, and continue to the cars at Harrisburg Hollow. This trail passes through both forest and open fields. On the last leg of the BHB, you will cross a gully on a ladder bridge – a clever solution to a difficult crossing. If the Naturalists reach the FLT before 5:15, they may want to explore the FLT to the east, before returning to the cars.

We will do a picnic social after the hike on Harrisburg Hollow Rd and enjoy a beautiful view to the west.  Bring a dish to pass and your own beverage (or contribute to the social fund).  If it is raining, we will make other arrangements.

Directions:

From Springwater (and Wayland): Head south on NY-15 through Wayland. Turn left to get on I390.  [If the entrance to I390 is still closed for construction, turn left on NY-415 just before going under I390. In 6.2 miles, turn righ onto Cohocton Look Lake Rd and in a half mile, turn left onto I-390S]. Continue onto I-86 (NY-17) east. Take Exit 37 and turn left only NY-53 north.  In 2.8 miles, turn right onto Larue Rd, Take the first right onto Clark Hill Rd. We will meet here.

From Rochester and Dansville: Head south on I390 and join  I-86 East. Take Exit 37 and follow the directions from Springwater.

From Bath and south: Head west on I-86. Take Exit 37 and follow the directions from Springwater.

From Naples and north: From NY-21 on the south edge of Naples, follow NY-53 South for 19 miles. Turn left onto Larue Rd. Take the first right onto Clark Hill Rd. We will meet here.

To get from the meeting location to Mitchellsville Rd: Turn right (North) onto Larue  Rd for 2.2 miles. (Larue becomes Garner Rd in 1.3 miles) At the T, turn right onto CR 13 (Mitchellsville Rd. In 1.1 miles, the trail will be on the right.  Best parking is on the right.

To get from the meeting location to Harrisburg Hollow Rd at Ferris Rd: Continue on Clark Hill Rd for 1.3 miles.  Continue straight through the 4-way intersection. At the next intersection, turn left onto Harrisburg Hollow Rd. Park right there. (If you had continued straight, that would be Ferris Rd which becomes the FLT.) Warning: most of this route is dirt road.

To get from the North end back to the South end: As you come out of the trail to the cars, you will want to drive to the left on Mitchellsville Rd. Head north on Mitchellsville for 1.1 miles. Turn left onto Garner Rd. When Garner Rd turns right, continue straight onto LaRue Rd for 1.3 miles. Turn left onto Clark Hill Rd for 1.3 miles.  Continue straight through the 4-way intersection. At the next intersection, turn left onto Harrisburg Hollow Rd. The Tourist cars should be there.

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If you have pictures of this section of the Bristol Hills Branch, please add them to our gallery. [ngg_uploader id=15]

IMPORTANT UPDATE (posted Monday 7/17 ~12:40PM)!!!     PLEASE NOTE RESCHEDULING OF THIS HIKE!!! – THE HIKE (ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED FOR MONDAY 7/17) HAS BEEN RESCHEDULED TO TUESDAY JULY 18TH (SAME TIME & PLACE).  RESCHEDULING IS DUE TO WEATHER CONCERNS FOR MONDAY EVENING.   ALL OTHER INFO REMAINS THE SAME.

FOR ANY POSSIBLE ADDITIONAL UPDATES – PLEASE CHECK THE FOGVG FACEBOOK PAGE.

**It should also be noted, subsequent to the hike, usually within a few days, often photos of the hike are posted on the FOGVG Facebook page.

An opportunity for a 7/17/2017 Monday hike, at Letchworth State Park, exists for ST hikers to join the members of Southern Tier Greenway Hiking group (STGH).  STGH is made up of hikers who hike the southern section of the Genesee Valley Greenway State Park (GVGSP aka GVG) and many more locations.  ST has hiked with some of these hikers during the Friends of Genesee Valley Greenway (FOGVG) annual event held in early November.  And some STGH hikers have joined-in on some ST hikes. The information about this Letchworth hike is as follows.  

Introductory info:  – –  Perhaps “motivation” to attend. – –   “Trolleys at Twilight” is an annual event at NYMT.   This event happens to be scheduled for Saturday, July 22 in 2017.  Some ST hikers may recall that we in ST have synced at least two hikes at the Genesee River Reserve (a sprawling town park situated in the northwest corner of the town of Rush) with opportunities of NYMT whose main museum building is located near the northeastern corner of the Reserve.  Impetus was expressed to do more ST hikes at the Reserve.

To date, ST has not synced a hike with “Trolleys at Twilight”.  Perhaps that may be a distinct possibility for a future year.  In the mean time here is an opportunity for ST hikers to avail themselves a unique opportunity, and perhaps “get the wheels turning” in consideration of planning a ST hike in sync with a scheduled NYMT “Trolleys at Twilight” future event.  Any ST Hike Planner could meld a ST hike and NYMT “Trolleys at Twilight” event as a combo event opportunity, and likely a jump-starter to doing so would be to first experience “Trolleys at Twilight” first-hand.

A link to NYMT calendar of events, for edification and perhaps an impetus or prompt to a ST Hike Planner with an eye toward future hike combo event possibilities.  (Note that Sept & Oct Sundays bring Fall Foliage trolley rides and Saturday 10/21 the Halloween Trolley Express, while December Sundays bring Holly Trolley rides.  Merely some opportunity to plan a hike combo event for the ST Autumn hiking quarter, Oct-Dec.)

Topical Info: (provided by NYMT)   Enjoy a unique evening at an old-time trolley park at the New York Museum of Transportation, Saturday, July 22, 2017 from 4:00 until dusk.  Trolley rides will operate throughout the event and calliope music will waft through the air as the sun goes down over the scenic Genesee countryside.   Complimentary ice cream treats will be provided for all attendees!

Trolley rides will operate continuously from 4 p.m. til dusk, and the museum model railroad will be alive with miniature trains.  As the sun sets, there will be unique opportunities for night photography.   No reservations are needed, and unlimited trolley rides are included in the admission price of $8 adults, $7 seniors age 65 +, and $6 youths age 3 – 12.  Under age 3 are free.

The New York Museum of Transportation is located at 6393 East River Road, just 20 minutes from downtown Rochester and easily reached from Exit 11 off I-390.   Phone: (585) 533-1113.   The museum is regularly open only one day per week – Sundays from 11AM- 5PM, except for special events such as this Saturday special event “Trolleys at Twilight”.     www.nymtmuseum.org

This Sunday, we will be hiking the Springwater Trail at Sugarbush Hollow.This will be a combination hike and maintenance day – our goal is to hike from Pardee Hollow south, over the hill and then west to Punky Hollow, cleaning fallen branches off the trail and noting any larger maintenance that can be completed at a future work day. 

The Climbers will start from Sugarbush Hollow and will hike to Punky Hollow, and then return to the start point using the Orange trail on the route back.  Tourists and Naturalists will carpool to the Punky Hollow end and will hike the opposite direction. The Naturalists will return to the start point at Punky Hollow, while the Tourists make the trek up and over the hill to the sugar house.

Following the hike, we will head to Atlanta and the Mountain View Inn for dinner and drinks.

Directions: Meet on Pardee Hollow downhill from the Sugar House at the entrances to the Trail. Detailed directions here.

An opportunity for a 7/25/2017 Tuesday hike, at Letchworth State Park (eastside of the park), exists for ST hikers to join the members of Southern Tier Greenway Hiking group (STGH).  STGH is made up of hikers who hike the southern section of the Genesee Valley Greenway State Park (GVGSP aka GVG) and many more locations.  ST has hiked with some of these hikers during the Friends of Genesee Valley Greenway (FOGVG) annual event held in early November.  And some STGH hikers have joined-in on some ST hikes. The information about this Letchworth eastside hike is as follows.  

In this picture from Google Maps, you can see a car with a trailer coming out of the park entrance onto NY-436. This is where you should turn in.

Please note that the area consisting of the park entrance road (at Portageville Rd & NY Rt 436 aka Portage St) and immediate surrounds can be a bit confusing, in part due to an additional short spur between Portageville Rd & NY Rt 436.  This short spur intersects NY Rt 436 at approx a 90 degree angle, vs the acute angle formed by NY Rt 436 & Portageville Rd / the park entrance road.  google maps view

This Sunday, we will take advantage of Canadice Lake, the smaller of the two undeveloped Finger Lakes north of the town of Springwater. Prior to the purchase of the land around these lakes by the City of Rochester, Canadice was known as the lake with cottages for the “locals”, while Hemlock catered more to the city folk. Hikers should be able to see cottage foundations remaining on the west side of Canadice Lake. Take a look at photos of some of those cottages.

We will all meet at the Canoe Launch near the south end of Canadice Lake. Boaters should arrive by 3:30 to allow time to unload boats and transport them to the lake. Following the hike and boating, we will have a Dish to Pass social at the Canoe Launch. Bring a dish to pass or make a donation to the Social Fund. Also bring your own beverage.

HIKERS:

Naturalists and Tourists will car pool to the south trail entrance and will follow the trail to the west side of the lake and up the west side. Checking the time, they will turn around to return to the cars and the canoe launch at 6:00. Climbers preferring a longer one way trip, will car pool to the north end of Canadice and arrange for a ride back with the Naturalists at the end of the hike. This trail is wide and fairly flat, allowing all hikers to enjoy the lake.

BOATERS:

Boaters will launch from the Canoe Launch and will head South and then North along the western shoreline. They will head across the lake to return south to the canoe launch for a 4 or 5 mile trip.

DIRECTIONS:

From Springwater: Go North on 15A for 2.7 miles. Bear right on Old Bald Hill Rd S and then an immediate right on Johnson Hill Rd. Take the first left onto Canadice Lake Rd. The Canadice Canoe Launch is 1.8 miles north of Johnson Hill Rd.

From Honeoye: Take Co Rd 37 South from 20A, Turn right after 3.7mi to stay on Co Rd 37. Stay straight onto Burch Hill Rd. At the lake, turn left onto Canadice Lake Rd. The Canadice Canoe Launch is 2.1 miles south of Burch Hill Rd.

From Hemlock and Rochester: Take NY Rt 15A south from Rochester through Lima and Hemlock. Just past Hemlock, Rt 20A goes left. Continue straight on 15A for 3,2 miles after 20A. Turn left on Purcell Hill. At the end of Purcell Hill Rd, turn right onto Canadice Lake Rd on the east side of the lake. The Canoe Launch is 2.9 miles south.

**Please note, this hike is the last of three hikes that have been scheduled in weekly succession at Letchworth State Park by the Southern Tier Greenway Hiking (STGH) group with an interpreter provided.  Subsequent weekly hikes that STGH has planned will be held on trails that are further south and west of Letchworth S.P.   (At full disclosure, posting to the ST website for the previous two hikes was with only one day or so notice prior to each of those two hikes, so somewhat unfortunate in notice given for any interested hikers.  However for this hike it has been posted 4+ days in advance.)

An opportunity for a 7/31/2017 Monday hike, at Letchworth State Park, exists for ST hikers to join the members of Southern Tier Greenway Hiking group (STGH).  STGH is made up of hikers who hike the southern section of the Genesee Valley Greenway State Park (GVGSP aka GVG) and many more locations.  ST has hiked with some of these hikers during the Friends of Genesee Valley Greenway (FOGVG) annual event held in early November.  And some STGH hikers have joined-in on some ST hikes. The information about this Letchworth hike is as follows.