Powder Mills Park, off Route 96 in the Town of Perinton, is one of Monroe County’s outstanding hunting-free hiking parks, with a nice group of wooded glacial ridges and lowlands on a 380 acre property with a fish hatchery and a ski hill. It has been a county park since 1930, after an interesting history as a gunpowder factory, and it’s a fine spot to work off some of those holiday desserts.
Meet at the Rand Lodge Parking Lot on Park Road at 1:45 for a 2 PM start. Warm layers, hiking poles and good boots are advised. The Climbers will follow a winding course (low ridges and lowlands) of about 4 miles through the park, both north and south of Woolston Road. The Tourist/Naturalist group will follow along with the Climbers for about 1.5 miles, then split off on Trillium Trail for a detour to the Fish Hatchery and back to the start, for a total of about 2.25 miles.
Please join us afterwards for our optional post-hike social at Panera Bread, 7651 Route 96, Victor.
Directions:
From Springwater: Head north on 15A and make a right on Kellogg Road to County Road 37. Continue on CR37 to West Bloomfield and continue straight when it becomes Route 65 (West Bloomfield Road). Continue past Route 251, and make a right on Smith Road. Continue past Route 64 and make a left on Mile Square Road, which becomes East Street. In 2.6 miles make a right on Park Road. The Rand Lodge parking area will be on your right.
Via 490: From Interstate 490 – take the Bushnell’s Basin exit. Go left on Route 96, pass the Garnsey Road light, and take a right on Park Road. Go past the Fish Hatchery and Corduroy Road, then take the first left into the Rand Lodge parking lot.
Post Hike Social: will be at Panera Bread, 7651 Route 96, Victor. Directions to Social: Go right from Rand Lodge lot onto Park Road, take a right at the end on Route 96. Follow Route 96 for 2.5 miles, past Eastview Mall. Panera Bread will be on your right, just before the light for Kohl’s and Walmart. If you miss the Panera driveway you can go right toward Hampton Inn at the light and then back across the parking lot to Panera Bread.