Irondequoit Bay Park West

Location

Main Entrance: 400 Orchard Park Blvd Irondequoit, NY 14609

Fish and Game Entrance: Near 614 Bay Front S Irondequoit, NY 14609

Homewood Entrance: Near 152 Homewood Ln Rochester, NY 14609 -> No parking available

Hours 1

April 1st-Oct 31st: Daily 7:00AM to 11:00PM

Nov 1st-Mar 31st: Mon-Thur 7:00AM to 4:00PM, Fri-Sun 7:00AM-11:00PM

Phone

585 753 7275 (PARK) Monroe County Parks

Website

http://www.MonroeCounty.gov/Parks-BayWest.php

Trail Map

http://www.mygroc.com/images/stories/maps/IBW-MAP_groc.pdf

Irondequoit Bay Park West is a Monroe County park located on the western shore of Irondequoit Bay. Offering hiking, mountain biking, and access to the bay. The park’s 147 acres are located on approximately 2,000 feet of Irondequoit Bay water frontage. Parking is available at both the Orchard Park entrance and the Fish and Game entrance.

Most of the entrances to the park are a bit challenging for beginner mountain bikers, but they shouldn't let that discourage them. Once you get to the core of the park, the blue, orange, white, and red trails are all great options with smooth trails and the occasional log to cross. Hikers should find the trails to be pretty easy, as the trails are smooth hardpacked dirt for the most part. Red trail in particular should be a favorite of mountain bikers who enjoy fast, flowing cross country trails.

Beginner mountain bikers should start from the "Fish and Game" parking lot Blue trail entrance. There is one section of switchbacks and a steep climb to enter the park, but is smooth sailing to the core trails from there.Green trail is a great way to enter the park for more experienced riders, or hikers, as it features some steep, stepped descents/climbs.

The Main Entrance off the small parking lot on Orchard Park Blvd has two options that lead to the Purple trail, a short stretch of fireroad or a steep section of trail. The path to the core of the park follows benched trails on a steep sideslope on Purple trail. Don't look down!

The Homewood Ln Entrance is smooth and downhill pretty much until it intersects with Green trail. Lots of fun with a series of wooden bridges to cross.

The formally recognized trails are built and maintained at the behest of Monroe County Parks by the Genesee Regional Off-road Cyclists (GROC) organization ever since mountain biking was approved as an activity in the park in 2011. GROC is always looking for more volunteer trail workers to build and maintain this beautiful park.

Comments:

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2011-12-11 10:22:44   Best mountain biking trails in Rochester! Tryon is a mess, poorly marked and poorly mapped which makes it horribly confusing for people. Bay Park West was done well though, with well laid out trails and great scenery. Highly recommended! —GeorgeBluth