Letchworth State Park FLT Branch

Dogs Unknown

Features River/Creek · Views · Waterfall

This is a section of a branch trail to the Finger Lakes Trail (FLT) (Note: this is open to bikes during the summer so be aware of other users on the trail).

The trail starts at the Hogsback Overlook parking lot, which is on your left side of the road to the Mt. Morris Dam. The trail starts out paralleling the magnificent lower gorge of the Genessee River with some spectacular views. The trail travels inland often to cross some tributaries, but after a few miles, it follows very close to one of the steepest and deepest part of the lower gorge, with some short side trails to overlooks.

Soon after these spectacular views, there is an intersection in a pine grove that allows you to bail out to the road paralleling the park. Staying on the trail, you go right down a long descent. You now enter the central part of the park where the Genessee Valley is a broad valley rather than gorge. There are many many tributaries to cross along this stretch. Some are pleasant with a long slog inward to a good crossing spot and then a downhill along the other side. Others are much less fun and are classic poor trail design creek crossings which plunge straight into the creek bed, and straight up the other side.

Soon, you climb up to another intersection which is yet another bail out to the road. But keep continue on because the creek crossings start to diminish and you have many long ups and downs along the tributaries.

After you pass a log lean to slightly off the trail to your right, you come to another bailout to the road. Usually you are tired by now, so that is often a good idea. If not, be prepared for a very long downhill followed by a very long uphill in the next section.

Next you come to the section along Dishmill Creek and it soon it dumps you out on the old tow path that followed the canal that used to bypass the gorge. This section is a road but then it turns into a grassy towpath - flat and straight. This gets interupted by a technical part (due to a landslide) as it approaches the upper (most spectacular) gorge. Upon returning to the old tow path, it passes under the RR bridge, and ends with some singletrack just before ending at the road.

Turn around - it's only 22 miles back! This is a very long trail and is commonly only hiked in sections.