Erie Canal Sampler - Rochester

Erie Canal Sampler - Rochester

Rich in history, the city of Rochester and surrounding towns are packed with things to do and see. This four-day trip includes cycling and paddling, as well as a boat ride on the canal. At every stop, discover hidden gems, local products, and vibrant canal communities.


TOTAL DAYS: 4
CANAL: Erie Canal
LOCATION: Greater Rochester, including Brockport, Spencerport, Pittsford, Bushnell’s Basin, Fairport
CYCLING MILES: 15.3 miles (optional)
PADDLING MILES: 6.8 miles (optional)

Trip Highlights

  • Cycle through the quintessential canal towns of Brockport, Spencerport, and Adams Basin
  • Paddle the Genesee River into the city of Rochester
  • Tour the famous Genesee Brewery and sample a pint
  • Learn about Rochester’s important contributions to industry and the arts, including many famous inhabitants
  • Climb aboard the Sam Patch to experience the canal by boat
  • Experience the vibrant Rochester Public Market

ACCESSIBILITY: This itinerary includes self-guided museum tours and city explorations, along with cycling and paddling excursions. For a fully accessible itinerary, see the "Village to Village Along the Erie Canal" itinerary, a modified version of this trip with detailed accessibility information.

TOTAL DAYS: 4
CANAL: Erie Canal
LOCATION: Greater Rochester, including Brockport, Spencerport, Pittsford, Bushnell’s Basin, Fairport
CYCLING MILES: 15.3 miles (optional)
PADDLING MILES: 6.8 miles (optional)
Brockport  
Brockport
Rochester  
Rochester
Fairport  
Fairport
Brockport  
Brockport
Rochester  
Rochester
Fairport  
Fairport
Daily Outline:
DAY 1:Cycle from Brockport to Spencerport and Back
15.3 miles roundtrip
Segment 1
Brockport

Bursting with charm – and plenty of places to shop and eat - Brockport is known as the “Victorian Village on the Erie Canal.” Find parking and restrooms at the Brockport Canalfront Welcome Center, as well as walking tours, free bike rentals, and other amenities. A bike-share run by HOPR is available in Brockport (bikes are at the lift bridge), Rochester, Pittsford, and Fairport. When you’re ready to begin your ride, cross the lift bridge and head east on the Canalway Trail.

Click for Accessibility Note

Adaptive paddling and cycling rentals are available from the Erie Canal Boat Company, located in Fairport. Call ahead to arrange delivery.

Bursting with charm – and plenty of places to shop and eat - Brockport is known as the “Victorian Village on the Erie Canal.” Find parking and restrooms at the Brockport Canalfront Welcome Center, as well as walking tours, free bike rentals, and other amenities. A bike-share run by HOPR is available in Brockport (bikes are at the lift bridge), Rochester, Pittsford, and Fairport. When you’re ready to begin your ride, cross the lift bridge and head east on the Canalway Trail.

Click for Accessibility Note

Adaptive paddling and cycling rentals are available from the Erie Canal Boat Company, located in Fairport. Call ahead to arrange delivery.

Brockport
Segment 2
Adams Basin

In 5 miles, you’ll reach the picturesque lift bridge marking the tiny hamlet of Adams Basin. Constructed around 1825, the stately home just before the bridge served as a canal tavern and inn throughout the 1800s. Continue about 4 miles to Spencerport.

In 5 miles, you’ll reach the picturesque lift bridge marking the tiny hamlet of Adams Basin. Constructed around 1825, the stately home just before the bridge served as a canal tavern and inn throughout the 1800s. Continue about 4 miles to Spencerport.

Adams Basin
Segment 3
Spencerport

Another lift bridge marks your arrival in Spencerport. Cross over to explore this quaint canal town, beginning at the Spencerport Depot and Canal Museum. Housed in a restored 1908 Trolley Depot, restrooms and showers are available on the lower level. Enjoy a meal or find snacks and beverages in town, before cycling back.

Another lift bridge marks your arrival in Spencerport. Cross over to explore this quaint canal town, beginning at the Spencerport Depot and Canal Museum. Housed in a restored 1908 Trolley Depot, restrooms and showers are available on the lower level. Enjoy a meal or find snacks and beverages in town, before cycling back.

Spencerport
Segment 4
Back in Brockport

Reward yourself with a local draft at Stoneyard Brewing Company, located on the canal at 48 Merchant St. Need a bite? Head south on Main Street to Bill Grays, a local favorite for burgers or enjoy Abbotts Frozen Custard. Both are about a mile from the lift bridge.

Reward yourself with a local draft at Stoneyard Brewing Company, located on the canal at 48 Merchant St. Need a bite? Head south on Main Street to Bill Grays, a local favorite for burgers or enjoy Abbotts Frozen Custard. Both are about a mile from the lift bridge.

Back in Brockport

Other things to do and see
  • Hurd Orchards, Holley: Full of home-grown goodness, this family-owned fruit and flower farm offers local jams, baked goods, crafts and fruit.
  • Morgan Manning House: Call ahead and schedule a tour of this historic Victorian home.
  • The Strand Theater: Built in 1907, Monroe County's oldest operating movie theater continues to show first-run movies. The façade was remodeled to an Art Moderne style in 1946.
DAY 2:Paddle the Genesee River and Visit High Falls
6.8 Miles Roundtrip (Turn around sooner for a shorter trip)
Segment 1
Genesee Waterways Center to Cornhill Landing and back

Rent a kayak or canoe from Genesee Waterways Center or launch your own and follow the river through the Genesee Valley Park, designed by the famous landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. You’ll paddle north, past the University of Rochester, to the heart of downtown. Enjoy a variety of riverscapes before docking at Corn Hill Landing to stretch and eat. You’ll need the fuel: you’ll be paddling against the current on your return trip.

Drive to Rochester/High Falls

Rent a kayak or canoe from Genesee Waterways Center or launch your own and follow the river through the Genesee Valley Park, designed by the famous landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. You’ll paddle north, past the University of Rochester, to the heart of downtown. Enjoy a variety of riverscapes before docking at Corn Hill Landing to stretch and eat. You’ll need the fuel: you’ll be paddling against the current on your return trip.

Drive to Rochester/High Falls

Genesee Waterways Center to Cornhill Landing and back
Segment 2
Visit High Falls and Genesee Brewery

The centerpiece of Rochester, from High Falls flows commerce, art and the city’s charm. Find parking all around the falls, some for a fee. Walk across the bridge, just behind the famous Genesee Brewery to see high falls crashing into the Genesee River. Then head inside the Genesee Brewery for a tour, meal or tasting. Call ahead to book a weekday tour. On the weekends, they are offered on the hour from 12pm-7pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 12pm-5pm on Sundays.

The centerpiece of Rochester, from High Falls flows commerce, art and the city’s charm. Find parking all around the falls, some for a fee. Walk across the bridge, just behind the famous Genesee Brewery to see high falls crashing into the Genesee River. Then head inside the Genesee Brewery for a tour, meal or tasting. Call ahead to book a weekday tour. On the weekends, they are offered on the hour from 12pm-7pm on Fridays and Saturdays and 12pm-5pm on Sundays.

Visit High Falls and Genesee Brewery
DAY 3:Explore Rochester and Pittsford
Segment 1
Rochester Museum or History Experience

Rochester offers a wealth of museums and historic sites, so choosing one may be a challenge. Spend the morning at the Susan B. Anthony House, the George Eastman House, or Mount Hope Cemetery. If you’re traveling with kids, don’t miss the Rochester Museum and Science Center and the National Museum of Play, which includes a replica of the Sesame Street neighborhood.

Learn more about each of these sights in the “More to Explore” section at the end of this itinerary.

Drive to Pittsford

Rochester offers a wealth of museums and historic sites, so choosing one may be a challenge. Spend the morning at the Susan B. Anthony House, the George Eastman House, or Mount Hope Cemetery. If you’re traveling with kids, don’t miss the Rochester Museum and Science Center and the National Museum of Play, which includes a replica of the Sesame Street neighborhood.

Learn more about each of these sights in the “More to Explore” section at the end of this itinerary.

Drive to Pittsford

Rochester Museum or History Experience
Segment 2
Pittsford and Schoen Place

Enjoy a leisurely afternoon along the canal in the Village of Pittsford. Schoen Place includes dozens of charming shops and restaurants, just steps from the water. A sampling includes: Lock 32 Brewing, Simply Crepes, the Village Coal Tower Restaurant, and Aladdin’s Eatery. Don’t miss the local ice cream and gift shop at Pittsford Farms Dairy.

Enjoy a leisurely afternoon along the canal in the Village of Pittsford. Schoen Place includes dozens of charming shops and restaurants, just steps from the water. A sampling includes: Lock 32 Brewing, Simply Crepes, the Village Coal Tower Restaurant, and Aladdin’s Eatery. Don’t miss the local ice cream and gift shop at Pittsford Farms Dairy.

Pittsford and Schoen Place
Segment 3
Cruise the Erie Canal

Travel through a lock and back in time aboard the replica 1800s packet boat, Sam Patch. Cruise the Erie Canal as you learn about its impact on Rochester and surrounding towns. Trips depart from Schoen Place, Wednesday – Monday, Spring through Fall.

Drive to Bushnell’s Basin

Travel through a lock and back in time aboard the replica 1800s packet boat, Sam Patch. Cruise the Erie Canal as you learn about its impact on Rochester and surrounding towns. Trips depart from Schoen Place, Wednesday – Monday, Spring through Fall.

Drive to Bushnell’s Basin

Cruise the Erie Canal
Segment 4
Dinner in Bushnell's Basin

Just 3 miles east of Pittsford, the historic hamlet of Bushnell’s Basin is home to Richardson’s Canal House. This 1800’s tavern turned restaurant served original canal travelers and still offers dining along the water. “The Basin” offers plenty of other dining options, as well as Abbott’s Custard and Seven Story Brewing.

Just 3 miles east of Pittsford, the historic hamlet of Bushnell’s Basin is home to Richardson’s Canal House. This 1800’s tavern turned restaurant served original canal travelers and still offers dining along the water. “The Basin” offers plenty of other dining options, as well as Abbott’s Custard and Seven Story Brewing.

Dinner in Bushnell's Basin
DAY 4:Experience the Rochester Public Market and Fairport
Segment 1
Rochester Public Market

Start your morning at one of the largest public markets in the country. Grab some coffee or a snack and stroll rows of local, farm-fresh meat, produce, dairy and seafood items, as well as ethnic specialties, plants and flowers, local products and artisan merchandise. Hours: Tuesday & Thursday, 6am – 1pm; Saturday 5am – 3pm.

Drive to Fairport

Start your morning at one of the largest public markets in the country. Grab some coffee or a snack and stroll rows of local, farm-fresh meat, produce, dairy and seafood items, as well as ethnic specialties, plants and flowers, local products and artisan merchandise. Hours: Tuesday & Thursday, 6am – 1pm; Saturday 5am – 3pm.

Drive to Fairport

Rochester Public Market
Segment 2
Cycle or Paddle Along the Canal

Fairport is home to a bustling canal port, where you’ll find boats, special events, plenty of dining and shopping options – as well as the village’s famous lift bridge. Poke around the village, then rent a kayak, canoe or bike from Erie Canal Boat Company to explore by water or land. For a quick ride or paddle, travel west 2 miles to Bushnell’s Basin. If cycling, cross over the canal to reach shops, food and amenities there. Paddlers can pull up to low docks at the canal amenity center.

Fairport is home to a bustling canal port, where you’ll find boats, special events, plenty of dining and shopping options – as well as the village’s famous lift bridge. Poke around the village, then rent a kayak, canoe or bike from Erie Canal Boat Company to explore by water or land. For a quick ride or paddle, travel west 2 miles to Bushnell’s Basin. If cycling, cross over the canal to reach shops, food and amenities there. Paddlers can pull up to low docks at the canal amenity center.

Cycle or Paddle Along the Canal
Segment 3
More to Explore in Fairport

No trip to Western New York would be complete without a stop at Wegmans Supermarket. Based in Rochester, this award-winning grocery chain continues to expand its national footprint as well as its selection of high-quality prepared foods. Try sushi, subs, pizza and Chinese fare – in addition to groceries, local beer and gifts. The experience sets a high bar few others can match. Traveling with kids? Try the Lollypop Farm for a farm walk, nature trail and petting area, run by the Greater Rochester Humane Society.

No trip to Western New York would be complete without a stop at Wegmans Supermarket. Based in Rochester, this award-winning grocery chain continues to expand its national footprint as well as its selection of high-quality prepared foods. Try sushi, subs, pizza and Chinese fare – in addition to groceries, local beer and gifts. The experience sets a high bar few others can match. Traveling with kids? Try the Lollypop Farm for a farm walk, nature trail and petting area, run by the Greater Rochester Humane Society.

This itinerary requires car transportation to daily destinations.

  • BY AIR: Rochester International Airport
  • BY RAIL: Amtrak’s Maple Leaf Line runs from Toronto, Canada to New York City along the Erie Canal, making stops from Albany to Buffalo. The Rochester Station is located at 320 Central Ave, Rochester. Reservations are required to bring your bike aboard, Bicycles | New York by Rail.
  • BY CAR: Take NYS Thruway I90 and I490 to reach Rochester.

Staying in one location as your base for the experiences in this itinerary is recommended. Visit Rochester has a complete listing of accommodations in the grater Rochester area. Here are a few downtown Rochester recommendations, centrally located to itinerary activities (below are suggestions only and do not imply endorsement):

George Eastman Museum

One of the world’s most renowned museums of photography and centers of photographic preservation, you’ll learn about George Eastman, who invented the hand-held camera in the late-1800s and lived in Rochester from 1905-1932.

Mount Hope Cemetery

America's oldest, municipally-owned Victorian cemetery, it is the final resting place for many associated with the Erie Canal, Underground Railroad, and the Women's Rights movement. Tours offered May-Oct.

Rochester Museum and Science Center

Explore the impact of science and technology on our lives -- past, present, future. Canal-themed exhibits include a hands-on Erie Canal lock model; the impact of canal building on Native Americans; and Flight to Freedom: Rochester’s Underground Railroad.

Strong Museum of Play

Travel back to your childhood as you explore one of the country’s largest collections of vintage toys at the Toy Hall of Fame. Children enjoy the Wegmans grocery store, where they can shop then check out their own groceries; a butterfly garden, and a full-size Sesame Street neighborhood – just like the one on television.

Susan B. Anthony House

See where the famous suffragist lived, worked, and was arrested for voting. The guided house tour includes details about her life and impact on the women’s suffrage movement in America.

  • Garbage Plates: Tastes much better than it sounds. This local legend starts with macaroni salad, potatoes, burgers and hot dogs (without the buns) piled high onto a plate. Topped with all the fixings, be sure to sample the special meat hot sauce. You'll find the original at Nick Tahoe Hots in downtown Rochester, but most burger joints in the area have their own version.
  • Zweigle’s Hot Dogs: These pop-open hot dogs have a thicker skin and a richer flavor than your normal hot dogs. Try on their own or atop your garbage plate.
  • Empire State Brewery App: Explore breweries in Rochester within 10 miles of the canal with the Empire State Trail Brewery Passport App.

BROCKPORT

  • Brockport Canal Front Welcome Center: Free bike rentals in downtown Brockport
  • Bicycle Outfitters
  • HOPR: Bike share

ROCHESTER

PITTSFORD

FAIRPORT

Getting Here

This itinerary requires car transportation to daily destinations.

  • BY AIR: Rochester International Airport
  • BY RAIL: Amtrak’s Maple Leaf Line runs from Toronto, Canada to New York City along the Erie Canal, making stops from Albany to Buffalo. The Rochester Station is located at 320 Central Ave, Rochester. Reservations are required to bring your bike aboard, Bicycles | New York by Rail.
  • BY CAR: Take NYS Thruway I90 and I490 to reach Rochester.
Accommodations

Staying in one location as your base for the experiences in this itinerary is recommended. Visit Rochester has a complete listing of accommodations in the grater Rochester area. Here are a few downtown Rochester recommendations, centrally located to itinerary activities (below are suggestions only and do not imply endorsement):

More To Explore
George Eastman Museum

One of the world’s most renowned museums of photography and centers of photographic preservation, you’ll learn about George Eastman, who invented the hand-held camera in the late-1800s and lived in Rochester from 1905-1932.

Mount Hope Cemetery

America's oldest, municipally-owned Victorian cemetery, it is the final resting place for many associated with the Erie Canal, Underground Railroad, and the Women's Rights movement. Tours offered May-Oct.

Rochester Museum and Science Center

Explore the impact of science and technology on our lives -- past, present, future. Canal-themed exhibits include a hands-on Erie Canal lock model; the impact of canal building on Native Americans; and Flight to Freedom: Rochester’s Underground Railroad.

Strong Museum of Play

Travel back to your childhood as you explore one of the country’s largest collections of vintage toys at the Toy Hall of Fame. Children enjoy the Wegmans grocery store, where they can shop then check out their own groceries; a butterfly garden, and a full-size Sesame Street neighborhood – just like the one on television.

Susan B. Anthony House

See where the famous suffragist lived, worked, and was arrested for voting. The guided house tour includes details about her life and impact on the women’s suffrage movement in America.

Sample Local Flavor
  • Garbage Plates: Tastes much better than it sounds. This local legend starts with macaroni salad, potatoes, burgers and hot dogs (without the buns) piled high onto a plate. Topped with all the fixings, be sure to sample the special meat hot sauce. You'll find the original at Nick Tahoe Hots in downtown Rochester, but most burger joints in the area have their own version.
  • Zweigle’s Hot Dogs: These pop-open hot dogs have a thicker skin and a richer flavor than your normal hot dogs. Try on their own or atop your garbage plate.
  • Empire State Brewery App: Explore breweries in Rochester within 10 miles of the canal with the Empire State Trail Brewery Passport App.
Bike/Paddle Shops

BROCKPORT

  • Brockport Canal Front Welcome Center: Free bike rentals in downtown Brockport
  • Bicycle Outfitters
  • HOPR: Bike share

ROCHESTER

PITTSFORD

FAIRPORT


Additional Trip Planning Resources

Canalway Challenge
Canalway Challenge


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Erie Canalway itineraries are funded in part by a grant from Market New York through I LOVE NY, New York State's Division of Tourism, as part of the State's Regional Economic Development Council awards.
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We are grateful to Discover Albany and the Albany County Convention & Visitors Bureau Foundation for funding support for the Hudson-Mohawk Sampler.