Victor Hiking Trails, Victor, N.Y.

Dynamic Map of VHT and other Trails & Parks

Hikes, Meetings, Work Parties

(This gets updated a month after members get their copies.
To get yours: Join VHT!)

Hundreds of searchable photos

News:

6/19/09 Web Page Changes

Look at the top left of this page. Just under the VHT logo are two new features.

• A "Contact Us" button has been added. This brings up a form that sends email to any of various VHT officers.
• a "Donate" button so users may send donations to VHT using any major credit-, debit-, ATM-card, or PayPal account. If you are unable to volunteer time (that links to our new email form) you now can easily contribute money to help pay for bridges, equipment, and gas to keep the trails usable! In the future we expect to make this available for this for membership dues as well.
• The dynamic, Google Maps based, VHT map is undergoing some changes. Many (hundreds!) of non-VHT trails in the Rochester, Genesee Valley, and Finger Lakes Region are being added. To make the VHT map load even faster, these Regional trails are being presented on a new map, and most of the nearby non-VHT trails are being moved from the VHT map to the Regional map.

  This new Regional map is a service to the trail users and visitors to the region by VHT. (Donations are welcomed.) Since the Genesee Regional Trails Coalition is disbanding, VHT is sponsoring this new map and a second one of Paddling Trails for canoes and kayaks.

6/19/09 Successful National Trails Day Hikes and Bike and Train Ride events

Both of these were well attended and enjoyed. Some people took advantage of all the activities and some did different parts as suited their interests and schedules. We expect to do repeats of both kinds of events. Watch for them.

6/19/09 Temporary Foot Bridge for the Trolley Trail

This opens the Trolley Trail from Omnitec Pl. through the Village to Municipal Park. (The park itself and the trail within it are still closed for construction they should be open by Fall '09.) The bridge was in in time for our National Trails Day Hike to use it. We are also looking to soon extend the marked Trolley Trail from Omnitec Pl. to Fishers Main St., although that will have to be on sidewalks. A wider and more substantial bridge that will be usable by bikes and skiers will be built by Parks and Recreation and VHT at a later date.

This merits changing the "red-X" on the map to a "yellow-X"!
6/19/09 New Benches

New Benches have been constructed in the style of railroad depot benches, complete with the name of the stop molded into the concrete. This one is at the Fishers Plaza on the Auburn Trail. A similar one is being installed at the Victor Plaza on the Auburn Trail. Volunteer Chauncy Young did the design and majority of the work. It was dedicated during the National Trails Day event.

With the completion of these benches, VHT's contribution of over $3000 toward the local matching funds to the Lehigh and Auburn Trail Enhansement Project is accomplished. Thank you volunteers, members, and donors!

5/14/09 Trail Damage: Monkey Run Trails

Parts of land under the Monkey Run Trails have been logged by the land owner. This has thinned, but not eliminated, the forest. This work has left parts of the Red Trail and Yellow Trail very rutted by the machinery and, in places, blocked by the "tops" left after cutting the trees. Please use caution on these trails. There are plenty of volunteer opportunities in removing this brush!

Also in that same area, last fall a new gas transmission pipeline was put in. This has resulted in a wide clear cut area across the trails. Happy home heating!

6/19: These trails are slowly getting cleaned up as volunteers are available.

One advantage we get from the new pipeline is a new parking area for Monkey Run Trails off of Valentown Rd.

5/14/09 New Trails (See them on the map).

Two new trails have been created in and around Lehigh Crossing Park. These are open now, but in rough trim condition.

• Blue: Trolley Trail
• Yellow: Fishers Landing Trail
• Red: Fishers Landing Trail
• Black: Lehigh Black Diamond Trail
• White: Auburn Trail
• Green overlay: Lehigh Crossing Park
  

  The Trolley Trail, blazed blue, has been extended about .4-miles from the Lehigh Trail on the north side of the park to the new road, Omnitec Place which goes between Phillips Rd and NY route 96. Also the trail has been rerouted in the park ready for a bridge to be built. Thank you MCA Group, LLC the managers of Omnitec Business Park. Where the trolley tracks used to cross the Lehigh tracks, there are now only concrete abutments, no bridge. The trail is lead out around this so the crossing itself is level. Be careful on approaching the abutments on the Trolley Trail, there are no guard rails yet.
  Trolley Trail needs a bridge. Volunteer Opportunity knocks!

  6/19: See above for the temporary bridge that opens the Trolley Trail.
  

  The new Fishers Landing Trail joins the Trolley Trail in the middle of the park, crosses the Lehigh Trail, and extends to the Fishers Landing shopping center on NY route 96. This is about .4-miles and is blazed yellow. There is a .1-mile shortcut across a long bend that is blazed red. This shortens the whole by about .1-mile. Thank you DiMarko Group, developers of Fishers Landing. (The DiMarko Group has been a long time friend of Victor Hiking Trails and tail land owner under parts of the Seneca Trail. Again, thank you) These trails do have some low points that in wet weather could get muddy. (Volunteer opportunity for some boardwalk!) The red trail seems a little more prone to mud than the yellow, which for a while goes along the top of a dike made when a drainage canal was dug a long time ago (maybe when then the Lehigh Railroad was built-?-) to drain what was obviously wetland.
  

  10/21/08 Auburn Trail Extension Project Design Report October 2008 is now available on line through this link or via the Auburn Trail Improvements and Connections Project's page.

  Winter 2008 Newsletter is available online.

  ---

  Welcome to the Victor Hiking Trails, Inc. official Homepage!
  Your contribution will help maintain and extend a network of hiking trails in the town of Victor.

  We are a grassroots organization that began exploratory meetings in the fall of 1991. We have accomplished a lot, but we still have much work ahead of us. We currently have over 20-miles of open trails. These include well connected multi-use rails-to-trails, secluded woodland rambles, stream side walks, and longer cross-town hiking trails. Some connect various town and state parks, others exist by themselves. In addition, we are actively scouting out possible sites and negotiating with land owners and developers for permission of public access to their property. Our purpose is to develop a trail system which will preserve open space and provide an educational and recreational experience for everyone in the town of Victor.

  We the People: Involved in Victor Hiking Trails are kindred spirits. People who care about the land on which they live. People who enjoy nature in all its bounty. People who want to improve their town and leave something that will add value to our lives. People like you. We welcome you among us. We meet on the third Thursday of each month at 7:30 PM in the Victor Town Hall at 85 East Main Street. Meetings are informal and everyone is welcome. Please try to join us, you can get to know us better. We have regularly scheduled work parties for clearing and maintaining the trail system. Please see the calendar.

  VISION
  • Create and maintain foot trails and multi-use paths in the Town of Victor.
  • Promote a meaningful relationship with nature.
  • Promote individual responsibility for protecting the environment.
  • Provide recreational activity through walking, biking, snowshoeing, and cross country skiing.
  • Provide education to the public through nature interpretation, historical information and proper use of trails.
  • Promote good relationships with all people (landowners, government officials, adjacent townships, and trail users).
  MISSION
  • Trails of various terrain, landforms, views and habitats for various plant and animal species.
  • Trails in various geographic sections of the Town of Victor with access by as many residents as possible.
  • Trails of various lengths and difficulties.
  • Trails for foot traffic and paths for multi-use including bikes.
  OFFICERS:
  • Dave Wright - Chairperson
  • Jeff Hennick - Vice-Chairperson & WebMaster
  • Wizzy Geno - Volunteer Coordinator
  • Nat Fisher - Secretary
  • Chauncy Young - Treasurer
  • Carol MacInnes - Trail Master
  • Larry Fisher - Trail Boss
  • Roberta Lockwood - Historian
  • Ruth Nellis - Education
  • Dave Coleman - Membership
  • You too can be a part of the VHT team!
  HISTORY
  • 1980's - Conservation Board initiates concept.
  • Summer of 1991 - Town Board approves concept
  • September 24, 1991 - First organized meeting
  • May, 1992 - Incorporated in New York State
  • September 18, 1993 - First trail opened
  • June 16, 1994 - Tax exempt status approved by Federal Government
  • September 17, 1994 - First Bridge Walk (Fund Raiser)
  • See How To Develop a Foot Trail In Your Town
  MEMBERS are people who:
  • Enjoy nature.
  • Care about the land.
  • Want to improve Victor.
  ACTIVITIES and CALENDAR
  • Hikes - Second Saturday each month, two weekends each year and a National Trails Day Special
  • Maintenance - Usually One weeknight and two weekend mornings each week
  • Meetings - Third Thursday each month 7:30 p.m. at Victor Town Hall
  Saturday and Weekend Hikes
  • Usually on the second Saturday of each month we gather at 9:00 AM for a 2 to 3 hour hike, for local hikes; bring lunch for more distant destinations. Sometimes we follow existing trails and sometimes we bushwhack to scout out new trail locations. Each Spring and Fall we have a weekend in the Adirondacks. For the location of future hikes watch the newsletter, call one of the officers for detailed information, or see VHT's On-line Calendar. Please join us.... it's a great way to meet the members. Here is the list of past and future hike destinations.
  How You Can Help
  • We need assistance in a myriad of areas. Join us at a meeting and volunteer your services. Some of the needs (but by no means all) that we have are:
  • lead hikes
  • draw maps
  • measure trail lengths
  • make and install signs
  • build trails, bridges and boardwalks
  • build map boxes
  • identify trees, flowers and birds (Monkey Run, example)
  • illustrate
  • take photos
  • write articles for our newsletter and the Town newsletter
  • collect donated items
  • work on a committee
  • recruit new members
  • work on a fund raiser
  • scout possible trail locations
  • help with paperwork
  • make phone calls
  • We'll create more opportunities as we grow. Maybe you can provide a skill or interest we need but haven't even thought of yet. You will be surprised how skilled you are. Join us and put your talents and interests to work.
  Annual membership dues are:
  • $10.00 Supporting Membership
  • $20.00 Contributing Membership
  • $100 Trailblazer Membership
  • $250 Path Builder Membership.
  Of course, additional donations are gratefully accepted and are tax deductible.

  If you join or renew at the $20.00 level or above, you can sign up a friend or neighbor for free.

  Donations of useful equipment are also welcomed. If you are an owner of land with trail possibilities, please contact us about a Revocable Permit for a trail.