AUBURN TRAIL:
FARMINGTON-BRIGHTON, NEW YORK
-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-
Last Updated: March 23, 2025
Length: Auburn Trail; Farmington-Pittsford Section; 13.2 miles
Auburn Trail: Pittsford-Southern Section; 0.6 miles
Auburn Trail: Pittsford-Brighton Section; 3.8 miles
Frog Pond Trail: 0.4 miles
Difficulty: Auburn Trail; Farmington-Pittsford Section; Easy. Flat stone-dust rail trail.
Auburn Trail: Pittsford-Southern Section; Easy. Hard packed dirt & grass?
Auburn Trail: Pittsford-Brighton Section; Easy. Flat stone-dust rail trail.
Frog Pond Trail: Easy. Flat, wide stone-dust trail.
Directions:
To Start from the Ivory Drive parking lot in in Farmington [Southern End]; From I-90 take exit 44 to Route 332 south for 3 miles and turn right on Carmens Way to Ivory Dr. Cross the trail and parking lot is on your left.
To Start from Lehigh Crossing Park [Central Section]; From I-90 take exit 45 to I-490 west. Quickly take exit 29 to Route 96 and head left. Travel 1.8 miles and turn right on Route 251. The Park entrance is on your right. Follow the Lehigh Valley Trail north from the parking lot then right around the pond. After crossing over the Auburn Trail you'll come to a spur trail on your right that will bring you down to the Auburn Trail.
To Start from Powder Mills Park in Pittsford [Northern End]; From I-490 take exit 27 to Route 96 south for 1 mile. Turn right on Fishers Rd and right again after 0.5 miles on Woolston Rd. The parking lot will be on your left after 0.8 miles, followed by the Woolston Road parking lot.
The Auburn Trail follows the rail bed of the former Auburn and Rochester Railroad, also called The Auburn Road, which was first used in 1841. The trail currently travels from Farmington Northwest, through Victor, where the Lehigh Valley Trail crosses, traveling East-West. It then continues North, through Fishers, where you'll pass by the second oldest RR feature in the US, a cobblestone pumping station, before coming to Pittsfield, where the trail is blocked by the Erie Canal. GAP. Across the Erie Canal, the Auburn Trail continues Northwest, from the paved Erie Canalway Trail; Syracuse-Rochester through Pittsfield. A Gap occurs here, before the trail utilizes part of the Pittsfield Loop Trail North, to Brighton. For more information visit; AUBURN TRAIL .
Auburn Trail: Farmington-Pittsford Section:
[South of Pittsford]
Starting from the Ivory Drive parking lot in Farmington [Southern End]; I have not checked out this section.
Note; Heading Southeast, the wide, paved Auburn Trail travels 0.5 miles to Rochester Road (Route 332), where it currently ends, as of 2024. Across this busy road the old rail bed is undeveloped. Future construction will extend the trail South, to Canandaigua, where you'll be able to access the Ontario Pathways Rail Trail . See; AUBURN TRAIL PROJECT .
Note; Heading South, another section of the paved Auburn Trail travels 0.8 miles to Canandaigua Farmington Town Line Road.
Note; I believe in 2024, the two ends of the Auburn Trail, from Canandaigua Farmington Town Line Rd to Rochester Road have been connected by a trail or sidewalk?
Heading Northwest, the wide, paved Auburn Trail travels along an open wooded corridor. Cross Route 41, followed by Mertensia Rd at 1.3 miles.
Note; Right is the Fawn Meadow parking lot, next to Mertensia Park.
I've checked parts of this section. The wide, stone-dust Auburn Trail continues through the woods, along a high berm crossing a stone culvert over Mud Creek. Along the trail are old, as well as new, RR Mileage Markers. These old RR Mileage Markers were located every mile along the railroad. In Farmington S82 (Syracuse 82 miles) should be the first marker. Informational signs located along the trail. Cross E Victor Rd and travel up a small berm. Cross Fish Creek before coming to an intersection at 2.3 miles.
Note; Right leads to the Break of Day Road parking lot.
Quickly cross Brace Road and another small parking lot, before traveling alongside Victor Hills East Golf Club. Cross Proximity Lane before coming alongside Railroad St where you'll find the old Auburn RR Station and an old blue rail car in Victor. Both have been re-purposed. Map Board located here. Cross Maple St and travel alongside some RR tracks before crossing School St at 4.3 miles. The more open trail crosses Rawson Rd, followed by Victor Mendon Rd at 5.6 miles. Here you'll find a Map Board. I've checked out this next section. Pass by an old RR Mileage Marker on your left reading S86 (Syracuse 86 miles). After traveling underneath an old RR trestle carrying the Lehigh Valley Trail, you'll pass by a Spur Trail on your left at 6.5 miles. Here you'll find a Map and informational board.
Note; This Spur Trail brings you up to the Lehigh Valley Trail . If you head left along this trail, it will bring you to the Lehigh Crossing Park parking lot after 1 mile.
Cross Philips Rd where the open trail follows a power line. You'll pass by a trailhead on your left leading to a bridge over the creek and hiking trails. Scenic. Continuing along the trail you'll enter Fishers, passing by the Railroad Street parking lot behind the Fishers Fire Dept. Map Board and informational signs located here. Here, you'll find the second oldest RR feature in the US, an 1845 cobblestone Pumping Station (Auburn & Rochester RR) just before Route 42 at 7.6 miles. You'll also find the 1901 Rochester & Eastern Rapid RR Shelter #16 located here. Cross Route 42, continuing North, you'll cross a stone arch bridge over Irondequoit Creek and travel through a tunnel underneath I-90 before crossing Fishers Rd at 8.2 miles. Travel along a high berm, then pass by an information kiosk, before crossing an iron bridge over Irondequoit Creek. Travel past a large marsh. Cross Probst Rd at 9.1 miles. Here the trail follows alongside Railroad Mills Rd to Woolston Rd (Route 29) ending at the Pittsford town line after 9.9 miles.
Note; Heading right, along Woolston Rd (expanded shoulders) pass by the Powder Mills Park parking lot 1 after 0.1 miles before coming to the Powder Mills Park parking lot 2 after 0.2 miles.
The stone-dust trail continues North, through Pittsford, however, I have not checked out this section. Come to Sturbridge Ln and cross Railroad Mills Rd, heading right along a narrow paved trail, before picking up the stone-dust trail on your left at 10.3 miles. The trail then turns out to Park Rd at 10.7 miles. A narrow sidewalk will bring you to East St at 11 miles. Cross East St, head right, then quickly turn left up La Due Circle, where you'll pick up the crushed gravel Auburn Trail on your right. This section takes you North, to Thornell Rd. Caution No Crosswalk. The trail continues along a narrow, stone-dust trail paralleling Mill Rd. Cross Mill Rd at 12 miles. Travel between fields along a shaded corridor out to Knickerbocker Rd. Cross-walk to a narrow, paved trail that travels right, alongside the road to Route 96 after 13.2 miles. The trail continues across the Erie Canal in Pittsford, but there is currently no pedestrian bridge over the Canal.
Note; GAP. To reach the next section head left, along a narrow paved trail alongside Route 96 (wide shoulder available). Turn right on Mitchell Rd (Caution; very narrow road with no shoulder) and cross over the Erie Canal & Erie Canalway Trail. Continue along *Mitchell Road and return to the Auburn Trail after 0.6 miles.
Auburn Trail: Pittsford-Brighton Section:
[North of Pittsford]
Auburn Trail: Pittsford-Southern Section:
Starting from the Erie Canalway Trail; Syracuse-Rochester (Mile 260.1) in Pittsford [Southern End]; I have not checked out this section. The "hard packed dirt & grass?" Auburn Trail travels North, through the woods, crossing *Mitchell Road at 0.3 miles. The trail continues to a power line, where it turns right out to Pittsfield Palmyra Rd after 0.6 miles.
Note; GAP. Across the road the trail is undeveloped for a short distance, before being utilized as a service road, then undeveloped to N Main St, where you'll find Auburn Line Park, a small pocket park with an historical marker about the Auburn and Rochester RR. The old rail bed past here has been built over until **Grove Street, where the Auburn Trail picks back up. The old rail bed here is also utilized as part of the Pittsford Loop Trail .
Auburn Trail: Pittsford-Brighton Section:
Starting from the **Grove Street parking lot in Pittsford; I've checked out this section. The narrow, crushed gravel (possibly turns to stone-dust at some point) Auburn Trail/Pittsford Loop Trail starts to the left of the brick storage building. Heading Northwest, the Auburn Trail follows the power line corridor. Isolated. Come to an intersection at 0.2 miles.
Note; The wide, crushed gravel Frog Pond Trail starts here on your left and travels West, through a forested, meadow and wetland environment. I have not checked out this trail. Informational signs located along this trail. You then cross a boardwalk, as the trail turns South. It travels through the Erie Canal Nature Preserve/Robert Corby Arboretum and Wildlife Sanctuary. Come to the Erie Canalway Trail; Syracuse-Rochester after 0.4 miles.
Cross French Rd at 0.9 miles and you'll soon be traveling behind a commercial area on your left and a golf course on your right. Come to Clover St in Brighton, after 2 miles.
Note; The Pittsford Loop Trail ends here, Looping back through Pittsfield.
A wide sidewalk takes you right to a cross-walk where the trail continues North. I have not checked out this section. The trail continues behind a commercial area, crossing Allens Creek Rd and traveling past the Harley School, where you follow a residential corridor. Cross Elmwood Rd at 3.1 miles and come to Highland Ave after 3.8 miles and the end of the trail. Past here, the old rail bed is developed over and blocked by I-490 & I-590, before joining an active rail line.
HH
CLICK HERE FOR AUBURN TRAIL MAP
CLICK HERE FOR AUBURN TRAIL; PITTSFORD-SOUTHERN SECTION MAP
CLICK HERE FOR PITTSFORD LOOP TRAIL MAP
CLICK HERE FOR PITTSFORD AREA TRAILS MAP
CLICK HERE FOR FROG POND TRAIL MAP
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