12/20/2018
Start with a First Day Hike on January 1
Winter is here so let your outdoor fun begin at Letchworth State Park. A variety of activities, programs and family oriented adventures have been planned to provide great options to stay busy and engaged this winter season.
First Day Hikes on January 1st every year has been a state-wide event that encourages starting the year off right with an active and informative day of hiking. Letchworth has four guided hikes planned including a hike designed especially for families with young children, a Winter Wander to Ponds hike, an exotic tree hike and a Great Bend Gorge hike. All hikes begin with a 12:30 pm registration at The Humphrey Nature Center and participants in the hikes will receive a state parks souvenir on a first-come, first-serve basis and refreshments are served after the hikes.
The Genesee Valley Greenway State Park also offers two different hikes along the Greenway including starting points on Bull St. in Cuba, and Canawaugus Park in Scottsville.
With the First Day hike under your belt you can move onto the multitude of other hikes, lectures and programs offerred throughout the winter season in Letchworth. The Genesee Naturalist is a quaterly publication of the park that details all hikes and programs offerred through the seasons. The winter edition provides information about “winter wonder” hikes with a park naturalist and cross country ski nature hikes and showshoe walks. There are family nature walks and as winter breaks, hikes for signs of spring are planned.
The parks’ Winter Lecture Series brings guest speakers to the park every Sunday at 1:00 pm through January and February. Eight topics ranging from Timber Rattlesnakes, Balloons Over Letchowrth, Changes to the Longhouse, Bear Management and what you need to know about the Ripple Effects of Invasive Species are both educational and enlightening. Lectures are held at the Humphrey Nature Center in the park.
All programming in the park is free and open to the public. The best entrance for all park activities is through the Castile entrance. The main park road from Perry to Castile is closed until spring.
For more information, details and to request a copy of The Genesee Naturalist call the park directly at 585 493-3600. All park events, hikes and lectures are listed at www.parks.ny.gov/parks/79
Letchworth State Park: voted the #1 State Park in the Nation in the 2015 USA Today 10 Best contest and in the most recent 2017 USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice for Best Attraction in New York State.
Letchworth is operated by The New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation that oversees more than 250 parks, historic sites, recreational trails, golf courses, boat launches and more, which are visited by 71 million people annually. For more information on any of these recreation areas, call 518-474-0456 or visit www.parks.ny.gov, connect with us on Facebook, or follow on Instagram and Twitter.
