If you build it, they will come. That was the message in "Field of Dreams," and it seems to hold true to the multi-purpose trails around the Greater Rochester region. Multi-purpose trails are simply paths that can be used for hiking, biking, bird watching, snowshoeing, cross-county skiing, and just about any other outdoor activity you can do with man-power. And they seem to be popping up in large numbers throughout the area.

Trails across town

Many local communities have volunteer organizations that help build, maintain, and use nature trails - Crescent Trail Association, Ontario Pathways, Genesee Region Trails Coalition, and Friends of Webster Trails are but a few. But James Mattoon, parks maintenance supervisor for the Town of Victor, explains that connecting the area trails to create one comprehensive regional system and network of paths is the ultimate goal.

Several groups in the Victor area are doing just that, and echoing the efforts of other groups around Rochester. Chauncy Young, treasurer and one of the volunteers with the Victor Hiking Trails, has been helping to mow, hedge trim, remove downed trees, and fill up soft spots in the area's foot paths for the past 16 years.

"It's about quality of life for our region," says Young. Working with the towns, villages, and private land owners, these groups have been able to connect points of interest across the region by linking and expanding major trail networks and building new systems.

For instance, it's now possible to travel from Brighton to Farmington, and between Victor and Mendon, without using the roadways. And you can do it on single-track (18" to 24" wide trails), large wide footpaths (5 to 10 feet in width), and converted rail beds, which are old railroad lines where the tracks have been replaced by dirt and gravel.

Main thoroughfares include the Auburn Hiking Trail, which is a converted rail bed that runs east/west from Farmington to Fishers, and the Lehigh Valley Trail, which currently connects the Towpath in Brighton and extends through the Town of Rush.

Building paths

Planning is the key to the successful connectivity of these trails. According to Young, groups like the Victor Hiking Trails first must contact private landowners to gain permission to build trails through their property, and negotiate with town and village officials to start work on publicly owned parks and green spaces. Occasionally, land will be donated to the towns and villages, and new trails will be built into the blueprints right alongside the new housing developments or commercial expansions.

Next, trail groups study the land so that the new trails will be sustainable. Rick Williams, one of the founders of the Victor Mountain Biking Club (now the Genesee Regional Off-Road Cyclists), says the group studies the soil types to avoid erosion, and plans inclines and grade reversals to aid in the drainage of the paths.

"We look at what makes sense with the layout of the land," Young adds. Part of the upkeep involves fixing and filling in soft spots in the soil, and keeping the brush trimmed back.

While some of the maintenance is eventually turned over to the towns and villages, these groups of volunteers help build bridges over creeks that cross the paths, paint mile markers, help clear the land, and create rest areas with benches and bike racks.

Case study

The Dryer Road Park in the southern end of Victor, which is still being updated with new trails, is one of the latest examples of a relatively new, but very successfully built, contained trail system. The park features a practice area for cyclists, including obstacles they may find naturally along the paths, miniature hills, and lots of turns.

Creating the nearly 10 miles of mostly single-track trails was a combined effort by the Town of Victor, the Victor Hiking Trails, and the Genesee Regional Off-Road Cyclists. From the design to the construction, these three organizations planned and developed this system for multi-purpose use, and it attracts many mountain bikers, hikers, and skiers each year. After the initial design and development, the upkeep and maintenance is largely now the responsibility of the Town of Victor, with the other groups occasionally pitching in to expand or update a particular area of the park.

There are beginner-level paths, and expert-level trails that feature steep inclines, tricky turns, and obstacles like logs that users must cross. This park also connects to trails at the Ganondagan State Historic Site, adding to the connectivity of the area trail system.

Get involved

Trail groups are made up of outdoor enthusiasts with a variety of interests. Some people help create and maintain the trails for personal use, others for the betterment of the community as a whole, and some work their magic behind the scenes. For every new trail, Young explains, there are people who must coordinate the volunteers, negotiate with landowners and the towns, as well as do the dirty work.

For information on volunteering with the Victor Hiking Trails, visit victorhikingtrails.org or call 234-8226. The Genesee Regional Off-Road Cyclists can be found on the web at mygroc.com. To find a volunteer trail organization in your area, visit the Genesee Region Trails Coalition website at grtcinc.org.

Popular Trails Groups

With the plethora of trails and trail groups in the area, the names say it all - hinting at the area of focus and location of the paths. There seems to be at least one group for every town in the greater Rochester region.  Below is a list of some of the more popular trail associations in the area.

Finger Lakes Trail Conference: fingerlakestrail.org or 658-9320

Friends of GeneseeValley Greenway: fogvg.org or 658-2569

Friends of WebsterTrails: webstertrails.org

Mendon Foundation: mendonfoundationinc.org or 234-8730

Ontario Pathways: ontariopathways.org or 234-7722

Victor Hiking Trails: victorhikingtrails.org or 234-8226