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Location / Directions / Maps
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In the Greater Rochester Area;
Brighton; Monroe County;
New York
Maps:
Google Map,
Bing Maps (Bird's-eye view),
Multi-map (topo);
Corbett's Glen South (pdf);
Corbett's Glen North
(pdf); Trail map
(pdf)
GPS: Falls 1 "Tunnel Falls": (N 43.12978 / W
77.52017)
Falls 2:
(N 43.12974 / W 77.51980)
Falls 3
"Postcard Falls": (N 43.13012 / W 77.51854)
Directions: To the South park: Take I490 to exit 23 and head
east on Linden Avenue. Make the first left turn onto Glen
Rd. Follow Glen Rd. left. You will see signs designating a
section of Glen Rd. for Corbett's Glen parking.
Or use
Google Directions.
To the North park: Take I490 to exit 22 and
head east on Penfield Rd. Cross the railroad tracks
and Temple Sinai will be on your right. The parking lot is a
few houses after the temple, across from Forest Hill Road.
Or use
Google Directions.
An alternate entrance can be found at the terminus of Park Ln, off of Penfield Rd. Park along the cul-de-sac. Use
Google Directions. |
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Information / Accessibility / Accommodations
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Number of
falls: 3
Size/Types: Tunnel Cascade is a small 4
ft drop framed by the railroad bridge tunnel.
Another falls is a gentle sloping v-shaped cascade,
barely 6 ft high. Postcard falls is a limestone
cascade less than 6 ft high.
Best time
to visit: Year round.
Flow:
Moderate.
Waterway:
Allens Creek, which is a tributary to Irondequoit
Creek, which empties into Irondequoit Bay and Lake
Ontario.
Time:
At least 15 minutes.
Seasons/Hours: Open
year-round, daily, from 7am to 10pm.
Parking:
Roadside parking in the designated parking area on
Glen Rd (6 cars) or within the lot at the north end
(opposite end from the waterfalls) off of Penfield
Rd, across from Forest Hill Rd (room for 6-8 cars).
Handicap parking for 1 or two cars is within the
park. Drive through the tunnel to get there.
Admission: Free.
Handicap
accessibility: Yes, to the first waterfall.
Pets:
Allowed if on leash. Leash policy strictly enforced.
Please clean up after.
Accommodations: Signage; historical markers;
trails; fishing. |
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Local Activities and Events
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Harborfest (Late June) -
Ontario Beach
Park, Rochester
Lilac Festival
(Mid May) - Highland Park, Rochester
High Falls
Film Festival (mid May) - Rochester
Hochstein
Concerts at High Falls (June - July) -
High Falls, Rochester
Party in the Park Concert Series (June-August) -
Rochester
July 4 Fireworks (July 4) - Downtown
Rochester
Big Rib
BBQ Fest (early July) - Highland Park, Rochester
Corn Hill Arts Festival
(mid July) - Rochester
International Jazz
Festival (mid July) - Rochester
Monroe
County Fair (mid July) -
Henrietta, NY
Ten
Ugly Men Festival (late July) - Genesee Valley Park,
Rochester |
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Area Attractions / Places to Stay
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Other Waterfalls
Channing H. Philbrick Park, Penfield, NY
High Falls, Rochester, NY
Lower Falls, Rochester, NY
Zoo Falls, Rochester, NY
Turning Point Falls, Rochester, NY
Norton's Falls, Rochester, NY
Densmore Falls, Irondequoit, NY

Bed & Breakfast
Clematis Inn - Rochester, NY
Dartmouth House - Rochester, NY
Reen's
Bed & Breakfast - Rochester, NY
Webster Vacation Rental - Webster, NY
Hotels /
Lodging
Rochester Plaza Hotel - Downtown Rochester, NY
Radisson Hotel Riverside - Downtown Rochester, NY
Hyatt Regency - Downtown Rochester, NY
Strathallan Hotel - Downtown Rochester, NY
Restaurants/Cafes
Flour City Diner - Rochester, NY
Brighton Restaurant - Rochester, NY
More...
Museums
High Falls Museum - High Falls, Rochester, NY
Memorial
Art Gallery - Downtown Rochester, NY
George
Eastman House - Rochester, NY
Rochester
Museum & Science Ctr. - Rochester, NY
Susan B. Anthony House - Rochester, NY
Wineries / Breweries
High
Falls Brewery - High Falls, Rochester, NY
Rohrbach Brewing Company - Rochester, NY
Casa
Larga - Rochester, NY
Bakeries /
Local specialties
Savoia Pastry Shoppe - Rochester, NY
Village Gate Square - Rochester, NY
Parkleigh - Rochester, NY
Stever's Candies - Rochester, NY
Andy's Candies - Rochester, NY
Entertainment / Theater
GEVA Theatre - Rochester, NY
Rochester
Philharmonic Orchestra - Rochester, NY
Off-Monroe Players - Rochester, NY
Eastman Theater - Rochester, NY
Downstairs Cabaret - Rochester, NY
Blackfriars Theatre - Rochester, NY
Seabreeze
Amusement Park - Rochester, NY
Sports
BayCreek Paddling Center - Irondequoit, NY
Redwings Baseball - Downtown Rochester, NY
Rhinos Soccer - Downtown Rochester, NY
Amerks
Hockey - Downtown Rochester, NY |
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Links of Interest
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Genesee Land Trust page on Corbett's Glen
Town of Brighton page on Corbett's Glen
The Allen's
Creek/Corbett's Glen Preservation Group (ACCGPG)
Vintage Views of Allen's Creek |
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Who to Contact
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Brighton
Parks and Recreation Department
Brighton Town Hall
2300 Elmwood Avenue
Rochester, NY 14618
(585) 784-5260
website
The Genesee Land Trust
500 East Avenue, Suite 200
Rochester, NY 14607
(585) 256-2130
e-mail ▪
website
Allens Creek/ Corbett's Glen
Preservation Group
PO Box 25711
Rochester, NY 14625
e-mail ▪
website |
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Weather Forecast
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Description
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Once a privately-owned park,
Corbett's Glen was such a premiere attraction for
the Rochester area, its picturesque landscape is
immortalized in postcards and the memories of the
locals. Even when devastated by pollution and
threatened by surrounding development, the Allens
Creek Valley, in which the Glen lies, continued to
be a draw for scenic walks, family picnics, and
photography.
Hidden away in the development-packed
Rochester suburb of Penfield, the Glen continues to
serve as a small slice of nature for the community
to enjoy. The pebble-lined Allens Creek enters the
park as visitors do, through the vaulted stone arch
of the railway bridge. It is this tunnel that gives
visitors a feeling of entering another world; one
that really shouldn't be here, as they leave the
busy expressways and business complexes above, and
follow Allens Creek as it winds around glacial
formations and drops over several small frothy
cascades. Tunnel Falls, lying just as the creek
emerges from beneath the vine-covered stone of the
rail bridge, is the first of many lovely scenes that
is remembered long after leaving. Two additional
cascades, although small in size, shake up the creek
and provide a little excitement in this otherwise
serene landscape.
In addition to the three cascades,
the southern part of the park carries hikers around
rolling glacial moraines left from the last ice age,
wetland marsh that is as saturated with wildlife as
it is with water, and a wind-swept meadow in the
heart of it all. A favorite pastime of mine is to
sit on the lone bench in the middle of the meadow
with a pair of binoculars and a field guide and try
to identify the various resident and migrating birds
that fly by. Being an oasis of green within an urban
jungle, migrating birds often use the valley as a
stop-over on their long journeys. Over 100 species
have been spotted here. The northern end is perfect
for an afternoon shaded walk through deciduous and
mixed woodland. The trails here are well-maintained
and spotting local wildlife is unavoidable.
The
Corbett's Glen neighborhood is friendly and very
protective of the park. If it weren't for the
surrounding community, and support from the Genesee
Valley Land Trust, we may not have Corbett's Glen
today. The town of Brighton's plans for adjacent
development are an immediate danger to the health of
this isolated ecosystem. If you would like to join
the movement to help protect this Monroe County
treasure, please support the
ACCGPG. |
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History
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Before pioneers reached the Allens
Creek Valley, Seneca tribes utilized trails that ran
across the Glen here and up to Irondequoit Creek. In
the 1800s, evidence of an ancient burial ground was
unearthed here, demonstrating the historical
importance of this setting. As more pioneer traffic
reached the valley, the trails became more crucial
for traders traveling to nearby Indian Landing and
Fort Schuyler, a major trading post in the region
(now a part of Ellison Park).
In the 1800's, settlers built
several mills and dams across Allen's Creek,
beginning an era of development that now threatens
the health of the glen. A pre-civil war powder mill,
owned by John Tyron, once supplied gunpowder to as
far as Lockport, for use in the construction of the
Erie Canal. In 1851 the Rochester and Syracuse
Railway constructed a line that crossed the valley,
but it wasn't until 1882 that is was upgraded with a
larger embankment and vaulted arch stone bridge, the
largest in New York, which was constructed with
stone quarried from the glen. It still stands at the
southern entrance and the line is now operated by
CSX.
In 1883, Patrick Corbett moved
to the Glen and in 1889 had purchased much of what
is today's park. His family operated a successful
produce farm in the Glen utilizing the fertile soil
and irrigated waters from the creek. Realizing the
beauty of the glen beyond its agricultural
potential, Mr. Corbett developed a private park,
complete with dance and band pavilions, baseball
diamonds, and food and drink stations. He operated
the park for decades and visitors came in by trolley
from as far as Syracuse to spend a day there. The
expendable income and free time Americans had during
the 1920s meant that parks near rail lines got a lot
of traffic. Most traces of the Corbett-run park are gone now, with only the Corbett home, visible as
you enter the Glen through the tunnel, left
standing.
In 1956, Howard Meath purchased a
section of the Glen and opened Camp Hideaway,
offering summer recreation opportunities for local
children. The facilities there catered to small
concerts and gatherings for older crowds as well.
The interesting and isolated land also became a
local hang-out and was subject to a great deal of
dumping and vandalism. The decline of the Glen began
as early as the 1930s when upstream plants and
factories began dumping waste into the creek.
Post-war development saw a population boom in the
Greater Rochester Region and the sewage-treatment
facilities upstream could barely handle the load.
The 490 expressway was built nearby in the 60s and
this not only modified the flow of the creek, but
contributed to runoff, and led to further
development in Penfield. The toxicity of the water
and poor state of the surrounding land meant an
outdoor-centered business, like a park or camp could
no longer survive here. By the 1970s Corbett's Glen
was nothing more than a dirty mess with lingering
fond memories. It was split up and sold in 1976.
In 1970, the town of Brighton's
Comprehensive Development Plan recognized the
importance of the Glen as a natural setting,
historic landmark and recreation spot. In 1974 the
town began exploring the possibility of acquiring
the land. In the 1980s, the passing of federal clean
water legislation severely slowed dumping into the
creek and made clean-up of the Glen a reality.
During this time, although privately owned, the Glen
was considered open spaces and seemingly open to
visitors throughout the year. In 1999, with
development of the property an increasing threat,
the Town of Brighton and the Genesee Land Trust
partnered and contracted to purchase the Glen from
the Corbett and Meath families. After a fundraising
campaign, the partnership celebrated the saving of
the Glen on June 24, 1999 with the opening of
Corbett's Glen Nature Park.
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Interesting Stuff
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Old Growth
— The bordering sandy hills are glacial moraines,
left by towering glaciers from the last ice age.
These moraines trace the perimeter of 3 sides of the
southern end of the park and many are topped with
old growth trees--over 150 years old!
Powder Mill
Explosion — "The powder mill at Allen’s
Creek, in the town of Brighton, about five miles
from the city, was blown up at about half past nine
o’clock yesterday morning. A man named ROSS, who was
in the mill at the time of the explosion, was blown
across the creek, and horribly mangled. We hear that
he has since died. We have not learned the cause of
the explosion. The mill was owned by Mansfield
PARSONS. The glass in windows of houses in the
neighborhood were all broken out. We have not
learned the amount of Mr. PARSON’S loss."
Source:
Rochester Republican (April 5 1849)

Cherry Crush
— The 2007 teen thriller, Cherry Crush, starring
Nikki Reed and Jonathan Tucker, and directed by
Nicholas DiBella, was filmed around
Rochester, NY and Penfield. Many scenes are
recognizable for folks familiar with the area. The two fight scenes
were filmed at Corbett's Glen.
Walter Hagen
— One of Golf's earliest American stars, and 11
professional majors winner, was born at 66 Glen Rd
and often fished at neighboring Corbett's Glen.
Walter Hagen
Home. |
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Hiking / Trails / Exploration
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Difficulty:
Easy
Distance:
Nearly 2 miles of trails total within the park.
Markings:
Markings define boundaries of the park and private
property.
Description:
Corbett's Glen South has a series of
looping trails that reach around the perimeter of
the park and cross the inland meadow. The Perimeter
Trail runs around the southern park, from the Rail
Tunnel and the first waterfall, past the observation
deck and the second waterfall, along Allens Creek to
Postcard Falls; all within the first 1/5 of a mile.
Continue on the trail to make your way through to
the beautifully isolated meadow, or stay on the
perimeter to experience the hilly glacial formations
on the fringes of the park and then pass through the
Allens Valley Wetlands on a boardwalk. The full loop
is about 2/3 of a mile.
The North-South Trail runs
3/4 of a mile, connecting the north and south ends
of the park. You can pick up this trail near the
railroad bridge tunnel.
Corbett's Glen North features
two looping trails and the majority of the
North-South Trail. The Penfield Rd access point
connects directly to the Stone Dust Loop Trail
(1/3 mile), which is adjacent to the Woodchip
Trail (just over 1/3 mile). Both trails are in
wooded sections of the valley that border Glen Manor
Creek.
Maps: Trail map
(pdf);
Corbett's Glen South (pdf);
Corbett's Glen North
(pdf) |
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