Rob’s Trail Preserve — Canadice and Hemlock

Discover

Rob’s Trail Preserve connects protected upland with the landscapes of Canadice and Hemlock lakes. The Nature Conservancy describes a collection of routes from two parking areas, with connections onto state land toward the shorelines. The two lake approaches belong to one broader preserve story, so choose your starting point carefully rather than assuming that every route begins at the same place. A good visit starts with the current map and a realistic plan for the return climb.

The lakes help supply Rochester’s drinking water, giving their undeveloped shorelines a practical importance beyond the view. Consider that purpose while walking through the watershed. The absence of shoreline development is part of a history of protection, not simply a scenic style. Keep lake use and recreation rules in mind, and avoid treating a walking destination beside water as an invitation to swim, launch a boat, or enter any shore area you can reach.

The preserve honors Rob van der Stricht, a former conservancy board chair who enjoyed birds, canoeing, and fishing. His name links the trails with a particular person’s commitment to the Finger Lakes. It also offers an accessible way into the conservation story: recreation and protection can reinforce each other when a visit respects the reasons land was preserved. There is no need to recreate his activities to appreciate the memorial or the landscape around it.

The operator describes old fields, meadow vegetation, and mature hardwood forest within the preserve. Let that transition shape your attention. Compare an opening with the canopy ahead, or notice how the route’s enclosed sections change your sense of distance from the lake. These observations do not require a wildlife sighting or a panoramic photograph. They can turn the approach into part of the outing’s interest rather than an interval to hurry through before reaching water.

Both lake directions require care with elevation. A descent that feels comfortable early in a walk may become a substantial uphill return. Decide in advance which route suits your group, carry the current map, and allow your energy and actual conditions to influence the turning point. Combining every branch is not necessary. A shorter outing with time to look closely can be more satisfying than arriving at a shoreline already concerned about getting back.

An original December 2011 account on Finger Lakes Summer’s Blog described wet ground, boardwalks, steep sections, and striking winter ice on the Canadice approach. That dated personal perspective supports cautious expectations about footing, but it predates later trail development. Its route description should not define today’s visit. In particular, do not confuse search results for the similarly named Rob’s Trail in Utah with this New York preserve.

Use the conservancy’s current arrival, hunting-season, and access guidance before traveling. For photographs, connect a woodland approach with a lake view from an authorized location, keeping navigation and stable footing ahead of composition. Rob’s Trail offers more than a choice between two bodies of water. It invites a closer look at how a memorial trail, a recovering landscape, and a protected drinking-water watershed can become parts of the same walk.

Fun facts

1. The preserve honors former TNC board chair Rob van der Stricht.
2. Routes connect upland preserve land with state land toward Canadice and Hemlock lakes.
3. The lakes are important drinking-water sources for Rochester.

Read the official sources →

Capture

1. Pair a view from the authorized lake approach with woodland context. Do not step onto unstable shoreline ground or let photography distract from the return climb.

Social

Rob’s Trail offers distinct approaches toward Canadice and Hemlock lakes.

Choose a starting point with the current map; the approaches use different parking areas.

The lakes help supply Rochester’s drinking water.

Rob van der Stricht’s memorial connects the routes with a personal conservation commitment.

Old fields and hardwood woodland make the approach part of the story.

A downhill start means saving energy for the climb back.

A 2011 visitor’s winter account is historical context, not a current route report.

Save Rob’s Trail for a thoughtful walk through a protected Finger Lakes watershed.

Hashtags

1. #Cre8Travel
2. #NewYorkState
3. #LocalHistory
4. #TravelIdeas
5. #DiscoverMore

Sources & visitor information

• Visitor information — www.nature.org
• OpenStreetMap — destination identity