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Sandy Bottom Park and Nature Trail

W. Lake Rd.

Honeoye, NY 14471

585-229-5757

The entrance sign to the Sandy Bottom Park and Nature Trail in the Town of Richmond in Ontario County.

Location

Sandy Bottom Park is located at the northern end of Honeoye Lake in the Village of Honeoye, which is in the Town of Richmond. This is a town park, the entrance to which is on State Route 36 (West Lake Road) about .5 mi./.8 km. south of U.S. Route 20A (Main Street).

History

Prior to becoming a park, the northern end of the lake was a swampy area through which ran Honeoye Creek, the outlet to the lake. With considerable help from the Honeoye Lake Rotary Club, the area has been reconstituted and is now a favorite spot of many of the town's human residents.

Facilities

The parking area has space for about 100 vehicles. Next to the parking lot is an enclosed skateboard facility constructed by the Rotary Club. Adjacent to the skateboard enclosure is a ball field and bleachers provided by the Rotary Club.

 

The lake shore is now a sandy beach with a lifeguard for supervised swimming. A raft, courtesy of the Rotary Club, provides a place for kids to jump into the water. The club has also built a bathhouse/pavilion as well as a second open pavilion for group events. There is also a small playground and a shuffleboard court nearby contributed by the Rotary Club. A boat launch is open only when the Honeoye Lake Boat Launch State Park at the southern end of the lake is closed.

 

A lifeguard watches two boys on the raft which a seagull checks the beach for food at Sandy Bottom Park and Nature Trail.

The Nature Trail

Honeoye Creek flows into an oval catchment with a small fountain. Trees and a wooden bench provide a quiet place to relax and picnic. The creek flows north out of the catchment into a grassy wetlands through which runs the nature trail and raised boardwalk, entrance to which is behind the shuffleboard court.

 

Honeoye Creek flows from Honeoye Lake into this catchment before flowing into a wetland through which winds the nature trail at Sandy Bottom Park.

 

The trail offers a pleasant, easy, flat hike of .8 mi./1.2 km., half of which is on mowed grass and half of which is on boardwalk. Seats are available along the boardwalk to sit and enjoy the scenery.

 

Honeoye Creek flows lazily through the grassy wetland at the beginning of its long trek north to the Genesee River.

 

Wildlife is abundant here. Look for mink, muskrat, otter, and more common animals like deer, rabbits, and raccoons. Birding can be very good, especially during migration. Pets are not allowed on the trail. 

 

A regular resident to wetlands throughout the Finger Lakes is this northern leopard frog found sitting on the nature trail at Sandy Bottom Park at the northern end of Honeoye Lake.

 

Sandy Bottom Trail Guide

 

Created 14 August 2009

 

 

 

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