Parks Mission

The Monroe County Parks Department is comprised of dedicated staff working with community partners in effectively and efficiently providing an array of park services. This ensures that everyone may enjoy recreational and educational opportunities while treasuring the natural, zoological, horticultural, historical and geological features of the Monroe County Parks System.

• Follow us on:
  • Twitter: @21MCParks
  • Facebook: 21MCParks
  • Instagram: MC21Parks

Find information about, and maps for, each of the beautiful and unique Monroe County Parks by clicking on the Park link in the column on the left side of the screen. 

Parks Announcements & News       

Administrative Office Closures

• Our office will be closed on Monday, February 20th, 2017, in observance of Presidents' Day.
  • We will re-open on Tuesday, February 21st at 8:30am. 

Calendars of Events In the Parks for:

• January, February, & March 2017

Dog Park Registration

Please click here for our January schedule of registration opportunities.

Please click here for our February schedule of registration opportunities.

Seasonal Parks Information

• Athletic fields: Fields are open May 1st for the spring season, and stay open through October 31st (dependent on conditions).
  • We do not permit usage from November until May. 
  • We start accepting Special Use Field Applications (for spring, summer, and fall seasons) each year on the last Friday of January at 8:30am. 
• Boat Launches (non-motorized, canoes, kayaks, rowboats): Launches at Black Creek, Churchville, Ellison, Irondequoit Bay Park West, and Mendon Ponds Parks are available seasonally between early spring and late fall.
• Camping: Trailer, RV, Mobile Home, and tent camping for families is available at Webster Park from May 1st until October 31st.
  • Youth/ Scout tent camping is available at Greece Canal, Mendon Ponds, Northampton, and Webster Parks all year. 
• Carousel: The historic Dentzel Menagerie Carousel at Ontario Beach is open seasonally from noon to 9pm on the following schedule:
  • 2016 Carousel​ press release here
  • Memorial Day Weekend (Friday through Monday)
  • On weekends (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) Post-Memorial Day until the opening day of swimming, and then 
  • the opening day of swimming through Labor Day (Open Daily; 7-Days per Week)
• ​Cross-Country Skiing: Groomed trails are available at Durand Eastman, Mendon Ponds, and Webster Parks, seasonally, as conditions allow, during winter months.  Please visit the Rochester Cross Country Ski Foundation website for daily conditions.
• Disc Golf: Baskets at Churchville and Ellison Parks go up for the season in mid April, and stay up until early to mid November.
• Dog Parks: Dog parks are open all year from 7am until dusk.  
• • The interior areas of the dog parks are not plowed, shoveled, or salted. 
• Downhill Skiing: Groomed ski hills (with snowmaking) are available at Northampton and Powder Mills Park, as conditions allow, during winter months. 
  • ​Here are the 2016-2017 brochures for Swain's Ski Resort's Learn To Ski & Snowboard at Northampton and Powder Mills Parks!
• Golf: Golf courses are located at Churchville, Durand Eastman, and Genesee Valley Parks.
  • Courses are open, as conditions allow, from early spring until early November.
• Ice Fishing: Ice fishing is popular at Durand Eastman, Irondequoit Bay Park West, and Mendon Ponds Parks.
  • Ice fishing is done at your own risk, and should not be done if ice thickness is not sufficient.  
• Ice Skating: Groomed natural-ice surfaces are available in Churchville and Highland Parks.  Ellison Park has a flooded parking lot surface.
  • Rinks are open, as conditions allow, during winter months.  
  • When ice conditions allow, rink hours are 10am until 10pm.  
  • Ice skating is not permitted elsewhere in the Monroe County Parks.
  • Equipment is not available for rent in any park.
  • Warming huts are available nearby the rinks at Churchville and Highland Parks.
  • Ice conditions will vary depending on weather.
  • Ice skating is done at your own risk.
  • Wednesday, January 11th, 2017- Ellison, Churchville, and Highland Park rinks are closed due to Wednesday's warm temperatures.. 
• Off-Road Bicycling: Permitted only in Irondequoit Bay Park West and Tryon Park, and is strongly discouraged when trails are wet and/or muddy. 
• Sledding: Designated sledding hills can be found at Black Creek, Ellison, Mendon Ponds, Northampton, and Webster Parks.
  • Sledding in non-designated areas is not permitted.
  • Wednesday, January 11th, 2017- Wednesday's warm temperatures have melted most snow at the sledding hills.  
• Snowshoeing: Snowshoeing is permitted on designated hiking trails, or in open fields, in any Monroe County Park.
  • Snowshoers should avoid walking on groomed cross country ski trails.  Instead, they should walk along side them.
  • Equipment is available for rent in Mendon Ponds Park only, through Wild Wings, Inc., which is located near the Nature Center.
    • Please call Wild Wings, Inc. at 585-334-7790 for availability.
  • Snowshoeing is done at your own risk.
• Swimming: Swimming at Ontario Beach is open (dependent on conditions) from the Friday after Father's Day (in June) through and including Labor Day (September).
• Tennis and pickleball: Nets at Churchville, Ellison, Greece Canal, Ontario Beach, and Webster Parks go up for the season around May 1st and stay up until around October 31st.

• Winter Activities: For information on Winter activities, please click here.

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Special Use Permits

• Charity and other Runs, Bike Rides, Walks
• Open to the Public Fundraisers/ Charity Events/ Awareness Events
• Races (Snowshoe, Road, Trail, Bike, Triathlons, large XC Meets, etc.)
• Festivals, Fairs, Carnivals, Expos, public Picnics
• Concerts
• Summer Camps
• Fishing Derbies
• Large, public, outdoor recreation events (e.g. orienteering)
• Military , Police, Fire, Ambulance Trainings
• Memorial Events (Fred Doug, AIDS, Workers, Victims, Vietnam Vets
• Ticketed Events
• Religious Ed/ Info Booths
• Regattas/ Boat races
• Markets
• Large Company picnics
• Large or Open to the Public Fundraiser picnics
• Horse events/ Rides
• Commercial and Student Film/Photo Shoots
• Wellness Events/ Festivals
• Music events (e.g. Drum Corps) and Theater performances
• Motorcycle rides and Car Shows
• Food Truck events
• Other (e.g. Model Flying Field Events, Ham Radio Event, Public Safety awareness Event)
• Public programs, classes, Hikes, Tours,Trail runs, Walking classes/groups, Birding hikes, Canoe/ kayak “hikes”
• Exercise classes, Yoga, Boot camp, Running training, Fitness training, HikYoga, Disc Golf tournaments, Bike demo days
• Large Athletic/ Sports Tournaments
• Large Scout Camping Events (e.g. Klondikes, Camporees)
• Education/ Environmental Ed Events
• Sports leagues, Kickball, Softball, Ultimate Frisbee, Wiffleball, Soccer, Rugby, Cricket

MONROE COUNTY PARKS by the numbers

• 12,000 Acres
• 20 Parks
• 35 Athletic Fields
• 300 Special Events 
• Endless miles of trails
• 1 Conservatory
• 1 Public Campground
  • 46 Campsites
• 4 Scout/Youth Camping Areas
• 2 Dog Parks
  • ​with reciprocal access to 2 others 
• 2 Arboretums (Durand and Highland)
• 2 parks for Off-road cycling 
• 1 Beach for Swimming
• 2 Piers
• 4 Canoe and Kayak launches 
• 1 Fish hatchery (Powder Mills) 
• 1 Model airplane flying field (Northampton) 
• 5 parks with Pickleball courts 
• 4 parks with Tennis courts 
• 6 parks with Designated Sledding Hills 
• 2 parks with Downhill Skiing 
• Endless Fishing
• 3 parks with Groomed Cross Country Ski Trails
• 2 Disc Golf Courses 
• 3 parks with Golf Courses
  • 5 Courses
  • 81 total Holes
• ​3 Ice Skating Rinks 
• 1 Working/Educational Farm (Springdale Farm) 
• 1 Bird Sanctuary (Wild Wings, Inc.)