Corbett's Glen

Hidden away in the development-packed Rochester suburb of Penfield, the once popular and privately owned park 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. 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 Corbetts Glen neighborhood is friendly and very protective of the park. The town of Brightons 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.