July 4, 2011

The El Camino / Butterhole trail is a rail trail within the city limits
of Rochester, NY. Its northern terminus is at Collingwood Drive, just
off of St. Paul Boulevard, across from the Seneca Park entrance. Its
southern terminus is St. Paul Street and Scrantom Street. There is no
parking at either end, but it's a short walk if you park in Seneca Park.

As of the writing of this note in the summer of 2011, this trail is
definitely a work in progress. The only "improvement" I see to the
trail itself is that most of the ballast stone has been removed. It's
pretty rough riding in parts. Walking is no problem. The railroad
bridge over the Keeler Street Expressway (NY 104) is currently closed.
There were piles of some kind of stone on the bridge, and the fence
blocking access was recent, so it looks likey they will be laying down
a trail bed soon. I had to detour on Clinton Avenue from just north
of the expressway to Arthur Street (just before Norton Street).

This is one of the most urban-feeling trails I've been on in the
Rochester area. You are either surrounded by homes on very small lots,
abandoned rail yards, or industrial buildings of one kind or another.
I've been told that this is also one of Rochester's higher crime areas
(surrounding western Clifford Avenue); take that as you will. A few new
playgrounds have been built along the trail, however, and I did see
some children and young people riding their bikes along it just south
of Norton Street. (I also saw a young man riding a 4-wheel ATV; don't
know if that's legal, but at least he waited to get on the trail until
he believed there were no more cyclists in his way.)

After Scrantom Street the trail bends west and heads downward toward
the Genesee River gorge. I did not follow it all the way to where it
goes under St. Paul Street because I felt too isolated in the thick
undergrowth of this below-street-level cut, and I was sure that the
abondoned bridge over the river would be blocked.  The city hopes to
open that bridge some day to pedestrian traffic, just like the Pont de
Rennes bridge further south in High Falls.

I should also point out that the railroad right-of-way north of
Collingwood Drive and west of St. Paul Street is also passable,
although rather bumpy at times where ballast stone still exists. This
trail will take you to Pattonwood Drive and the O'Rourke bridge where
you can cross the river and get on the paved Riverway trail that takes
you between the beach at Charlotte and lower and middle falls area of
the gorge south of Driving Park Avenue (strongly recommended for great
views).