08.08.26 – GENESEE VALLEY CHALLENGE – Genesee Valley Pathfinders

Join us at 9am, August 8th, 2026 in getting lost in the mist of the post glacial landscape.

DISTANCE: 140 miles
ELEVATION: +4,372′ / -6631′ (net downhill the whole ride)
ROUTE: Genesee Valley Challenge RWGPS route

Have you ever wanted to bicycle the entire length of the Nile of Western NY – from its headwaters at the triple divide in Pennsylvania, to its final resting point at Lake Ontario? Have you got a whole weekend in August to dedicate to your passion for endurance activities and our muddy mother river? Do you know someone who can give you and 3 of your closest friends a ride to Pennsylvania with your bikes? Then, THIS is the ride for you!

Challenge Rules:

Make the Grand Depart; 9am at the Triple Divide marker
Cycle the entirety of the route within 36 hours (9 pm Sunday)
Your journey must be self-supported
You can resupply water and food en-route (duh)
You can choose to ride in groups or teams if desired, and helping fellow riders is encouraged
At the end of the route, snap a shot of your bike next to the harbor light and email/text it to us – the timestamp of your message will become your official recorded time.
You can bring as much or as little gear as you like for the journey, but you have to complete the route of your own volition.

The Route:

Based very loosely on the Triple Divide Trail Ride, this route takes you along the punchy dirt climbs at its headwaters in PA to the Rochester Harbor Light at Charlotte Pier. This challenge is the ultimate way to see the entirety of the Genesee Valley from start to finish.

SECTION 1: Mouth of River
The first section as you get to Wellsville will have the most elevation, beginning along the three branches of the river as they trickle down from their head water springs. These gravel climbs can be challenging early in the morning but are a good way to wake the legs up and get the ‘hardest’ part out of the way. Wellsville has tons of great rest stops to have a picnic or stop for lunch. Be careful of traffic in the downtown, the locals are good-natured but aren’t always used to bikes.

SECTION 2: Upper Silurian
The next 40 miles are spent riding along the quiet less-traveled back roads as you head north along the river. This section of the valley has a different geological makeup than the northern half, with glacial shale deposits along the valley walls dating from earlier in the Paleozoic era. There are many vanishing towns and hamlets along the southern portion of the valley that sported thousands of residents during the heyday of the Genesee Valley Canal and railroad.

While passing through, pay attention to the way the glaciers and the river itself shaped the valley – you’ll notice that there is a lower steppe along the river and then a steep embankment up to a middle and upper steppe. On the higher steppes, Seneca longhouses once stood overlooking the valley and their farm fields from a safe vantage point. Although the Sullivan expedition drove the Seneca from their villages from the Finger Lakes – the Seneca that resided in many of the villages in the south valley remained unmolested by the expedition, providing valuable insights into the Seneca tradition and culture. Check out the Seneca Field Day at Houghton University as an example.

If you are going to camp at the midpoint of the ride, I highly recommend you stop in Fillmore at the Shop ‘n’ Save and gather any provisions you need for camp, as it’s the last real stop you have along the way. Get some ice cream too! You’ll need it…

WARNING: The Genesee Valley Wildlife Management Area is probably the most technically demanding and difficult portion of the entire route. You’ll have to climb a lose gravel trail from the lower flats to the middle and upper flats, which will require frequent hike-a-bike sections due to steep tractionless grade. If you’re camping – there is a lean-to with a privy on the Finger Lakes Trail just off south river road at mile 67.2 on the route.

SECTION 3: Middle Devonian
Once you climb up and out of the Wildlife Management area, you should begin to notice a sharp change in the profile of the river valley. What you are seeing is the beginning of an escarpment of glacial sediment that over 40,000 years ago caused the Genesee River to flow not through Letchworth but actually northeast along what is now Keshaqua creek. Massive earthquakes shifted this sediment and fractured the shale deposits throughout Letchworth State Park – permanently altering the course of the river to what we see today.

As you enter Letchworth state park from the Portageville Entrance, you’ll begin the 18 mile road ride through probably the most beautiful portion of the entire ride. If you’re trying to do this ride in one go, I’d recommend trying to get through the whole park before sunset if you can. If the park is open, you’ll have access to bathrooms, food, vending, water, and souvenirs.

From there, it’s a quick downhill into the river flats once more before a climb back up to the other side of the river and into the Village of Geneseo, where there are ample opportunities for water, food, and rest. After you leave the Village, you’ll pick up the 7 mile Nations Road and when you reach Reynolds Gully, stop and take a moment because you’ve made it to mile 100!

SECTION 4: Upper Devonian
The last 40 miles of the route from Reynolds Gully show the landscape changing drastically: geologically as the river steppes flatten out into a wider and wider basin with fertile marshy soils – and geographically as the population gets more and more dense and urbanized.

If you’re an endurance rider and you’re trying to do this whole ride in one shot, the 17 miles of Genesee Valley Greenway Trail may be the hardest part of the entire ride, as you’ll have already done a century and it will likely be close to nightfall. Luckily, there are a ton of benches and clearings you can pull off to the side of the trail and take a quick nap if needed. Once you get off the GVG and reach Rochester, you’ll just need to keep on the riverway trail until you reach the end of the route. As you take your final photograph in front of the harbor light, imagine 40,000 years ago when you would have seen a massive glacier in Lake Ontario receding into the distance.