Robert G. Wehle State Park is a state park on the eastern shore of

Lake Ontario Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York. The Canada–United States border ...

in the town of

Henderson Henderson may refer to: People *Henderson (surname), description of the surname, and a list of people with the surname *Clan Henderson, a Scottish clan Places Argentina *Henderson, Buenos Aires Australia *Henderson, Western Australia Canada * H ...

in Jefferson County, New York, United States.

History

Between 1895 and 1947, the property was used by the

United States Armed Forces The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is ...

as a training grounds, and was known as the Stony Point Rifle Range. The rifle range was used by Madison Barracks, Fort Ontario, and Pine Camp, now known as Fort Drum. The site was also used for artillery training, anti-aircraft training, and temporarily used as a landing field. Remnants of the site's military history are still visible at the park today. The property was purchased in 1947 by

Rochester Rochester may refer to: Places Australia * Rochester, Victoria Canada * Rochester, Alberta United Kingdom *Rochester, Kent ** City of Rochester-upon-Medway (1982–1998), district council area ** History of Rochester, Kent ** HM Prison ...

car dealer Thomas Nagle and

Genesee Brewing Company Genesee Brewing Company ( ) is an American brewery located along the Genesee River in Rochester, New York. From 2000 to 2009, the company was known as the High Falls Brewing Company. In 2009, High Falls was acquired by the capital investment fi ...

owner Louis A. Wehle for use as a

Hereford cattle The Hereford is a British breed of beef cattle originally from Herefordshire in the West Midlands of England. It has spread to many countries – there are more than five million purebred Hereford cattle in over fifty nations worldwide. The bre ...

ranch. Louis Wehle's son, Robert G. Wehle, acquired the property in 1968. Robert G. Wehle was an avid conservationist, sculptor and breeder of

English pointer The Pointer, sometimes called the English Pointer, is a medium-sized breed of pointing dog developed in England. Pointers are used to find game for hunters, and are considered by gundog enthusiasts to be one of the finest breeds of its type; h ...

s, and founder of Elhew Kennels. Wehle used the property as a summer home and kennel. Several of Wehle's pointer sculptures can be found in the park, as well as dog kennels, and a dog cemetery. Prior to his death in 2002, he arranged for the property to be sold to the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, who purchased the parkland for $2.8 million. The park was opened to the public in 2004.

Park facilities

The park features multiple use trails for hiking, mountain biking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Fishing is allowed in the park. Facilities for tennis and volleyball are available. Hunting is permitted in limited areas of the park. Approximately of

shoreline, some of which is fronted by limestone cliffs up to high, is accessible within the park. The park has an area for picnicking with ten picnic tables. The facility is located 1.2 miles from the parking area and is not accessible by car. In addition to picnic tables, there is an on-site outdoor grill, as well as a composting toilet, and beach access. Several buildings, including Wehle's former summer home and studio, are available as short-term rentals.

Trails

There are a total of thirteen trails in the park and all are named after Wehle's Elhew Kennels pointers. The longest trail, Snakefoot Trail is 4.9 miles, and the shortest, Jubilee Trail, is .12 miles. The trails are easy with little to no elevation gain, and relatively well marked. Trail markers are color-coded, illustrated with a pointer, and the name of the trail. Dogs are allowed on-leash throughout the park and on the trails. The trails are: Bobolink Trail-blue-.64 miles Dancing Gypsy Trail-green- 1.87 miles Huckleberry Trail-purple-.64 miles Jubilee Trail-pink-.12 miles Jungle Trail-brown- .86 miles Kiwi Trail-dark pink-.42 miles Knickerbocker Trail—black-.51 miles Marksmen Trail—red-1.4 miles Midge Trail-dark green-.98 milesMisty Trail—white-.32 miles Snakefoot Trail-yellow—4.9 miles Tut Trail –light green-.32 miles Zeus Trail—light blue-.51 miles

Geology

The bedrock of the park consists primarily of Ordovician Period Rocks, as well as Lorraine, Trenton, and Black River Group, which can be seen in the dolomite and limestone shoreline. Other rocks in the park include siltstones, sandstones, and shale. Areas on the Snakefoot trail offer a good example of the limestone shelves on the shoreline of the park, as well as the limestone cliffs.

Flora

Invasive species

The park has a large-scale infestation of pale swallow-wort (''Cynanchum rossicum'') that it actively maintains via mowing to limit spread. Pale swallow-wort, from the milkweed family, is considered an aggressive invasive that out-competes native flora and alters the environment that it impacts. Users are encouraged to check their shoes, clothing, and pets for seeds to help prevent the spread of pale swallow-wort.

References

External links

New York State Parks - Robert G. Wehle State ParkRobert G. Wehle State Park Trail Map
{{authority control State parks of New York (state) Parks in Jefferson County, New York Lake Ontario