Explore the best rated trails in Syracuse, NY. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Verona Beach State Park Rail Trail and Auburn-Fleming Trail. With more than 24 trails covering 422 miles you're bound to find a perfect trail for you. Click on any trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
I really enjoy hiking this trail. There are lots of marked side trails off of the main trail that can really get your heart rate up if your looking for a more challenging hike.
Oswego County Trail starting in Central Square and heading East toward Sylvan Beach. If you enjoy riding a combination gravel pit/mud bog through swamps and what smells like a sewage treatment plant this trail is for you! We rode 20 miles dodging mud pits and ATVs but that was easy because there was really no interesting scenery to distract us from the trail. The abandoned playground was mildly creepy and the outhouse was too sketchy for me (and I grew up with outdoor facilities) so we kept going. The trail was so rough parts of my bike rattled loose but I wanted to decrease the bike weight anyway (silver lining am I right?). We actually left the trail in Constanta so we could look at the lake. The 10 miles of trail crossed 10 roads so if you enjoyed playing Frogger in the 80s you will LOVE this ride. All in all I give this trail one star because it is actually a trail and it is well marked. There is no parking at the trail head so you have to ask a nearby business if you can leave the car in their lot while you ride.
On August 12, 2022 I rode my bicycle on the Erie Canalway trail from Port Byron to the Erie Canal Park and Museum in Camillus (which is on the trail) and back, approximately 19 miles each way. It was a dry, sunny day in the 80’s. The surface was mostly crushed gravel and packed earth with a few stretches on asphalt in the breakdown lane of some local roads where the trail diverged from the canal. The condition was good to excellent except for the final short stretch near Camillus which was unacceptable because erosion in two areas created the dangerous possibility of falling into the canal and because the trail was too narrow for two bikes in opposite directions to safely pass each other. For this small section, I recommend riding on the local road on the other side of the concrete barrier dividing this path from the local road. The surface on this local road was only fair secondary to potholes and cracks in the asphalt.
The museum in the Camillus Erie Canal Park is open 12-4 PM on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday and is open from 1-5 PM on Sunday. Most sections of the Erie Canalway Trail from Port Byron to Camillus run along a non-navigable branch of the Erie Canal which is very shallow and is overgrown with algae or cattail plants or is filled in with dirt. Other sections go through wooded areas, rural areas, farmland and the small town of Weedsport.
Excellent conditions today, even after a couple days of heavy rain. Looks like some recent work has been done between the Dunning trail head and first bridge!
Jogged here in July,2022.As soon as I exited the car at the Waterloo entrance,was surrounded by mosquitoes and large biting flies.Trail is nice,well maintained but at end of jog had many bites/welts.Bring bug spray folks.
Not much to see on this trail. Well maintained and one landowner landscaped it beautifully but other than that really nothing to see. The Penn Yan to Dresden is way nicer with much to see.
Road stretch of trail from Canastota to Route 290 trail head and return. Total 28.6 miles. Trail in great condition but stretches of Erie Canal are still standing/ stagnant algae. It was 90+ degrees. Lovely gift of a case of cold water at 290 trail head. The surprise gift was much needed by riders/runners. Posting this to keep track of completed sections as I don’t see that feature on trail link. Perhaps it will be added.
We parked at the Finger Lakes Visitors Center and rode to the trail. An employee at the visitors center told us to ride on the bike/walking path to the children’s water play area, turn left, go over small bridge at creek, make immediate right, and follow trail. Trail will take you beside creek, up over rail road tracks and then underneath highway to trail. We would have never found it without these wonderful directions. Hopefully this is helpful to you too!
Rode this trail as an out-and-back on 5/17/22 starting at the southern trailhead at the Ithaca Children’s Garden (also has easy access to a paved trail to Cass Park and the Cayuga Waterfront Trail). This is a great trail for anything other than a road bike that gently ascends to the northern trailhead in beautiful Taughannock Falls State Park where the old railroad trestle across Taughannock Creek serves as a viewpoint and a short ride will take you to the Taughannock Falls Overlook View Point.
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