Ithaca, NY Birding Trails and Maps

353 Reviews

Looking for the best Birding trails around Ithaca?

Find the top rated birding trails in Ithaca, whether you're looking for an easy short birding trail or a long birding trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a birding trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.

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Activities
Length
Surfaces
Type
24 Results
Activities
Length
Surfaces
Type

Auburn-Fleming Trail

1.6 mi
State: NY
Ballast, Dirt

Big Flats Trail

1.7 mi
State: NY
Gravel

Black Diamond Trail

8.45 mi
State: NY
Crushed Stone

Catharine Valley Trail

14 mi
State: NY
Asphalt, Crushed Stone

Cayuga-Seneca Canal Trail

6.7 mi
State: NY
Crushed Stone, Dirt, Grass

Charlie Major Nature Trail

1.2 mi
State: NY
Cinder, Dirt

Dryden Rail Trail

10.4 mi
State: NY
Crushed Stone, Dirt, Grass, Gravel

Erie Canalway Trail

335.2 mi
State: NY
Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone

Keuka Outlet Trail

6.7 mi
State: NY
Asphalt, Ballast, Dirt, Gravel

Painted Post Trail

1.1 mi
State: NY
Asphalt

South Hill Recreation Way

3.3 mi
State: NY
Asphalt, Gravel

Cayuga Waterfront Trail

8 mi
State: NY
Asphalt, Boardwalk

East Ithaca Recreation Way

2.2 mi
State: NY
Asphalt, Cinder, Gravel

Lackawanna Rail Trail

8.7 mi
State: NY
Asphalt

Odessa-Hector Rail Trail

2.5 mi
State: NY
Dirt, Grass, Gravel

Ontario Pathways Rail Trail

24.28 mi
State: NY
Cinder, Dirt, Grass, Gravel

Ridgeway Trail

4.3 mi
State: NY
Ballast, Dirt, Gravel

Vestal Rail Trail

3.8 mi
State: NY
Asphalt

Gorge Trail

2.2 mi
State: NY
Cinder, Crushed Stone

Bear Trap Creek Bikeway

1.6 mi
State: NY
Asphalt
Accordion

South Trail

2.2 mi
State: NY
Dirt

Gateway Trail

1.12 mi
State: NY
Crushed Stone, Grass, Gravel

Lansing Center Trail

7.7 mi
State: NY
Dirt, Grass

Lehigh Valley Trail - Cortland County

2.5 mi
State: NY
Cinder, Grass
Trail Image Trail Name States Length Surface Rating
This is a flat 1.6 mile trail through woods, wetlands and farmland connecting Rt. 34 in the Town of Fleming to Dunning Ave. in the City of Auburn. It is an easy walk or bike through a very scenic...
NY 1.6 mi Ballast, Dirt
A pleasant walk between wetland habitat and farmland, this short community trail sits atop a sewer line that Corning Glassworks installed to serve its Big Flats plant. Corning provided the crushed...
NY 1.7 mi Gravel
Overview The Back Diamond Trail stretches 8 miles of the trail are open, which follows the Lehigh Valley Railroad route whose Black Diamond Express once ran from Buffalo to New York City and gives...
NY 8.45 mi Crushed Stone
Overview The Catharine Valley Trail is a 14-mile multiuse pathway that provides a comfortable and shaded biking experience through Upstate New York. High points include entering the historical town...
NY 14 mi Asphalt, Crushed Stone
The Cayuga-Seneca Canalway Trail is a 6.7-mile pathway beginning in Waterloo, New York and terminating at Seneca Lake State Park. The roadbed it uses was constructed by the Seneca County Railway...
NY 6.7 mi Crushed Stone, Dirt, Grass
The Charlie Major Nature Trail follows an abandoned right-of-way that once carried trains along the old Skaneateles Short Line Railroad. The railroad served millworks in the area, including paper...
NY 1.2 mi Cinder, Dirt
The Dryden Rail Trail is a developing trail that will someday connect with the East Ithaca Recreation Way, forming over 16 miles of continuous walking and biking in Tompkins County. But it's not just...
NY 10.4 mi Crushed Stone, Dirt, Grass, Gravel
Closure Notices: In Palmyra/Wayne County, a portion of the trail is closed between route 21 and Swift Landing Park. In Oneida-Verona, Oneida County, a bridge replacement is taking place at the corner...
NY 335.2 mi Asphalt, Concrete, Crushed Stone
Overview The Keuka Outlet Trail offers a winding route of 6.7 miles between Penn Yan and Dresden in New York’s Finger Lakes region. The rail trail follows a railroad corridor that traces a former...
NY 6.7 mi Asphalt, Ballast, Dirt, Gravel
If you are near Corning, New York, and need a nice walk, check out this charming respite. The Painted Post Trail connects schools, playgrounds, other trails and residential neighborhoods west of...
NY 1.1 mi Asphalt
The South Hill Recreation Way follows the southern rim of the Six Mile Creek gorge from the outskirts of southeast Ithaca to Burns Road, near the Ithaca Reservoir. The gravel path follows the former...
NY 3.3 mi Asphalt, Gravel
The Cayuga Waterfront Trail is an 8 mile greenway on the edge of Lake Cayuga in Ithaca, New York. As this trail traverses the southern shore of this lake, as well as the Cayuga Inlet, it connects a...
NY 8 mi Asphalt, Boardwalk
The East Ithaca Recreation Way on East Hill is primarily built upon the rail bed of the old Ithaca and Cortland Railroad, which later became part of the Lehigh Valley Railroad. The trail skirts the...
NY 2.2 mi Asphalt, Cinder, Gravel
Overview  The Lackawanna Rail Trail runs for 8.7 miles between Elmira and Lowman along the old Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad. Following the meandering Chemung River, the trail travels...
NY 8.7 mi Asphalt
Following the defunct and abandoned Lehigh Valley Railroad corridor, the Odessa-Hector Rail Trail stretches for 2.5 miles through the woods and fields between the Town of Montour and the Village of...
NY 2.5 mi Dirt, Grass, Gravel
Overview The Ontario Pathways Rail Trail is the crown jewel of the trail system managed by the organization for whom it is named in Ontario County, New York. Comprising two disconnected segments,...
NY 24.28 mi Cinder, Dirt, Grass, Gravel
The Ridgeway Trail skirts the banks of Willseyville Creek along the abandoned rail bed of the Delaware & Lackawanna Railroad and the former Lehigh Valley Railroad. From south Willseyville the trail...
NY 4.3 mi Ballast, Dirt, Gravel
The Vestal Rail Trail runs for nearly four miles through the town of Vestal along an abandoned right-of-way once used by the Delaware–Lackawana & Western Railroad. Today, the 12-foot-wide trail is...
NY 3.8 mi Asphalt
The Gorge Trail is makes for a scenic walk or mountain bike ride near the town of Cazenovia. The trail runs between the old railroad buildings on William Street and Bingley Road to the north. From...
NY 2.2 mi Cinder, Crushed Stone
Bear Trap Creek Bikeway follows the creek of the same name between Ley Creek Drive and the Mattydale Shopping Plaza. For most of its length it parallels Interstate 81, with a fence separating the...
NY 1.6 mi Asphalt
Accordion
The South Trail stretches over 2 miles between Ballina Rd. and New Woodstock in Cazenovia, New York. The trail sits on the former right-of-way of the Lehigh Valley Railroad. The rail-trail takes users...
NY 2.2 mi Dirt
Overview The Gateway Trail is a 1.12-mile rail trail located just southwest of Ithaca in Tompkins County NY. About the Route Along Stone Quarry Rd., trail users will come across the entrance...
NY 1.12 mi Crushed Stone, Grass, Gravel
Overview The Lansing Center Trail totals 7.7 miles and offers multiple loops around the perimeters of abandoned and active farm fields, plus wooded, linear trails along the abandoned railroad berms...
NY 7.7 mi Dirt, Grass
A public trail owned by Cortland County since the 1977 abandonment of a Lehigh Valley railroad line built by Ezra Cornell as the "Ithaca & Cortland" in 1872, this path crosses east to west from...
NY 2.5 mi Cinder, Grass

Recent Trail Reviews

Cayuga-Seneca Canal Trail

beautiful fall trail

November, 2024 by rwd3038

Rode this trail on October 31st. Still beautiful colors. At the 1.2 mile had to move 2 trees that fell across the trail. Otherwise trail well maintained. The park at the end is lovely. Crossed over Rt 20 and had lunch at The Beef & Brew. They were very accommodating letting us tuck our bikes in an alcove while we enjoyed a great lunch. Will post pictures too

East Ithaca Recreation Way

Scenic trail, all paved!

October, 2024 by megr_tl

Took out bikes on this trail on a lovely fall day — some nice fall colors. Negative is lack of signage, which caused us to go the wrong way at one intersection. Found it easier to bike the road than on the hill portion of Maple Avenue than on the very tiny strip of bike trail on the hill. Biked the trail in the flatter portion of the the Maple Ave. trail.

Keuka Outlet Trail

Nice trail for views but very rough in spots especially in the middle. There should almost be a warning for road bikes. Bumpy.

October, 2024 by clamy4

Nice trail for views but very rough in spots especially in the middle. There should almost be a warning for road bikes. Bumpy.

Accordion

Catharine Valley Trail

A bit of everything

October, 2024 by jenkinsbeth

Enjoyed it - very shady and currently a lot of leaves down on much of the trail but a nice gravel ride. Some sections the trail was 1 ft wide and others 12 ft wide, some finely crushed cinder and some even grassy. Is a rail trail with gradual climb going south and a couple of fun little hills/bumps. Signage is a little confusing - we took the road one direction but found the trail coming back. Does require a couple of on road sections.

Lackawanna Rail Trail

Not safe

September, 2024 by priestman

I have walked & biked this trail for 2 years now. Within the last month, I no longer feel safe on this trail. Certain areas are very overgrown with the bushes. Several homeless encampments have been set up at different areas of the trail. Too bad something nice can’t be maintained.

Odessa-Hector Rail Trail

poor trail for bikes

September, 2024 by dhmckeeby

Not a good or fun ride.

Catharine Valley Trail

Great Trail

September, 2024 by dhmckeeby

We biked the trail and it was a beautiful day to get out and ride. The trail was in great shape. There were several benches all along the trail to stop and take a break if needed. The leaves were just starting to turn colors and fall off the trees. We saw a few other people on the trail, walking, biking and enjoying the day.

Catharine Valley Trail

Good trail but!

August, 2024 by mey656321

Trail is a great ride with a slight increasing grade heading south. Majority of the trail is well shaded from a tree canopy. Trail surface is stable and smooth. Trail markers are pathetic! Extremely lacking heading south and somewhat (not enough)improved heading north.

Big Flats Trail

Varied terrain, often-used, one large incline

August, 2024 by nordmanbp

This is an out-and-back route, though there is a parking lot at S Hibbard Road and also at Sperr Memorial Park.
Parking off S Hibbard Road in Big Flats, there's about a 10-foot incline to get up to the main trail. Once on the trail, it's a mix of packed surface, deep gravel, and some grass. There will likely be walkers to avoid, though not many. At the 1.5km mark there's a steep incline to get up and over Kahler Road, and then the trail continues through grass, but it looks like it used to be paved for vehicles so there are two car-wheel-width tracks available. There is nothing at the far end of the trail - no sign, no turn-around - just trees & weeds. Not a lot to see, but it's a fun ride. On the way back, another steep incline to get up & over Kahler Road. You can to a bit of biking around Sperr Park, but most of it is unmaintained and seldom used to you'd just be exploring.

Painted Post Trail

Quaint, quiet, quick

August, 2024 by nordmanbp

Overall the trail is well maintained, but lightly used save for the Wineglass Marathon which is always the first weekend in October.
Traveling from Craig Park heading east, the trail is paved with a very slight incline, goes through a tunnel and quickly passes the Painted Post-Erwin Museum at the Depot (an old train station). Then cross Hamilton street and you pass a cemetery and a well-shaded kids playground. Nothing much more to see but you will cross 2 more streets before coming to the end of the paved area which is a bridge over a drainage channel before another tunnel. This is the official end of the trail, but if you can handle some roots and gravel, you can exit the tunnel, take a left, and continue another 1/2 mile and exit through Jerry's Tree Service onto Wardell Street and work your way into Corning. Alternatively, if you can handle the gravel, you can continue next to the rarely-used train tracks all the way to Spruce Street. Then you can turn onto Baker street past the Corning Museum of Glass all the way into downtown Corning.

Odessa-Hector Rail Trail

Nice views but tough on the feet/joints. Potentially dangerous for the unprepared

August, 2024 by khmo

Unlike most rail to trail venues, this one has a very nice, cleared path but no surface work. The result is walking on railroad ballast which is very tough on feet and joints. I would not consider this a safe bike trail and caution hikers. Hopefully this is just the beginning of more work to come such as seen in the Catherine Valley Trail which is much more user friendly. On the plus side, the signage and clearing work is nicely done and the old RR right of way has many small falls and streamlets to enjoy.

Shared review with Hiking NYS and Beyond.

Lackawanna Rail Trail

It's a nice safe ride without slot of hassle.

August, 2024 by mwalkerworld

It's a nice safe ride without slot of hassle.

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Accordion

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