Find the top rated hike trails in Norwich, whether you're looking for an easy short hike trail or a long hike trail, you'll find what you're looking for. Click on a hike trail below to find trail descriptions, trail maps, photos, and reviews.
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.
Started in Simpson and headed north. The first 12 miles is very nice, except for the occasional noise from the ATV trail nearby. The next eight miles is a little rough, but not too bad. Then a mile of the trail was very soft, like they were working on the trail. After that, it becomes VERY rough - riding on balast. Some very nice scenery; has the potential to be a great trail - if they ever finish cindering the full length of the trail.
The trail is well marked it's a bit tough going on roads through parts of Lockport. Once back on the trail, is well maintained.
In early June, we rode the section of the Erie Canal from Camillus to Syracuse. We also took a side trip on the Onondaga Lake West and East Shore Trails. Round trip, we biked approximatel 30 miles.
We parked at the June Reed Webster Park. The bathrooms were open. With that said, we have been there before and they have been closed. I would not count on them 100%.
The trail was in excellent shape. The Erie Canal section was hard a packed with small gravel. We did encounter hills, which we did not expect on a canal trail. They were small and manageable. Most of the hilly sections were paved, making them easy to navigate. The Onondaga Lake trails are paved and in fantastic condition. We only came across two small sections with tree root bumps.
This section of the Erie Canal Trail goes through the New York State Fairgrounds. It was eerie and strange to be at the Fair when no one else was around. Made for a unique experience.
The Onondaga Lake Trails were a pleasure with views of the lake, woodlands, birds, and flowers. We saw several bluebirds, which is not something we encounter routinely.
The Onondaga Lake Trails are part of the Onondaga Lake Park which has multiple bathroom facilities and picnic tables. We ate our lunch with a view of the lake and pickleball courts. There were a people playing, which provided our lunch time entertainment.
The only potential downside is the trail near Camillus is next to a garbage dumb. It is landscaped nicely with wild flowers in abundance and we did find a turtle on the path. We noticed an odor on our way back when the temperature was hotter. On the positive side, it is a productive use of the land.
We give this trail a thumbs up and will ride it again.
I am on a quest to complete a lot of the rail trails by bike on this app in the upstate NY area. So far I have completed most of the Rochester and Syracuse trails. This sets the bar high as one of the best trails I have done. It has a lot of diverse surface types and scenery. Rode it on 650b x 47mm road plus tires. I wouldn’t recommend going much smaller in width. Some sections can be a bit bumpy. Excellent trail! Highly recommend
We have been riding the D&H for years, as it is only an hour’s car ride away for us. We find the best parking to be at the Forest City Trailhead. It is paved, large, and has an outhouse.
We recently took a 23-mile ride on our hybrids. The trip started at Forest City, riding south to Carbondale. We turned around and went north, past Forest City, to Union Dale. At Union Dale, we turned to the south and ended the ride at our starting point in Forest City.
The trail is an interesting mix of nature, history, and artwork. For most of the ride you are in an isolated area. We had a white tail deer cross the path in front of us. There are many bridges which provide opportunity to view the stream which is running high this time of the year. In Union Dale, you will find a restored railroad car and remains of a mill. In Forest City and near Carbondale, you will find some interesting artwork.
The trail is in very good shape. It is hard packed with small gravel. At one time there were large stones near the Stillwater Dam, but they are no longer there, greatly improving the ride. While there are no large hills, there is a grade going north and you will have to work. We suggest taking this into consideration as you plan your trip.
The Cayuga Waterfront Trail is an all asphalt trail. We were able to keep the bikes clean and my 8 year old is safe from traffic. I found that if we travel Cass Park loops by the dog park,boat docks, inlet to Farmers Market, past the city golf course to Stewart Park loop and back, it is about 10.0 miles. Sorry for the long sentence but there’s a lot to see.
Rode through the state park with a rigid 29” mountain bike for a slow day ride. The brush-hogged trails I found to be exceptional. They are fairly wide and have some low spots with water. It is just rugged enough to give you good woodland immersion, but smooth enough where you don’t have to hike-a-bike a lot because of water or trail construction. Signs/arrows are posted at most intersections along with a few trail head maps at the start. Would highly recommend if you are looking for a “hiking trail” you can ride on.
As others have mentioned, this is a rough trail. Although somewhat scenic, it requires a lot of vigilance to slog through the gravel and overgrown path. We have hybrid tires, so perhaps mountain bikes would offer a more comfortable ride. The high point of our trip was staying at the Stamford inn and eating at the Millpond Inn.
About a 45 minute ride on the Erie Canal path ,starting at the Medina lift bridge, through farmland and villages (Middleport, Gasport) herons that are absolutely not afraid of you! Beautiful in the fall!
This path would be great if work were done on it. Road bikes won’t make it. You basically need a mountain bike with suspension. I have a hybrid bike with suspension and wide tires but it’s still a difficult ride. The scenery is nice but you have to pay a lot of attention to the path.
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