Syracuse, NY Hiking Trails and Maps

308 Reviews

Looking for the best Hiking trails around Syracuse?

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

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Activities
Length
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Type
26 Results
Activities
Length
Surfaces
Type

Auburn-Fleming Trail

1.6 mi
State: NY
Ballast, Dirt

Black Diamond Trail

8.45 mi
State: NY
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

Mohawk River Trail

3.8 mi
State: NY
Asphalt, Concrete

South Hill Recreation Way

3.3 mi
State: NY
Asphalt, Gravel

Verona Beach State Park Rail Trail

1.5 mi
State: NY
Dirt, Grass

Cato-Fair Haven Trail

14.51 mi
State: NY
Cinder, Dirt

Cayuga Waterfront Trail

8 mi
State: NY
Asphalt, Boardwalk

East Ithaca Recreation Way

2.2 mi
State: NY
Asphalt, Cinder, Gravel

Lenox Rail Trail

2.2 mi
State: NY
Asphalt

Oneida Rail Trail

1.5 mi
State: NY
Dirt, Grass

Ontario Pathways Rail Trail

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

Oswego County Trail

25 mi
State: NY
Ballast, Crushed Stone, Dirt

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

O&W Railroad Pedestrian Promenade and Bikeway

0.5 mi
State: NY
Asphalt, Concrete

Utica North-South Arterial Multi-use Trail

0.8 mi
State: NY
Asphalt, Concrete
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
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
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
The Mohawk River Trail is a pleasant, shared use pathway connecting residential sites, local parks & schools, historical sites and business districts within the city of Rome, New York. At its southern...
NY 3.8 mi Asphalt, Concrete
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
Verona Beach State Park is located on the eastern shore of Oneida Lake. Shaded picnic areas and the campground are adjacent to the beach with an excellent view of the water. The lake, Black Creek,...
NY 1.5 mi Dirt, Grass
The Cato-Fair Haven Trail (a.k.a. Cayuga County Trail) travels a little more than 14 miles through forest, wetland and tree farm.
NY 14.51 mi Cinder, Dirt
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
While many other rail trails in rural New York have gravel or grass surfaces, which make them difficult to traverse for cyclists and users with disabilities, the Lenox Rail Trail offers over two miles...
NY 2.2 mi Asphalt
The first mile of the nearly 12-mile planned Oneida Rail Trail opened in September 2014 between Hubbard Place and Lenox Avenue on the west side of Oneida. The trail runs through woodlands on an old...
NY 1.5 mi Dirt, Grass
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
Overview The Oswego County Trail follows an abandoned right-of-way of the old New York Ontario & Western Railroad between Cleveland and Fulton. The trail passes among scenic countryside on a...
NY 25 mi Ballast, Crushed Stone, Dirt
The Philip A. Rayhill Memorial Recreational Trail is part of the New Hartford & Whitestown Rail Trail system (NH & W). The 5-mile asphalt trail links the two towns and roughly parallels Route 840...
NY 5.2 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
This unique in-city trail was built on portions of the former Ontario and Western Railway Line through the City of Oswego. The Ontario and Western Railway ran its last train in March of 1957. The...
NY 0.5 mi Asphalt, Concrete
This paved trail is located on the west side of the North-South Arterial that runs through Utica New York. The trail provides a non-driving option for folks to travel through the city and a pedestrian...
NY 0.8 mi Asphalt, Concrete

Recent Trail Reviews

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.

Keuka Outlet Trail

Harvey the RV

July, 2024 by carlbrunning99

Nicely shaded most of the way, which follows a waterway. Goes by several waterfalls. The trail itself is a mix of gravel and grass with a few rough spots. I had my hybrid bike and my wife her e-bike. Overall a good ride giving us a decent workout.

Accordion

Erie Canalway 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.

July, 2024 by auntgnu

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.

Erie Canalway Trail

Camillus to Syracuse with side trip on Onondaga Lake Trails

June, 2024 by wrogers1

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.

Dryden Rail Trail

Epic rail trail

June, 2024 by jthurston4

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

Cayuga Waterfront Trail

A Safe Ride for families.

April, 2024 by bmanaudio

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.

Verona Beach State Park Rail Trail

Rail to state park

February, 2024 by jthurston4

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.

Cato-Fair Haven Trail

Pleasent stroll through the bog. Punctuated with numerous mud holes presumably generated by motor vehicles

October, 2023 by martinskimber

Pleasent stroll through the bog. Punctuated with numerous mud holes presumably generated by motor vehicles

Keuka Outlet Trail

Lots of places on the trail where it is almost all grass with just a dirt rut the size of a tire. Very bumpy, lots of rocks and lots of walnuts when we rode in October. Wouldn't ride this with a street bike. Waterfalls were beautiful.

October, 2023 by debbland111

Lots of places on the trail where it is almost all grass with just a dirt rut the size of a tire. Very bumpy, lots of rocks and lots of walnuts when we rode in October. Wouldn't ride this with a street bike. Waterfalls were beautiful.

Erie Canalway Trail

Medina NY to Gasport NY

September, 2023 by mconlon1

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!

Ontario Pathways Rail Trail

Too many roots

September, 2023 by djudd1

My husband and I started in Canandaigua and almost reached Stanley before turning around. The single track trail was nice and flat in places, we would be roll big along and then bam! hit a section with roots. The scenery was nice but we will not return because of the bumpy ride.

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Accordion

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