Trails Near Utica, NY

The weather has warmed up, the snow is gone and the woods are waking up green. There is no better time than spring to get out there and go for a walk or a bike ride. There are several trails close to Utica that make it easy to enjoy a peaceful trip through the woods, streams, and fields of beautiful Central New York.

TrentonGreenbelt

Tucked away between RT 365 and RT 12 is a rolling woodland haven perfect for hiking year round. The greenbelt trail system is about 15 minutes north of Utica. The trails cover a couple miles with glades, ravines, a creek, sand dune, and interesting nature sign posts. One of the trails parallels a country road but otherwise they are secluded in the peaceful woods. There are a mix of hills, gullies and flat paths traversed by dirt paths making this a moderately challenging hike.

The trailhead is located on Wood Rd just west of Mapledale on Route 12. To get there, take a left at the first light in Mapledale onto Mapledale Rd, then another left onto Sand Ridge Rd. Finally, take a right onto Wood Rd and the trailhead will be a short ways up on the left.

Canalway

The Canalway is a collection of trail segments following the barge canal through upstate NY. The section running between Utica and Rome is a pleasant trail for walking or biking. The trail runs for about 15 miles along the canal but there are several entrances in between for shorter jaunts. Along the canal the trail passes through the Utica marsh, fields in the Mohawk Valley flood plain, and many peaceful stretches of wooded riverbank. The path is mostly flat and wide with a few small hills making it a good choice for long bike rides and joggers avoiding traffic.

The Utica section of the trail begins on North Genesee St heading east from the canal overpass. Other access points include Mohawk St crossing the canal in Marcy, RT 291 crossing the canal in Marcy, River St crossing in Oriskany, and Ft Stanwix in Rome.

Rayhill Memorial Trail

The Rayhill Memorial Trail is a recent addition connecting the towns of Whitestown and New Hartford. The path runs four miles from RT 840 through woods and a marsh, then through the shopping district in New Hartford and down through New York Mills, almost to the RT 12 arterial. The entire path is paved and mostly flat with benches at intervals, making it excellent for beginning walkers and short bike rides. There are spots for fishing in the marsh along the path as well.

In Whitestown there is a parking lot at the corner of RT 840 and Clark Mills Rd with trail access. Other access points are located at Middle Settlement Rd next to the RT 840 onramp, the shopping center on Commercial Drive, and New Hartford St across from the Ramada Inn.