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 26 trails covering 483 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.
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
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.
Pleasent stroll through the bog. Punctuated with numerous mud holes presumably generated by motor vehicles
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.
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!
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.
We enjoyed a leisurely ride on the trail on an unseasonably hot September day. There was enough shade along the way to make it pleasant. There’s nothing but a parking lot at Dresden end where we elected to turn around but looks like food and Seneca lake are just a blocks away. Note that the elevation at Pen Yan is a few hundred feet higher than at Dresden so we definitely worked harder going back. As for those who complained about tree roots, bugs, etc. we didn’t have any issues this day.
Not good for bike ride or walking! Muddy, rutted. For ATVs only
As per note on South Trailhead barricade: Aug 9 - Sept 20 expect daily trail closures due to the repair of a high-voltage line. I biked this awesome trail Aug 9 late afternoon & there was a construction truck sometime in the middle of the trail just finishing up & departing. Probably hit or miss until Sept 20 as to whether they are working on the lines or not. Today is a Wednesday… it’s 3pm. My guess would be that it would be open before 9 AM and after 5 PM and on the weekends but IDK 5 stars bc it’s a great trail
You start out in a lovely park and you end in a lovely park. In the middle, figuratively speaking, there is a wonderful farmers market. If you go on a weekend then the trail has a bit of foot and bike traffic so if time and speed are important, use this trail during off hours. But for a pleasant ride it is terrific. The one down side is it is poorly marked. the signs are small and there are a number of alternate paths. signs are facing one way but not the other. But not too bad. I recommend this trail if you are looking for an easy outing with no hills and meeting nice people.
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