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The Parksville Rail Trail is the northernmost section of the Sullivan O&W Trail, which runs for 20.65 miles in Sullivan County in 7 distinct sections along the previous O&W Railroad Main Line and Port Jervis Branch.
About the Route
The northernmost section of the Sullivan O&W Rail Trail runs for 1.33 miles between Rte. 17 and the hamlet of Parksville.
The route is entirely unpaved. At the trailhead located in the Parksville business district, there is informational signage.
The Parksville Rail Trail runs between Old Rte. 17 (Parksville) and Short Ave. & Main St. (Parksville), with parking at the northern end.
These are approximate addresses. Please see TrailLink Map for detailed directions.
Parksville Rail Trail is one of our favorites! It’s gorgeous year round (though usually quite wet in parts, and icy in winter) but it’s one of our go to trails for a quick hike. Great for kids too!
The trail is absolutely beautiful and feels like I can etc with nature with a quick getaway. I used my under armour tracking app to guide my run. Sadly the trail itself is not 3.2 miles. It runs approximately somewhere in the 2.8 region. That’s joule be corrected. Aside from that, I think I’ll be running this trail very often.
Mostly gravel & dirt trail btwn creek & hillside. Better for running/walking than biking. Nice waterfall
I rode both of them one day in September 2018. This was after several days of rain, so some parts of each trail were boggy. Even in dry weather these are not for road bikes, but they are worth visiting. Neigther town is highly populated and they are not really tourist destinations. So bring most of what you might need.
I love running this trail
We rode this trail on May 12, 2017. The trail is a relatively easy ride with some great scenery (rock walls, stream and waterfall) but the surface was a little too rough to take your eyes off the trail. The surface was a variety of rock, dirt and grass and relatively flat. We had one wet, mucky spot where we gingerly walked through but this would not be a problem in a drier season.
The trail is now great!! There are new parking areas and 2 informational kiosks newly built (soon to have information on them). It is being well maintained now. It is easy to walk and bike from Main Street to Fox Mountain Road, with new wooden walkways and beautiful views of the Little Beaverkill River with its waterfalls and trout! There is public fishing access and parking on the other side of the river as well.
I have watched the transformation of the Rail Trail in the last 10 years, and it has come a long way from what railtrailbiker reported in 2002.
I urge railtrailbiker to revisit this Trail, because it has been completely restored by the Dept of Transportation and cleaned up by the Parksville residents, with the help of the Town of Liberty and Cornell Cooperative Extension. There has been flood mitigation (no more flooding), bridges have been built, and great signage and parking is in place, with more to be seen this summer! There will be benches mid-Trail and perennial flowers and bushes planted all around. You can definitely bike the trail now, and I saw cross country skiers enjoying it last month.
The Sullivan County Trail Committee is joining with the Sullivan County Division of Planning & Environmental Management in a project to connect as many of the segments of the O&W Rail Trails as possible in Sullivan County.
Liberty is working with Parksville to clean up and connect the Rail Trail between them, due to be completed by October 2017. And the Parksville to Livingston Manor segment, starting at Fox Mountain Road (near the east entrance of the Parksville Trail) is also getting attention, and is due to be cleaned up and restored in the near future.
You must check it out! It is a radical change, and will only get better.
Walked this trail on 9/20/2016. This trail is an easy walk with plenty of scenery along a wooded trail with a running creek with waterfalls in a few areas. The trail itself is only 1.6 miles one way. I walked it up and back in about an hour. You can park your car on either end of the trail. NICE
"The Parksville Rail Trail’s primary trailhead is located on Main Street, one block west of NY State Route 17 at Exit 98 in Parksville, NY. NY State Route 17, also referred to as the Quickway, will soon become Interstate Route 86. The current roadway interchange at Parksville does not meet requirements for Interstate highways and it is possible that most of the peaceful business district will be obliterated if and when a compliant interchange is constructed. The Parksville Rail Trail might also be paved over. For now this rather off the beaten path trail offers its users an opportunity to glimpse a bit of the past (the former rail bed) and also what the future might hold in store (the super highway).
Ample designated trail user parking is available right on Main Street. When I visited the trail on an early Spring Sunday morning, there were no businesses open from the time I arrived until the time I departed. This is a very rustic town; Main Street consists of about six businesses and the same number of residences. Should all of the services in town be closed during your trip, fuel and snacks are available 24 hours a day one block east at the Route 17 interchange.
The trail proceeds northwest from its Main Street trailhead. Expect to encounter a rather unimproved trail surface. The former railroad right-of-way has been cleared, except for some small twigs and branches, but relatively few enhancements have been made. I ran across loads of standing water and mud, large gravel, and even a complete trail wash out in one spot, which required a simple off-trail detour. The trail route parallels a very scenic stream on one side and a series of rock cuts on the other. You can see and hear Route 17 in the distance. However, very little of Parksville itself is visible from the trail.
The trail is broken by one street crossing; Fox Mountain Road. The segment between Main Street and Fox Mountain Road is the roughest. Surface conditions from Fox Mountain Road northwest until the Trail’s end point (when you come to the “No Trespassing” signs and a gate) are smoother and free of all standing water and mud. However, I observed an area obviously being used for target practice as I neared the northern most trailhead. Therefore, I suggest that you use caution after you cross Fox Mountain Road.
Parking is also available on Benton Hollow Road near Fox Mountain Road should you decide that you want to do just the more “user friendly” trail segment. There is no parking available at the northern most trailhead.
This trail loses points only because of its poor surface condition between Main Street to Fox Mountain Road. At only 3.2 miles in length I wouldn’t drive a long way to experience this trail. But if you’re on Route 17 in the immediate area it’s worth the stop in, especially since this trail’s days might be numbered."
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