ONEONTA SUSQUEHANNA
GREENWAY:
ONEONTA, NEW YORK
-BIKE IT OR HIKE IT-
Last Updated: June
25, 2025
Length:
Silas Lane Loop Trail; 2 miles
Mill Race Loop Trail; 1.2 mile Loop
New Island Trail; 0.3 miles
Difficulty:
Silas Lane Loop Trail; Moderate. Flat, grass and hard packed dirt trail. Mountain bike recommended.
Mill Race Trail; Easy. Flat, paved trail.
New Island Trail; Easy. Flat, paved trail.
Directions:
To start from the Silas Lane parking lot for
the Silas Lane
Loop Trail [Northern
End]; From I-88 take exit 13 to Route 205 south. Take
your first right onto Silas Lane. Follow the road past the treatment plant and
look for the parking area on your right. Look for the sign.
To start from the Neahwa
Pl parking lot in Neahwa
Park for the Mill
Race Loop Trail & New Island
Trail [Western
End]; From I-88:
Eastbound:
Take exit 14 to Main St and head left. Take your first right on Neahwa Pl and
follow into the park. Parking lot on your right. Trailhead on your left.
Westbound:
Take exit 15 to Route 23 and turn left. Turn right on Route 28 and follow to
Main St and head right. Take your first right on Neahwa Pl and follow into the
park. Parking lot on your right. Trailhead on your left.
The Oneonta Susquehanna Greenway is a proposed
multi-use trail which will follow the Susquehanna River. The Silas Lane
Loop Trail is located at the Western End
of the Oneonta Susquehanna Greenway.
A Gap
exists to the next section, which is planned to travel East,
between I-88 and the Susquehanna
River to Main St. It will then follow Main St North,
to Neahwa Pl, where it will travel East,
into Neahwa Park and connect to
the Mill Race Loop Trail. This trail follows Mill Race East,
along the Northern Border
of the park. It then Loops
South
&
West
through the park, returning to Neahwa
Pl. The Mill Race Loop Trail
connects to the New Island
Trail in Catella
Park. This trail travels South,
below Route 23 and past some sports fields. You then travel underneath I-88
and across the on/off ramps to the Southern
Side of I-88. Here, the future trail
will continue East,
between I-88
and the Susquehanna River.
This section is currently a hard packed dirt trail. I believe the ultimate goal
is to continue the trail East,
to reach Fortin Park, which will require a bridge over the river. For more information
visit; ONEONTA
SUSQUEHANNA GREENWAY .
Silas Lane Loop Trail:
Starting from the Silas Lane parking lot [Northern
End]; Head
down to the Map Board. The Oneonta Susquehanna Greenway
forms a Loop, so
you can head either way along the Western Side. I started out going left,
Southwest. The trail is cut grass
and parallels the interstate. Lots of bunnies darting around. The trail pulls
away from the interstate and into a grove of Aspen trees. Here you'll find one
of 15 informative signs that dot the trail. Next you'll come to an
intersection
at a ½ mile.
Note;
Heading straight, East, simply shortens your trip by bringing you directly to the
Eastern Side.
Continue right past the bench along the edge of the woods.
Soon the trail turns left, South and takes you through the fields of Goldenrod to the
banks of the
Susquehanna River. Now you travel Northeast, along the
Eastern Side, next to river. After passing by Marker #12 you'll come to an opening on your right
at 1 mile, that leads to two
shaded benches overlooking the river. Back on the trail, you'll pass by
Marker #
11 and then come to an intersection.
Note;
Left, West, takes you back to the Western
Side.
Continue straight over some wood planks and
the trail is now mostly hard packed dirt. You travel through a Red Pine stand,
past a soccer field and back into the woods to a picnic pavilion at 1 ½ miles.
Hold your nose as you pass by the sewage treatment plant, where the turns
left, West, crossing over Silas Lane.
Finally the trail heads Southwest, around the back of
the town transportation building, along the Western
Side. The grass trail returns you to the parking lot after a 2 mile
Loop.
Note;
A Gap exists, as of 2025, East,
to the Mill Race Trail.
Mill Race
Loop Trail:
Starting from the Neahwa
Pl parking lot in Neahwa
Park [Western
End]; Plenty of Porto-Potty's
& picnic tables in this park. Cross
the road to the start of the paved Mill
Race Loop Trail. The trail travels Northeast,
through the woods, alongside Mill Race. Scenic. Informational signs along
the trail. Pass by sports fields and the Oneonta Outlaws Damaschke Field
stadium, before crossing James Georgeson Ave and continuing above the brook,
along a more open corridor next to David
Brenner Rd. More sports fields, before coming to a *crosswalk
at 0.5 miles, just before traveling
underneath Route 23 and coming to the David
Brenner Road parking lot at 0.6 miles.
Map Board.
Note; The New Island Trail
continues straight. See Below.
*Head
right, across the road, where the
paved Mill
Race Loop Trail continues South. [Continuing
Mileage; 0.5 miles] Travel past a ball field to a parking
lot and bare left, around a Skate Park and Dog Park out to a
park road at 0.25 miles. Picnic pavilion on your
right. Travel left, South, on-road
(low traffic) past a playground on your right and bare right, to Francis Marx Dr
(park road). Head left, passing by the housed, old D&H RR Caboose. In
1883 eight D&H RR workers met and formed the Brotherhood of
RR Brakeman. Come to a bricked lined Veterans
Memorial path that will take you West,
past a small pond on your right to a traffic circle. Head right out to Bertus
Lauren Dr, then left along Neahwa
Pl, returning to the start of the Mill
Race Loop Trail after a 1.2 mile Loop.
New
Island Trail:
Starting from the David
Brenner Road parking lot in Catella Park [Northern End]; [Continuing
Mileage; 0.6 miles] Map Board & Porto-Potty. The paved New Island Trail
travels South, past sports fields and below
Route 23, bringing you to an intersection.
Note; Left, East,
a paved Loop Trail travels around the
field out to David
Brenner Rd. You can then head left along the road and return to the David
Brenner Road parking lot after a 0.5 mile Loop.
The New Island Trail
travels right, up to Route 23. Head left, South,
across an off-ramp, then underneath I-88 along a sidewalk. Another crosswalk past an
on-ramp. Head left down to a Map Board after 0.8 miles.
Trail is currently a narrow dirt & grass trail.
Future
plans call for construction a trail East,
between I-88 and the Susquehanna River
& Southside Dam. It will cross an inlet via an old RR bridge and utilize the
old rail bed. See; Map .
HH
CLICK
HERE FOR MAPS
BEFORE YOU SET OUT BE
SURE TO READ THE
WAIVER
OF RESPONSIBILITY AND DISCLAIMER
BIKE IT OR HIKE IT
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