Must Visit Walking and Hiking Trails in Binghamton

Spring has arrived in Binghamton!

I was starting to wonder if the plants and trees were ever going to start blooming and then as I was walking home last night from a walk in Recreation Park on the West Side, I realized the trees on my street had practically blossomed over night.

With the warmer weather come longer days and warmer temperatures.  A perfect combination for an afternoon hike or early evening walk  which is what I did last night.  It felt great to breathe in the air and stretch my legs after being cooped up all winter.

No matter what side of town you're on, there's trail not too far from you, so if you're looking for a good walking/hiking spot here are some places you might want to check out:

Aqua-Terra Park
Maxian Road
Binghamton, NY 13903
This undeveloped Broome County Park located in the Town of Binghamton consists of 466 acres of wildlife and natural settings. Informal trails can be found on both sides of Maxian Road, including a trail around the shore of Agua Terra Pond on the north side of Maxian Road, while steep trails which follow the former ski slopes are found on the other side of the road.

Arnold Park Nature/Exercise Trail
Andrews Road
Vestal, NY 13850
Arnold Park has picnic tables, sports fields, and a short Nature / Exercise trail.

Binghamton River Trail
Binghamton, NY 13901
This paved trail begins at Confluence Park where the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers merge and continues North for approximately 1.5 miles to its final destination at Cheri Lindsey Park.

Binghamton University Nature Preserve
4400 Vestal Parkway East
Vestal, NY 13850
This nature preserve encompasses 182 acres of land which includes a 20 acre wetland.

Chenango Valley State Park
153 State Park Road, Route 369
Chenango Forks, NY 13746
Whether you need to find the perfect picnic spot, a cool lake for swimming or trails to hike this is the park for you.

Choconut Creek Flood Wall
Vestal, NY 13850
This is a level walk with a view of a hill and woods seen across the creek.

Chugnut River Walk
1200 Clubhouse Road
McKinley Avenue Bridge, Route 26
Endicott, NY 13760
This paved path starts under the McKinley Ave Bridge beside the Susquehanna River and follows the flood wall west for 0.7 miles before rising to the levee at Bridge Street.

Finch Hollow Nature Center
1394 Oakdale Road
Johnson City, NY 13790
This Broome County nature center offers 1 mile of easy to walk nature trails winding through field, pond and wooded habitats.

Hawkins Pond Nature Area
224 Scouten Hill Road
5 miles off NY Route 17
Windsor, NY 13865
Broome County’s Hawkins Pond Nature Area offers approximately 4 miles of hiking and cross-country ski trails, with additional trails found in the State Forest on the other side of McAlister Road.

IBM Glen
Robinson Hill Road
Johnson City, NY 13790
The Glen comprises over 200 acres in the Town of Union with several miles of marked trails using 3-inch diameter plastic blue, red and yellow markers placed on trees 5 to 7 feet above the ground.

Jones Park
State Line Road
Vestal, NY 13850
Hiking, mountain biking, and cross-country skiing can all be found on its several miles of marked hilly trails, some of which crisscross scenic creeks and streams.

Nathaniel Cole Park
1674 Colesville Road
Harpursville, NY 13787
This Broome County park located in Harpursville on Colesville Road features a 53-acre lake as well as self-guided nature trails, including a 1.5 mile loop around the scenic lake.

Otsiningo Park
1 Otsiningo Park
Bevier Street
Binghamton, NY 13901
This Broome County park provides a paved bicycle and pedestrian path and is located off of Bevier Street.

Otsiningo Park North
Howell Road off of Upper Front Street (Route 11)
Binghamton, NY 13905
The north entrance of Otsiningo Park is located behind the Northgate Plaza. It has a level loop trail that connects to the park, located to the south.

Port Dickinson Community Park
Chenango Street
Binghamton, NY 13901

A level three quarter mile walking trail along the perimeter of the park has been built, complete with exercise stations.

Tracy Creek State Forest
Vestal, NY 13850
Although no formal trails exist on the forest, access through the woods is good due to extensive trails created by firewood cutters and these areas are used for hiking, skiing, horseback riding and mountain biking.

Vestal Rail Trail
Vestal, NY 13850
This paved hiking and biking trail is 2.1 miles long and runs from North Main Street in Vestal to African Road, parallel to and on the north side of the Vestal Parkway (NY Route 434).

Whitney Point Community and Lake Walkway/Bikeway
Dorchester Park
5469 NY Route 26
Whitney Point, NY 13862
The trail is 2.0 miles long and goes from Broome County’s Dorchester Park around the southern shore of the Whitney Point Lake to Keibel Road in Whitney Point.

Wolfe Park
Dorman Road
Binghamton, NY 13905
This Town of Chenango park consists of 182 acres and approximately 3.5 miles of hiking trails.