Explore the best rated trails in Elmira, NY. Whether you're looking for an easy walking trail or a bike trail like the Pine Creek Rail Trail and Dryden Rail Trail . With more than 17 trails covering 136 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.
Just my opinion, this is a great walking trail. Not long, paved with wide paths. I am sure it’s because it’s a holiday weekend, but it was jam packed and not at all friendly for bikes. People don’t move, they walk 3 or 4 across. Not enjoyable for biking.
We’re on vacation and walked this trail for approximately 6 miles with our dog. Loved it the scenery and serenity were amazing. We’ll definitely be visiting this again our next trip.
Amazing views of the Keuka Lake Outlet. Waterfalls. Wildlife. Parked in Dresden and rode a bike to Penn Yan and back. Not the best for bikes, though. Lots of rocks and sticks (some broken glass) on the trail (rode in mid April). Trail width varies.
I really enjoy hiking this trail. There are lots of marked side trails off of the main trail that can really get your heart rate up if your looking for a more challenging hike.
We rode this trail on October 9-10/2022 to see the colorful leaves. Nice trail with a beautiful setting along the Pine Creek. Parking was limited at the Blackwell trail head.
From the beginning we got after a mile or so. Lacking in signage and painted bike markings on the road. We gave up after a few miles after getting lost a few times .
We finally found entry near Eldridge Park. Other place is wegmans parking lot. Smooth easy ride.
Some beautiful parts of the trail. However, in many places the trail is poorly marked and the southern end (3-4 miles), requires some technical skill. It’s probably fine for hiking. Stick with the northern portion, e.g., Watkins Glen or Montour Falls for about 8 miles south.
I rode the length of the Catharine Valley Trail in both directions. It's a very average trail. It's basically a crushed stone surface through the woods without anything to distinguish it from a thousand other trails. Signage is fair - there are a few places where a sign indicating the direction to the trail would have been helpful, but after fumbling around for a couple minutes you can figure it out. Portions of the trail follow Rt. 14, so there's a fair amount of traffic noise. There are a few points of interest in Watkins Glen and Montour Falls at the far north end, but other than that, there's really nothing else to see when you're on the trail. I would not recommend making this a "destination" trail - it's really not worth it. I would only suggest using it if you intend to bike from Watkins Glen down to Horseheads or Elmira. The trail allows you to avoid Rt. 14, which, although a designated New York State bike route with ample shoulders, has heavy high-speed traffic.
This trail is well marked and goes along the highway. nothing interesting. Good for quick ride during evening .
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